Life science is one of the most dynamic and promising science fields in the 21st century. The cell is the most basic structure and function unit of an organism. Understanding cells is the basis and premise of understanding life. In recent years, a lot of teaching materials, excellent courses, and network resources courses have been set up around the undergraduate cell biology teaching in colleges and universities, and " The mystery of cell" is an online open course for the needs of non-life science students inside and outside the university.

The course objective of " The mystery of cell " is to scientifically introduce and disseminate the basic knowledge of cell biology for undergraduates outside of life science and related majors, to help students understand the essence of life, and serve to improve people's awareness and level of eugenics, respecting life, paying attention to health, understanding disease diagnosis and treatment, and improving quality of life. The course content of "The mystery of cell " includes 14 teaching units, which are the concept of the cell, the method of understanding the cell, the energy conversion in cell, the material transportation in the cell, the information transmission of the cell, the genome and gene expression in the cell, the reproduction, and survival of the cell, the mystery of cell movement, the functional differentiation of the cell, the aging and death of the cell, nerve cell, tumor and cancer, immune cells and human health, stem cells, and regenerative medicine.

"The mystery of cell" course is suitable for undergraduate students with the general biology foundation of middle school. It will answer questions and solve doubts for those who are interested in life science, or in eugenics, health care, disease diagnosis and treatment, longevity, and have a strong desire to understand the most important bearing unit (cell) of life.

"The mystery of cell" is an online course, which requires students to register online and study according to the teaching content and schedule published online. This course consists of 2 credits and 36 class hours. Students are required to complete it within one semester.

(1) By introducing the basic knowledge of cell biology, the course can help students understand the essence of life;

(2) To cultivate students' understanding of respecting life and health;

(3) To serve the learners to understand the nature of the disease, improve the quality of life awareness and level.

Students who take this course are required to have good basic knowledge of the biology of middle school and not required to take other undergraduate courses first.

Concise Course of Cell Biology (edited by Huang Baiqu and Zeng Xianlu), First Edition, Higher Education Press, 2010.

Cell Biology (edited by Ding Mingxiao, Wang Xizhong, Zhang Chuanmao and Chen Jianguo), Fifrth Edition, Higher Education Press, 2020. 

National excellent resource sharing course of cell biology: https://www. icourses.cn/ coursestatic/course_ 6665.htm.