Description
Book SynopsisBiological Science: Exploring the Science of Life responds to the key needs of lecturers and their students by placing a clear central narrative, carefully-structured active learning, and confidence with quantitative concepts and scientific enquiry central to its approach. Written by a team of dedicated and passionate academics, and shaped by feedback from over 55 institutions, its straightforward narrative, reinforced by key concept overview videos for every chapter, communicate key ideas clearly: the right information is provided at the right time, and at the right depth. Its pause and think features, self-check quizzes, and graded end of chapter questions, augmented by flashcards of key terms, directly support active learning. The combination of narrative text and learning features promote a rich, active learning experience: read, watch, and do.Its combination of Quantitative Toolkits, Scientific Process panels, and the Life and its Exploration chapters provide more insight and supp
Trade ReviewThis is the most exciting and effective textbook for university-level biosciences that I have seen, and its impact on our students will be exceptional.
It is rare for a textbook to consider the reader's need to test their understanding as they proceed. A major innovation in this book is regular 'Pause and think' boxes throughout the chapters, posing questions (often quite open questions) for the reader to answer (with the answer hidden below), to help reinforce concepts and test understanding in a supported way. There are additional test questions in the accompanying e-book. This is an integrated learning package, not just a textbook.
Producing a 'general biology' book for undergraduate level is a challenge - to make it advanced enough for undergraduate study, but not too challenging as to be incomprehensible to year 1 students. This book manages that difficult balance perfectly. The language used is advanced enough to challenge the reader and provide sufficient detail, but still accessible to those at the start of their university career.
More and more, the separate discipline areas of the biosciences are integrated together, and a key challenge for educators is empowering students to see these connections. This book has the teaching of core concepts at its heart, and encourages the reader to draw these connections throughout. Divided into a series of 'modules', each with a key theme for biology at its centre, this textbook shows how biological systems use diverse approaches to solve the same core challenges facing all organisms, structures and systems. * Professor Stephen Rutherford, National Teaching Fellow, Head of Education Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University *
Table of ContentsLife and its Exploration: Foundational Principles Topic 1: Exploring the science of life Topic 2: The emergence of life on Earth Topic 3: Defining Life Topic 4: Evolutionary processes Topic 5: The diversity, organisation, and classification of life Quantitative Toolkits Quantitative Toolkit 1: Understanding data Quantitative Toolkit 2: Size and scale Quantitative Toolkit 3: Describing data Quantitative Toolkit 4: Ratio and proportion Quantitative Toolkit 5: Understanding samples Quantitative Toolkit 6: Designing experiments Quantitative Toolkit 7: Assessing patterns Quantitative Toolkit 8: Formulae and equations Quantitative Toolkit 9: Rates of change Module 1 LIFE AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL 1: Building blocks: molecules and macromolecules 2: Energy: powering biochemical processes 3: Information: genes and genomes 4: Mendelian genetics 5: Reading the genome: gene expression and protein synthesis 6: Proteins and proteomes 7: Metabolism: energy capture and release from food 8: Molecular tools and techniques Module 2 LIFE AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL 9: Characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells 10: Cell division in prokaryotes and eukaryotes 11: Microbial diversity 12: The growth, measurement, and visualisation of cells 13: Microbes in life: harnessing their power 14: Microbes as agents of infectious disease 15: Viruses Module 3 THE HUMAN ORGANISM: TISSUES, ORGANS, AND SYSTEMS 16: Physiology overview 17: Communication and control 1: introducing the nervous and endocrine systems 18: Communication and control 2: sensory systems 19: Communication and control 3: controlling organ systems 20: Muscle and movement 21: Cardiovascular system 22: Respiratory system 23: Exercise physiology 24: Renal system 25: Digestive system 26: Reproductive system 27: Immune system Module 4 ORGANISMAL DIVERSITY: STRUCTURE, ADAPTATION, AND SURVIVAL 28: The structure of living organisms 29: Body plans 30: Interaction with the external environment 31: Movement, locomotion, and migration 32: Defence against predation and invasion 33: Reproduction and development Module 5 ORGANISMS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS 34: Fundamental concepts: ecology, evolution, species, and speciation 35: Genes: evolutionary change in alleles, genotypes, and phenotypes 36: Populations: quantifying demographics and modelling change 37: Communities: species interactions and biodiversity metrics 38: Ecosystems: abiotic interactions and environmental processes 39: Challenges: key threats to ecosystems 40: Solutions: managing, conserving, and restoring ecosystems
