9780134819549

Biology: Science for Life weaves a compelling storyline throughout each chapter, grabbing your attention with current high-interest topics such as genetic testing, global warming and the Zika virus. With this approach, you'll learn the relevant biological principles behind each story and how science can help answer complex questions.

New and updated stories in the 6th Edition make biology concepts relevant?and interesting?by connecting them to stories you see in the news and decisions you make every day. And with The Big Question feature, you'll practice using data to critically evaluate information. Even if you don't plan to become a practicing biologist, you'll develop critical thinking skills you can use in making decisions about issues that affect your own life, including personal, social and ecological issues.?

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About our authors

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier collaborated on teaching biology to nonmajors for over a decade at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. This collaboration has continued for an additional decade through Virginia's move to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, and has been enhanced by their differing but complementary areas of expertise. In addition to the nonmajors course,?Colleen Belk? teaches general biology for majors, genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology courses.?Virginia Borden Maier? teaches general biology for majors, evolutionary biology, zoology, plant biology, ecology, and conservation biology courses.

After several somewhat painful attempts at teaching the breadth of biology to non-majors in a single semester, the two authors came to the conclusion that they needed to find a better way. They realized that their students were more engaged when they understood how biology directly affected their lives. Colleen and Virginia began to structure their lectures around stories they knew would interest students. When they began letting the story drive the science, they immediately noticed a difference in student engagement and willingness to work harder at learning biology. Not only has this approach increased student understanding, but it has also increased the authors' enjoyment in teaching the course, presenting students with fascinating stories infused with biological concepts is simply a lot more fun.

Biology: Science for Life, 6th Edition is available in 2 versions:

Biology: Science for Life with Physiology contains Chapters 1-26
Biology: Science for Life contains Chapters 1-17

Can Science Cure the Common Cold?
- Introduction to the Scientific Method
- 1.1 The Process of Science
- The Nature of Hypotheses
- Scientific Theories The Logic of Hypothesis Tests
- 1.2 Hypothesis Testing
- The Experimental Method
- Controlled Experiments
- Minimizing Bias in Experimental Design
- Using Correlation to Test Hypotheses
- 1.3 Understanding Statistics
- Statistical Tests Can Tell Us
- Factors that Influence Statistical Significance
- What Statistical Tests Cannot Tell Us
- 1.4 Evaluating Scientific Information
- Primary Sources
- Information from Anecdote
- Science in the News
- Understanding Science from Secondary Sources
- Is There a Cure for the Common Cold?
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: How do I know what to believe?
- Review

UNIT 1: CHEMISTRY AND CELLS

Science Fiction, Bad Science, and Pseudoscience
- 2.1 A Definition of Lif
- 2.2 The Properties of Water
- The Structure of Water
- Water Is a Good Solvent
- Water Facilitates Chemical Reactions
- Water Moderates Temperature
- The Drinking-Water Hypothesis Requires More Substantiation
- 2.3 Chemistry for Biology Students
- Chemical Bonds
- The Bermuda Triangle Revisited
- 2.4 Biological Macromolecules
- Proteins
- Lipids
- Nucleic Acids
- Dietary Macromolecules and Behavior
- 2.5 An Introduction to Evolutionary Theory
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Does balanced reporting help us draw more accurate conclusions?
- Review

Nutrients and Membrane Transport
- 3.1 Nutrients
- Macronutrients
- Micronutrients
- Antioxidants
- 3.2 Cell Structure
- Plasma Membrane
- Subcellular Structures
- 3.3 Transport Across Membranes
- Passive Transport: Diffusion, Facilitated Diffusion, and Osmosis
- Active Transport: Pumping Substances across the Membrane
- Exocytosis and Endocytosis: Movement of Large Molecules across the Membrane
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should I routinely use detox products?
- Review

Body Weight and Health
- Enzymes, Metabolism, and Cellular Respiration
- 4.1 Enzymes and Metabolism
- Enzymes
- Metabolism
- 4.2 Cellular Respiration
- Structure and Function of ATP
- Cellular Respiration
- Stages of Cellular Respiration
- Metabolism of Other Nutrients
- Metabolism without Oxygen: Anaerobic Respiration and Fermentation
- 4.3 Body Weight and Health
- Body Mass Index
- Underweight Is Unhealthy
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: How unhealthy is anorexia?
- Review

