Photosynthesis OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Undergraduate Biology Course on the Study of Photosynthesis

Published Feb 07, 2009

RSS Feed

This ability is explained at depth in 'Photosynthesis: Life from Light,' a free OpenCourseWare class offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). If you're studying for a Bachelor of Science in Biology, this course could be a helpful review of how photosynthesis works at the cellular level.

Photosynthesis: Life from Light: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Photosynthesis: Life from Light: Course Details

'Photosynthesis: Life from Light' gives students an in-depth analysis of the many steps of photosynthesis.

This free OpenCourseWare package is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is adapted from lectures originally delivered by Professors Yongting Wang and Peter Weigele. Lecture notes begin with an introduction to this biological process and discuss different reasons for why and how plants developed oxygenic photosynthesis as opposed to anoxygenic photosynthesis, which is used by certain bacteria. Lectures explain how plants harvest light, turn it into energy and how that energy is transformed at the cellular level. Students discover how plants convert carbon dioxide into a carbohydrate for energy while exploring variations of photosynthesis present in different plants. The course concludes by discussing possibilities for humans to imitate photosynthesis through developing forms of solar energy. This course is part of a Bachelor of Science in Biology curriculum and suited for self-learners with a background in Biology or others enrolled in a similar class seeking extra review.

If you download this free OpenCourseWare, you'll get a syllabus, course schedule, reading list, a summary of lecture notes, three downloadable assignments and two assignments completed by a student of the class. To learn more, visit the photosynthesis course page.

Featured School Choices: