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HarvardX: MCB64.1x Cell Biology: Mitochondria

MCB64.1X: Cell Biology: Mitochondria - Syllabus

Course Instructor

Robert Lue

Course Description

The cell is a powerful case study to help us explore the functional logic of living systems. All organisms, from single-celled algae to complex multicellular organisms like us, are made up of cells. In this course, you will learn the how and why of biology by exploring the function of the molecular components of cells, and how these cellular components are organized in a complex hierarchy.

This course is designed to explore the fundamentals of cell biology. The overarching goal is for learners to understand, from a human-centered perspective, that cells are evolving ensembles of macromolecules that in turn form complex communities in tissues, organs, and multicellular organisms.

In this first course, we will focus on the mitochondrion, the organelle that powers the cell, and use it as the context for looking at the processes of cell metabolism. Finally, we will examine the F1F0 ATP synthase, the molecular machine that is responsible for the synthesis of most of the ATP that your cells require to do work. To underscore the importance of cell biology to our lives, we will address questions of development and disease and their implications for society.

By the end of four weeks, we hope learners will have a deep intuition for the functional logic of a cell. Together we will ask how do things work within a cell, why do they work the way they do, and how are we impacted?

Join us as we explore the extraordinary and wonderfully dynamic world of the cell.

What you'll learn

    • How the internal structure and organization of a cell reveals how and why a cell works
    • The role mitochondria play in the cell and why they are important for a cell to make ATP
    • How cells metabolize food to provide the molecules necessary for mitochondrial function
    • How the structure and activity of the F1F0 ATP synthase leads to the production of ATP
    • What experimental techniques are used to investigate mitochondrial structure and function in the laboratory

Research

HarvardX pursues the science of learning. When you participate in this course, you will also participate in research about learning. Read our research statement to learn more.

Course Structure

This course is self-paced and all materials are available now.

Grading

There are 4 different graded components of the course:

    1. Concept Check (CC) assessments. These occur after most videos, and are worth 40% of your grade.
    2. Integrative Content Evaluation (ICE) assessments. There are 3 ICEs worth 50% of your grade. ICE 1 and  ICE 2 are worth 15% each and the Final ICE is worth 20% of your grade.
    3. Human Disease Decision (HDD) assessments. There are 2 HDD assessments related to the human disease narrative in Lesson 2. There are no right answers here - this is a discussion! The HDD assessments are worth 10% of your grade.
    4. Mitochondrial Research Techniques (MRT) assessments. These are more challenging assessments, intended to help you learn more advanced methods and the interpretation of data. There are two MRT assessments. You can receive up to 3 points (out of 100) extra credit for each MRT!

All other components of the course are not for credit.

Certification

In order to receive a Verified Certificate, you must sign up for a Verified Certificate by the date on the course home page and earn a passing grade of at least 70%. The Concept Check, ICE, and Human Disease Discussion assessments total 100% credit. The MRTs are cumulatively worth 6% extra credit.

COURSE OUTLINE

Welcome and Introduction

  • Welcome to Cell Biology: Mitochondria
  • Meet the Cell Biology Course Team
  • Important Pre-Course Survey

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Cell

  • The Inner Life of the Cell
  • Plasma Membranes and Membrane Proteins (concept check)
  • Deep Dive: Phospholipids and FRAP (concept check)
  • Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes (concept check)
  • Parts of the Cell (concept check)

Lesson 2: The Mitochondrion

  • Powering the Cell: Mitochondria
  • What is the Mitochondrion? (concept check)
  • A Closer Look at the Mitochondrion (concept check)
  • Deep Dive: Endosymbiosis (concept check)
  • Human Disease Narrative: Amy's Story Part 1 (human disease decision)
  • Mitochondrial Disease (concept check)
  • Human Disease Narrative: Amy's Story Part 2 (human disease decision)

ICE 1: Lessons 1 and 2

This Integrative Content Evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of material from Lessons 1 and 2.

Lesson 3: Cellular Metabolism

  • Electron Transport Chain
  • Overview of Metabolism and Photosynthesis (concept check)
  • Introduction to Metabolism (concept check)
  • Cellular Metabolism (concept check)
  • Membrane Transport Proteins (concept check)
  • Electron Flow and Proton Gradient (concept check)
  • Background: Molecular Structure

Lesson 4: The F0F1 ATP Synthase

  • Lesson 4 Overview
  • ATP Synthase Structure (concept check)
  • ATP Synthase Mechanism (concept check)
  • ATP Synthase in Action (concept check)

ICE 2: Lessons 3 and 4

This Integrative Content Evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of material from Lessons 3 and 4.

Advanced: Mitochondrial Research Techniques

These assessments will help you understand how mitochondrial research is conducted.