Life in the Greenhouse
- Photosynthesis and Climate Change
- 5.1 The Greenhouse Effect
- Earth Is a Greenhouse
- Water, Heat, and Temperature
- 5.2 The Flow of Carbon
- 5.3 Can Photosynthesis Slow Down Global Climate Change?
- Chloroplasts: The Site of Photosynthesis
- The Process of Photosynthesis
- 5.4 How High Temperatures Might Reduce Photosynthesis
- 5.5 How We Can Slow Global Climate Change
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should global warming be kept below 4°C?
- Review

UNIT 2: Genetics

Cancer
- DNA Synthesis and Mitosis
- 6.1 What Is Cancer?
- Tumors Can Be Cancerous
- Risk Factors for Cancer
- 6.2 Passing Genes and Chromosomes to Daughter Cells
- Genes and Chromosomes
- DNA Replication
- 6.3 The Cell Cycle and Mitosis
- Interphase
- Mitosis
- Cytokinesis
- 6.4 Cancer Prevention, Detection, and Treatment
- Tumor Suppressors Help Prevent Cancer
- Cancer Detection
- Cancer Treatment
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Can I prevent myself from getting cancer?
- Review

Fertility
- Meiosis and Human Reproduction
- 7.1 Producing Sperm and Eggs: Meiosis
- Interphase
- Meiosis I
- Meiosis II
- 7.2 Problems with Meiosis and Lowered Fertility
- 7.3 Bringing Sperm and Egg Together
- Male Reproductive Anatomy
- Female Reproductive Anatomy
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION Does marijuana use impair fertility?
- Review

Does Testing Save Lives?
- Mendelian Genetics
- 8.1 The Inheritance of Traits
- Genes and Chromosomes
- Producing Diversity in Offspring
- 8.2 Basic Mendelian Genetics: When the Role of Genes Is Clear
- Genotype and Phenotype
- Genetic Diseases in Humans
- Using Punnett Squares to Predict Offspring Genotypes
- 8.3 Extensions of Mendelian Genetics
- 8.4 Sex and Inheritance
- Sex Determination and X-Linkage
- Pedigrees
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should there be universal screening for killer diseases?
- Review

Biology of Wrongful Convictions
- Complex Genetic Traits, Heritability, and DNA Profiling
- 9.1 Eyewitness Testimony and Complex Genetic Traits
- Polygenic Traits
- Quantitative Traits
- 9.2 Genes, Criminality, and Implicit Bias
- Studying Nature versus Nurture
- The Use and Misuse of Heritability
- Implicit Bias
- 9.3 Positive Identification
- DNA Profiling
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should the death penalty be abolished in the United States?
- Review

Genetically Modified Organisms
- Gene Expression, Mutation, Stem Cells, and Cloning
- 10.1 Protein Synthesis and Gene Expression
- From Gene to Protein
- Transcription
- Translation
- Mutations
- Gene Expression
- 10.2 Producing Recombinant Proteins
- Cloning a Gene Using Bacteria
- FDA Regulations
- 10.3 Genetically Modified Plants and Animals
- Modifying Crop Plants
- Modifying Animals
- Gene Editing Using CRISPR in Plants and Animals
- 10.4 Genetically Modified Humans
- Stem Cells
- Gene Therapy
- Gene Editing in Humans
- Cloning Humans
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should anti-GMO activists give up the fight?
- Review

UNIT 3: Evolution

Where Did We Come From?
- The Evidence for Evolution
- 11.1 What Is Evolution?
- The Process of Evolution
- The Theory of Evolution
- 11.2 Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
- Early Views of Evolution
- The Voyage of the Beagle
- Developing the Hypothesis of Common Descent
- Alternative Ideas on the Origins and Relationships among Organisms
- 11.3 Examining the Evidence for Common Descent
- Linnaean Classification
- Anatomical Homology
- Developmental Homologies
- Molecular Homology
- Biogeography
- The Fossil Record
- 11.4 Are Alternatives to the Theory of Evolution Equally Valid?
- Weighing the Alternatives
- The Best Scientific Explanation for the Diversity of Life
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should high school biology teachers be required to "teach the controversy"?
- Review

