Is DNA still present after picking fruit or cooking vegetables? Biology scholars extract and collect DNA strands in an impactful lab. Working groups prepare their samples and compare their results to negative and positive standard...

Can your biology class crack the Case of the Crown Jewels? Junior forensics experts try their hands at DNA restriction analysis in an exciting lab activity. The lesson introduces the concept of restriction analysis, teaches pipetting and...

An informative lesson has learners read about, discuss, and study the classification, structure and importance of the following biomolecules: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and enzymes. 

Cyanide, a coordination compound, is used in the extraction of gold and silver. Part 24 in the series of 36 delves into the world of coordination compounds. Classes learn, through readings, discussions, and answering questions, how to...

An explanation of why carbohydrates are important nutrients for the human body. Chemical formulas and structures are used to demonstrate simple and complex carbohydrates.

Advanced chapter of the book "The Molecular Biology of the Cell" describes and provides illustrations of our most current understanding of the chemical makeup of cells and their components. Explains in detail how electron activity keeps...

Explore and review the biological molecules necessary for life.

This study guide on protein synthesis covers key terminology, protein molecules and the genetic code, RNA types and their roles, transcription, translation, and a few misconceptions. It is available for download with free registration.

Students learn about molecules, cells, and systems. Some topics investigated in the tutorial are cell types, enzymes, plasma membranes, and the heart.

Biology Project tutorial from the University of Alabama explains the molecular events that occur as a pigment molecule absorbs a photon of light during photosynthesis.

This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for a unit on the origin of life.

This site has information on how facilitated diffusion of ions takes place through proteins, or assemblies of proteins, embedded in the plasma membrane. Includes a helpful diagram.

Read about carbohydrates, which make up one of the three "Major classes of macronutrients that are essential to living organisms." In addition to defining several terms, including carbohydrate, simple sugars, complex carbohydrates,...

Discusses the properties of enzymes and the concept of enzyme-substrate specificity, and how a substrate molecule binds to an enzyme to form an enzyme-substrate complex. An overview of enzyme-substrate reactions is also presented.

Endocytosis enables cells to absorb extracellular nutrients that are needed for their survival. In receptor-mediated endocytosis, a protein receptor on the cell membrane binds to a nutrient molecule and facilitates its absorption through...

Explains what ribose and deoxyribose are, their chemical structure and properties, similarities and differences, their functions, and their biological importance.

A stop codon is a nucleotide triplet in messenger RNA that signals the end of a protein during the translation process. Read about how this works, the different types of stop codons, and how a mutation can sometimes occur.

A start codon is a nucleotide triplet in a genetic sequence that occurs at the start of a protein's synthesis. Read about how this works and how a mutation can sometimes occur.

This information can be used for exam review or as an introduction. It presents a good overview of the topics with charts, graphs, links, and a quiz.

Learn about gradients of molecules that exist across cell membranes, how they can help or hinder transport, and how active transport mechanisms allow molecules to move against their gradients.

Learn about the three stages of the Calvin Cycle reactions: carbon fixation, reduction, and regeneration of the starting molecule. See how the products of the light reactions, ATP and NADPH, are used to fix carbon into sugars in this cycle.

Resource examines how non-glucose molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids enter the cellular respiration pathway. Also, looks at the use of cellular respiration intermediates for biosynthesis.

These pages are part of a site called Evolution that accompany a textbook by the same name. Mark Ridley is the author. In this section: the universal genetic code provides evidence that life has a common ancestor.