  • Part 1: Mitochondrial Membrane Potential
  • Part 2: Mitochondrial Respirometry

Final ICE: Comprehensive

The Final Integrative Content Evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of material from the entire course.

FAQs

I just enrolled but I see that the course began already. Am I too late?

New participants are welcome at any time! As long as the course has opened, you can begin once you enroll.

 

How do I navigate the course?
Start with “Course.” Click to open a section. Click on the “Day” or “Section.” Click across icons on the “Ribbon” to go through the material. Complete the work on each page. You can adjust video play speed in the video player. You can also turn the captions on and off, and download the transcripts and videos.

What are the system requirements for this course?
The course was tested on recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. We’ve found some bugs in assessments that occur on Safari, and do not recommend using it. While it is possible to access the course on tablets and other mobile devices, some parts of the course do not function correctly, and it is recommended that you take the course on a laptop or desktop to have full functionality.

How long will I have access to the course materials?

Audit learners will lose access to the course materials the number of weeks given as the course length. This time is counted from when you enroll or from when the course begins, whichever is later. 

 

Verified learners will have access to most of the course materials, even after the course closes. However, in some cases, content made available with external tools, or content you submit to external tools may not be available more than thirty days after the course ends. Where our agreements and the technology allow, we will make downloads of your content available. If there are specific items like links you’ve posted or code you’ve submitted that you wish to retain, we recommend you copy and paste to a file you save within the availability window. Please save any important work, especially essays and projects, before the course closes. 

 

Will the text of the lectures be available?
Yes, transcripts of the course will be made available alongside each video. You can also download the transcripts as needed.

Is there a textbook?
No, there is no textbook for this course.

 

What is the format of the class?
This is a self-paced course. Lessons are a mix of pre-recorded lecture videos, readings, and assessments. Progress at your own pace but try to cover at least one “week” each week. Please finish before the course closes. Learners on the audit track will lose free access after the number of weeks given as the course length.

What are the assessments?

This course contains graded and ungraded assessments throughout the course to test your understanding of the material and encourage engagement with the course. There are several types of graded assessments; these include multiple choice, which will have one correct answer, checkbox questions, which will have two or more correct answers, image-based analysis questions, and short answers. Ungraded assessments include polls and discussion boards, as well as some optional essays. We highly encourage all students to complete these assignments, as they offer an opportunity to interact with other students.

How will I be graded? How do I earn the Certificate?
Online learners who achieve a passing grade of 70% and have upgraded to the verified track can get a certificate. These certificates will indicate that you have successfully completed the course, but will not include a specific grade. Certificates will be issued by edX and will have the HarvardX logo and name(s)/signature(s) of the faculty.

Am I able to upgrade to a certificate after I complete the course?

Learners are able to upgrade after beginning or completing the course, even if their audit time expires (after they lose audit access) to the course. As long as they attempt to upgrade before the upgrade verification deadline, learners are able to upgrade. However, be advised that prices will be updated in 2020.

 

For more information about certificates, please see this certificate help page. 

 

Why is some content "locked"?
Some content in edX is available only to learners who have purchased a verified certificate. Locked content is marked with a lock icon. When you see this icon, it indicates there are one or more graded assignments on this page. Verified learners will be able to see and complete these assignments, which will count toward their certificate of completion.

Is financial aid available?
Yes. For more information on financial assistance, please visit the financial assistance page of edX.

When is work due? Are there deadlines? How can I shift the due dates?

The project schedule is flexible for participants. Simply work at your own pace to complete the materials. Some due dates can be shifted. For more information, see this help page from edX. 

 

What do the blue clocks mean?
All graded material has a blue clock icon next to it. If the item also has a deadline, that date is listed right below.

How do I see the correct answer?
For multiple choice and checkbox questions, to submit your answer for points, select ‘Check.’ If you are stumped, you can select ‘show answer,’ but this will result in forfeiture of your points. Please note: if you select ‘Show Answer’ before clicking ‘Check,’ you will receive 0 points. Leaving a question black and clicking "Check" will also result in an incorrect attempt. If it is the last attempt and the question is left black, clicking "Final Check" with no answer submitted will also result in zero points scored. Once you have a green check mark, no need to do anything else, you got the points!

Why am I not getting green check marks?
These green check marks are a new feature on edX. They have been working to make them available for video completion as well as for assessments. However, the check marks are “buggy” and do not always appear. Video completion is not graded, so please do not worry if you are missing these green check marks. Please refer to your progress tab and the grading policy of the course to more accurately gauge your progress.

Are there follow-ups to the course?
At this time, there are no additional courses. However, we recommend participating in any future edX courses you find interesting!

 

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
For edX technical questions, please contact edX at https://www.edx.org/contact-us.