Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Specialization

Understand nature like a biologist does! Follow Dr. Scott Solomon, author, speaker and Biosciences Professor at Rice University, on this unique “virtual field trip” learning experience to gain a broad overview and appreciation of 3 important fields of modern biology.

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DESCRIPTION

Looking at animal bones

This three-part course will go beyond what we can do in a typical classroom. We'll explore wild places, examine fossils, and interact with endangered species. You'll learn to see nature as a biologist does by experiencing it up close and personally. We'll also do some fun demonstrations. All of these experiences make the science of biology come to life and help you understand it.

In this three-part course, you will learn about – Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity– these engaging and interactive courses are designed to give you a broad overview of these fascinating and important fields of biology.

Here are the three courses and a little synopsis of what you will learn:

  • The ecology course is all about connections. We'll see how interdependent every living thing is and how people impact the natural world. Like all sciences, ecology isn't just a list of known facts– it's also a process. I love telling stories, and I've included many stories about how we've come to know what we know about ecology through observations and experiments.
  • The next course is the evolution course which is one of the most exciting fields within biology and central to a complete understanding of modern biology. We begin by tracing how Charles Darwin developed a theory of evolution by natural selection and the many ways that biologists have advanced the science of evolution since his lifetime. We then go on to learn about the many applications of evolutionary biology to our everyday lives.
  • In the biodiversity course, we examine the incredible variety of life that inhabits this planet, including microorganisms, plants, and animals. For each of the major groups, we'll learn about their characteristics, functions, and how they came into existence, some of the roles they play in the natural world, and how they're relevant to people. We'll also take a close look at us humans and consider what we know about our origins and what might become of us in the future.

Visit our three biology courses

introduction to ecology ENROLL NOW
introduction to evolution ENROLL NOW
introduction to biodiversity ENROLL NOW

CONTACT

Any questions? Please e-mail riceonline@rice.edu