MIT 7.012: Introductory Biology
7.012 is one of MIT's introductory biology GIR options, famously taught by Eric Lander and Robert Weinberg in its OCW incarnation, covering biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and special topics like cancer, immunology, and genomics. Every MIT student takes a 7.01x course regardless of major.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with MIT. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
MIT biology exams test problem-solving (designing experiments, interpreting genetic crosses, predicting outcomes of perturbations), not recall, which surprises students who aced memorization-based high school biology. Genetics problem sets are the classic difficulty spike.
What you'll cover
- • Biochemistry and protein function
- • Molecular biology and the central dogma
- • Genetics and genetic analysis
- • Recombinant DNA and genomics
- • Cancer biology
- • Immunology
The 7.012 study guide
How to study for MIT 7.012, step by step.
- 1
Study by solving, not by memorizing
7.012 exams test experimental reasoning (designing experiments, predicting perturbation outcomes), which memorization can't carry. Make problems the center of every study session from week one.
- 2
Work genetics crosses by hand until they're routine
The genetics psets are the classic 7.012 difficulty spike. Draw out crosses, pedigrees, and linkage problems repeatedly; the notation has to become automatic before exam reasoning can happen on top of it.
- 3
Reserve flashcards for the molecular machinery only
Polymerases, ribosomes, pathway components: drill the vocabulary so it's free, then spend the saved mental energy on the problem-solving exams actually reward.
- 4
Use the OCW exams to learn the question style
The Lander/Weinberg 7.012 materials on OCW include exams with solutions. Attempt them honestly first. The experimental-design question style surprises everyone once, and it's better for that to happen in practice.
Today's 7.012 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for 7.012. Yours is built from your syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
- Review: Molecular biology and the central dogmaReview · 25 min
Work back through the 7.012 material on molecular biology and the central dogma. In the app, Fennie builds this from your own notes and syllabus.
- Practice: Genetics and genetic analysisPractice · 20 min
Targeted problems on genetics and genetic analysis, the kind 7.012 actually tests.
- Quick quiz: Recombinant DNA and genomicsQuiz · 10 min
Five generated questions to expose weak spots on recombinant dna and genomics before the exam does.
- Preview: Cancer biologyPreview · 10 min
A first pass over cancer biology so the next session starts from familiar ground.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is 7.012 hard?
The concepts are accessible, but exams demand experimental reasoning and genetics problem-solving that memorization can't carry. Practice with problem-style questions is the differentiator.
What's the difference between 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014?
All cover the same core biology GIR material with different special-topic emphases; 7.012 leans genomics and disease. Any of them satisfies the requirement.
Is the 7.012 OCW course still worth taking?
Yes. The Lander/Weinberg lectures remain a renowned introduction to molecular biology, though the field has moved since recording, so supplement recent genomics topics with newer material.
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