An Evolving Enemy
- Natural Selection
- 12.1 Return of a Killer
- What Is Tuberculosis?
- Treatment- and Treatment Failure
- 12.2 Natural Selection Causes Evolution
- Darwin's Observations
- Darwin's Inference: Natural Selection Causes Evolution
- Testing Natural Selection
- 12.3 Natural Selection Since Darwin
- The Modern Synthesis
- The Subtleties of Natural Selection
- Patterns of Selection
- 12.4 Natural Selection and Human Health
- Tuberculosis Fits Darwin's Observations
- Selecting for Drug Resistance
- Stopping Drug Resistance
- Can Natural Selection Save Us from Superbugs?
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should I stop purchasing meats that are raised using antibiotics?
- Review

Understanding Race
- Speciation and Macroevolution
- 13.1 What Is a Species?
- The Biological Species Concept
- Speciation
- Isolation and Divergence of Gene Pools
- The Evolution of Reproductive Isolation
- 13.2 Are Human Races Biological?
- The History of Human Races
- The Morphological Species Concept
- Modern Humans: A History
- Genetic Evidence of Divergence
- Human Races Are Not Isolated Biological Groups
- Human Races Have Never Been Truly Isolated
- 13.3 Why Human Groups Differ
- Natural Selection
- Convergent Evolution
- Genetic Drift
- Sexual Selection
- Assortative Mating
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Are affirmative action policies that favor black students applying for college admission good public policy?
- Review

The Greatest Species on Earth?
- Biodiversity and Classification
- 14.1 Biological Classification
- How Many Species Exist?
- Domains of Life
- 14.2 The Diversity of Life
- The Domains Bacteria and Archaea
- The Origin of the Domain Eukarya
- The Protista
- Kingdom Animalia
- Kingdom Fungi
- Kingdom Plantae
- Not Quite Living: Viruses
- 14.3 Learning about Species
- Reconstructing Evolutionary History
- The Greatest Species on Earth
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should lab mice and rats have the same rights as other nonhuman animals?
- Review

UNIT 4: Ecology

Is the Human Population Too Large?
- Population Ecology
- 15.1 Population Growth
- Population Structure
- Exponential Population Growth
- The Demographic Transition
- 15.2 Limits to Population Growth
- Carrying Capacity and Logistic Growth
- Earth's Carrying Capacity for Humans
- 15.3 The Future of the Human Population
- A Possible Population Crash?
- Avoiding Disaster
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should the international community continue to provide food aid to populations experiencing food crises?
- Review

Conserving Biodiversity
- Community and Ecosystem Ecology
- 16.1 The Sixth Extinction
- Measuring Extinction Rates
- Causes of Extinction
- 16.2 The Consequences of Extinction
- Loss of Resources
- Predation, Mutualism, and Competition
- Energy and Chemical Flows
- Psychological Effects
- 16.3 Saving Species
- Protecting Habitat
- Small Populations Are Vulnerable
- Conservation Genetics
- Protecting Biodiversity versus Meeting Human Needs
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Is wind power good or bad for birds?
- Review

The Human Footprint
- Climate and Biomes
- 17.1 Climate Determines Habitability
- Global Temperature and Precipitation Patterns
- Local Influences on Climate
- 17.2 Terrestrial Biomes and the Human Footprint
- Tundra
- Desert
- Forests and Shrublands
- Grasslands
- 17.3 Aquatic Biomes and the Human Footprint
- Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Can my actions make a difference on global environmental issues?
- Review

UNIT 5: Animal Structure and Function

Organ Donation
- Tissues and Organs
- 18.1 Tissues
- Epithelial Tissue
- Connective Tissue
- Muscle Tissue
- Nervous Tissue
- Tissue Donation
- 18.2 Organs and Organ Systems
- 18.3 Regulating the Internal Environment
- Negative Feedback
- Positive Feedback
- Growing and Printing Replacement Organs
- Organ Donation Saves Lives
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should kidney donors be financially compensated?
- Review

