Viruses & How to Beat Them I: Introduction to Cell Biology & Viruses (edX)

Whereas cells are alive, viruses are not. Discover how living cells translate information coded in our genes into proteins and what happens when viruses hijack our cells and cause life threatening diseases. Have you ever wondered what viruses actually are? Have you been curious about the ways they invade our bodies, attack our cells and make us sick? Come and learn what viruses are made of and understand the mechanisms of how they hijack and take over our cells.

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Our bodies are made of cells, which are amazing molecular machines. So long as everything is in working order, we feel great. But surprisingly, these unbelievably tiny parasites, made of protein and genes - viruses - can take control, causing serious damage to our bodies.

Step by step, this course - the first part of the Viruses & How to Beat Them program - will teach you how the cells of our bodies work to keep us healthy. We will then explore the vast kingdom of viruses; especially those that have caused epidemics like the flu, AIDS and Ebola. In the second part of the program, we will learn how our body defends itself against these viruses, with special attention to the latest threat: SARS CoV2 and the disease it causes - COVID-19.

The lectures have been carefully planned to clearly describe basic Cell Biology and Virology in terms that everyone can understand, without compromising scientific correctness. You'll participate in a detailed exploration of the structures of our cells and how they function. You'll learn how viruses replicate as well as how scientists investigate these topics. You'll view laboratory demonstrations that illustrate how cells and viruses are grown and studied. Throughout the course, you will meet leading experts and scientists - some of whom have received the Nobel Prize in recognition of their discoveries and contributions to Chemistry and Medicine.

This course was produced at Tel Aviv University - Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

This course is part of the Viruses & How to Beat Them: From Cells to Pandemics Professional Certificate.

What you'll learn

- The fundamental principles of living organisms

- Why cells are considered the units of life

- How information flows from our genes to produce proteins

- Why viruses are not alive

- How viruses infect our bodies

- The way viruses have changed the course of history

- To better understand the process of scientific investigation

- To develop critical thinking skills and apply them to problem solving