Henry Carter Hull

The products from the reactions in the previous lecture now enter the Krebs citric acid cycle. The outcome of these reactions, in turn, link to many other pathways, with the Krebs cycle serving as the hub directing the intricate traffic of metabolic intermediates. After decoding the Krebs cycle, use it to illuminate a deep mystery about cancer cells, which suggests new therapies for the disease.

Focus on DNA's ability to replicate by matching complementary base pairs to separated strands of the helix. Several specialized enzymes are involved, as well as temporary segments of RNA. Explore this process in bacteria. Then investigate the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a Nobel Prize-winning technique for copying DNA segments in the lab, which has sparked a biotechnology revolution.

Aging affects us all, and it’s important to know how our cognitive functions change over our lives. The course opens with an examination of how fluid processing skills—such as episodic and working memory—tend to decline over time, whereas crystallized intelligence (how-to skills and accumulated knowledge) remains stable or even improves.

Take a tour of cell manufacturing, focusing on metabolic pathways that use energy to synthesize key molecules, including sugars, complex carbohydrates, fatty acids, and other lipids. Along the way, learn why alcohol and exercise don't mix, how our bodies create short- and long-term energy stores, and why some essential fatty acids can lead to health problems if their ratios are not optimal.

Scientists have struggled for centuries to pinpoint the qualities that distinguish humans from the millions of other animal species with which we share the vast majority of our DNA. Now, we explore those traits once thought to be uniquely human to discover their evolutionary roots..

Turn from the brain’s structure to its activity. After reviewing how we study brain function via fMRI, Professor Polk shows you how brain activity changes as we age—and how these changes impact our memory, our ability to multitask, and more. Then, learn some good news about how the brain compensates for these changes.

Michael and James explore how the chemicals in our food feed and build our bodies. The world is full of different cuisines and thousands of different meals. Yet when they’re reduced to their essence, there are actually just a handful of ingredients that our bodies absolutely need from our food to survive.. These essential molecules come in a series of familiar sounding groups – carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals – but Michael...

Joy and Mark travel to Borneo to explore the reproduction challenges of our close cousin — the orangutan. The largest tree dwellers on the planet, orangutans mate, give birth and raise their young high in the jungle canopy. At an orangutan sanctuary in the rainforest, Mark and Joy come face-to-face with a super-male and uncover the latest scientific theories about how these kings exert their power over other males and seduce females in their territory....

Joy and Mark investigate the reproductive secrets of marine mammals to learn how animals that breathe air manage to mate, give birth and raise their young underwater. Joy travels to New Zealand to uncover the mating strategy of dusky dolphins. While she reveals the adaptations marine mammals have evolved to mate in the ocean, Mark travels to Mexico to find out how whales find mates in the ocean vastness. Witness a dolphin birth, explore the difficulties...

Field Biologist is the story of 22-year-old Tyler Christensen, a remarkably talented but somewhat rudderless high school graduate from New Jersey still trying to figure out what to do with his life. Tyler's great love is being outside, chasing birds and studying wildlife. Brushing aside his lack of a college degree or scientific credential, he decides to drop everything and travel to Costa Rica to start doing his own conservation-oriented research...