Binge Drinking
- The Digestive and Urinary Systems
- 19.1 The Digestive System
- Mechanical and Chemical Breakdown of Food
- Absorption of Digested Foods
- Regulation of Digestive Secretions
- 19.2 Removing Toxins from the Body: The Urinary System
- Kidney Structure and Function
- Engaging Safely with Alcohol
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Does alcohol make men more likely to commit sexual assault?
- Review

Clearing the Air
- Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems
- 20.1 Effects of Smoke on the Respiratory System
- What Happens When You Take a Breath?
- Gas Exchange
- The Role of Hemoglobin in Gas Exchange
- Smoke Particles and Lung Function
- 20.2 Spreading the Effects of Smoke: The Cardiovascular System
- Structure of the Cardiovascular System
- Movement of Materials through the Cardiovascular System
- Smoke and Cardiovascular Disease
- The Precautionary Principle in Public Health
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- The Big Question: Should marijuana be legalized?
- Review

Vaccination: Protection and Prevention or Peril?
- Immune System, Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Pathogens
- 21.1 Infectious Agents
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Eukaryotic Pathogens
- 21.2 The Body's Response to Infection: The Immune System
- First Line of Defense: Skin and Mucous Membranes
- Second Line of Defense: Phagocytes and Macrophages, Inflammation, Defensive Proteins, and Fever
- Third Line of Defense: Lymphocytes
- Cell-Mediated and Antibody-Mediated Immunity
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Why are females vaccinated against human papilloma virus more often than males?
- Review

Human Sex Differences
- Endocrine, Skeletal, and Muscular Systems
- 22.1 The Endocrine System
- Hormones
- Endocrine Glands
- 22.2 The Skeletal System
- Bone Structure and Remodeling
- Sex Differences in Bone Structure
- 22.3 The Muscular System
- Muscle Structure and Contraction
- Muscle Interaction with Bones
- Sex Differences in Muscle
- 22.4 Other Biology-Based Sex Differences
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Is sex selection an acceptable practice?
- Review

Zika in Pregnancy
- Developmental Biology, Menstruation, Birth Control, and Pregnancy
- 23.1 Early Development
- Fertilization
- Embryonic Development
- Development of the Brain When Zika Is Present
- 23.2 Avoiding or Delaying Pregnancy
- The Menstrual Cycle
- Birth Control Methods
- 23.3 Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: When does human life begin?
- Review

Study Drugs: Brain Boost or Brain Drain?
- Brain Structure and Function
- 24.1 The Nervous System
- Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
- The Senses
- Amphetamines Effects
- 24.2 The Human Brain
- Cerebrum
- Thalamus and Hypothalamus
- Cerebellum and Brain Stem
- 24.3 Neurons
- Neuron Structure and Function
- Nonmedical Use of ADD Medications
- Consequences of Using Nonprescribed ADD Medications
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Is drug addiction a disease of the brain?
- Review

UNIT 6: Plant Biology

Feeding the World
- Plant Structure and Growth
- 25.1 Plants as Food
- The Evolution of Agriculture: Food Plant Diversity
- Plant Structure
- Plant Reproduction
- 25.2 Plant Growth Requirements
- How Plants Grow
- Maximizing Plant Growth: Water, Nutrients, and Pest Control
- Designing Better Plants: Hybrids and Genetic Engineering
- 25.3 The Future of Agriculture
- Modern Agriculture Causes Environmental Damage
- How to Reduce the Damage
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION Should I purchase organically grown foods?
- Review

Growing a Green Thumb
- Plant Physiology
- 26.1 The Right Plant for the Place: Water Relations
- Transpiration
- Adaptations That Affect Transpiration
- Water Inside Plant Cells
- 26.2 A Beautiful Garden: Translocation and Photoperiodism
- Translocation of Sugars and Nutrients
- Managing Translocation
- Photoperiodism
- 26.3 Pleasing Forms: Tropisms and Hormones
- Tropisms
- Hormones
- We Are All Gardeners
- Sounds Right, But Is It?
- THE BIG QUESTION: Should I rip out my lawn?
- Review

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