Why Biology Matters: Basic Concepts (FutureLearn)

Why Biology Matters: Basic Concepts (FutureLearn)

Improve your understanding of the complex biology behind social issues that affect each of us and society. We often read news stories based on biology that we don’t understand well enough to form an opinion about.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

To be able to interpret complex biological concepts - genetic determinism, cloning, genetic engineering, the fight against ageing, eugenics, artificial selection or intelligence inheritance - we need knowledge that we may not have.
That’s where this online course can help. It provides a basic introduction to the biology behind these ideas, - using lessons and interviews with experts - so that you can understand the implications of them for the fields of the social sciences and humanities.

What topics will you cover?

  • Life, the basics
  • DNA information for life
  • Genome in action
  • How evolution works
  • Humans in nature

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Apply scientific knowledge to the human being
  • Explain the implications of the fact that we are a biological species
  • Critically evaluate information that reaches us through the media
  • Develop a scientifically based criterion of aspects with a biological basis, avoiding misleading, unfounded opinions
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Understanding and Teaching Evolution (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Bath

Understanding and Teaching Evolution (FutureLearn)

Learn key concepts in biological evolution and find out how to integrate them into the classroom. Find out how to teach evolution to 7–16 year olds. How does evolution happen? Can we observe it in real time? How do new species come about and how long does this take? When you think about evolution, you may think of Darwin, but modern genetics has transformed our understanding of how evolution happens. This course uses this new genetics-centred approach to explain key concepts in our scientific understanding of evolution.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
The Brain and Space (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

The Brain and Space (Coursera)

This course is about how the brain creates our sense of spatial location from a variety of sensory and motor sources, and how this spatial sense in turn shapes our cognitive abilities. Knowing where things are is effortless. But “under the hood,” your brain must figure out even the simplest of details about the world around you and your position in it.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Bacterial Genomes: From DNA to Protein Function Using Bioinformatics (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences

Bacterial Genomes: From DNA to Protein Function Using Bioinformatics (FutureLearn)

Use bioinformatics to explore DNA sequences and protein functions, to find the determinants of virulence in microbes. Join us in our quest to discover what makes microbes dangerous. Use bioinformatics to probe genomes, to explore and represent DNA and protein sequences. Then, use databases to find protein sequences’ conserved domains and investigate their functions.

No sessions available
2 Weeks
Cancer in the 21st Century - the Genomic Revolution (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow

Cancer in the 21st Century - the Genomic Revolution (FutureLearn)

Discover how modern genetics has revolutionised approaches to the detection and treatment of cancer. Cancer Research UK estimates that 1 in 2 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. It is a disease that impacts on most people’s lives at some stage. So understanding cancer, and the development of new treatments, is of intrinsic interest to us all.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Whole Genome Sequencing: Decoding the Language of Life and Health (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Health Education England

Whole Genome Sequencing: Decoding the Language of Life and Health (FutureLearn)

Learn how whole genome sequencing works and what it could mean for the future of healthcare with this free online course. Whole genome sequencing is a relatively new technology that allows us to ‘read’ a person’s or organism’s entire genetic code. But how does it work and what does it mean for all of us? How do scientists begin to make sense of the vast amount of information that whole genome sequencing provides? And what does this new technology mean for the future of healthcare and personalised medicine?

Oct 18th 2021
3 Weeks
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT): An Introduction for Healthcare Professionals (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
St George's, University of London

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT): An Introduction for Healthcare Professionals (FutureLearn)

Get broad insight into the key issues surrounding Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing with this course for healthcare professionals. Learn about the history, limitations, and ethical considerations of NIPT. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is a timely issue in the UK. Already available within the private healthcare system, this maternal blood test is set to be offered by England’s National Health Service (NHS) in 2019.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Using Personalized Medicine and Pharmacogenetics (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of East Anglia

Using Personalized Medicine and Pharmacogenetics (FutureLearn)

Get to grips with pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine, so you can make informed treatment decisions. Personalized medicine and pharmacogenetics both promise exciting new developments in healthcare. On this course you will explore their potential, taking a close look at the human genome, genome and exome sequencing, pharamcogenetics tests, a review of current best evidence and the use of personalized medicine in cancer therapy.

No sessions available
3 Weeks
Why Do We Age? The Molecular Mechanisms of Ageing (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Groningen,University Medical Center Groningen - UMCG

Why Do We Age? The Molecular Mechanisms of Ageing (FutureLearn)

Why do we age? Is there a limit to human lifespan? Can we prolong our lives? Find out with this free online course. Discover the science behind the ageing process. The “why” and “how” of ageing has puzzled mankind ever since it questioned its place in the universe.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks