General Biochemistry
MIT's introductory biochemistry course covers how chemistry underlies the structure and function of cells, tissues, and organisms. Topics include the chemistry of nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates, basic enzymology and reaction mechanisms behind macromolecular synthesis and degradation, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and nitrogen-containing compounds like amino acids. This OpenCourseWare site presents mainly the second half of the class, taught by Professor Matthew Vander Heiden, which concentrates on metabolism; the first half, taught by Professor Michael Yaffe, is available separately as MITx 7.05x. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets, and exams from an actual MIT course, free to access with no enrollment or certificate fee. The course assumes an introductory chemistry and biology background and suits students moving from general chemistry into molecular and cellular biology.