Biology : Life on Earth with Physiology

by Audesirk, Gerald; Audesirk, Teresa; Byers, Bruce E.

• ISBN13: 9780131957664
• ISBN10: 013195766X
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-02-12
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings

Summary

The number of biology-related issues in our society is growing constantly. This book helps readers digest a wealth of scientific information with relevant references and examples.Includes new Links to Life featureends each chapter on a relevant note with short, informally written segments on familiar topics, such as "Health Food." Contains Earth Watch, Health Watch, and Scientific Inquiry Essays that introduce readers to the exploration of key environmental and health-related issues. Features a striking illustration program with consistent, strategic use of color, revised multi-part figures, and updated labels and captions.A fascinating reference for anyone interested in learning more about biological issues in our world.

Author Biography

Terry and Gerry Audesirk grew up in New Jersey, where they met as undergraduates. After marrying in 1970, they moved to California, where Terry earned her doctorate in marine ecology at the University of Southern California and Gerry earned his doctorate in neurobiology at the California Institute of Technology. As postdoctoral students at the University of Washington's marine laboratories, they worked together on the neural bases of behavior, using a marine mollusk as a model system.

 

Terry and Gerry are now professors of biology at the University of Colorado at Denver, where they have taught introductory biology and neurobiology since 1982. In their research lab, funded by the National Institutes of Health, they investigate the mechanisms by which neurons are harmed by low levels of environmental pollutants.

 

Terry and Gerry share a deep appreciation of nature and of the outdoors. They enjoy hiking in the Rockies, running near their home in the foothills west of Denver, and attempting to garden at 7000 feet in the presence of hungry deer and elk. They are long-time members of many conservation organizations. Their daughter, Heather, has added another focus to their lives.

 

Bruce E. Byers, a midwesterner transplanted to the hills of western Massachusetts, is a professor in the biology department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He's been a member of the faculty at UMass (where he also completed his doctoral degree) since 1993. Bruce teaches introductory biology courses for both nonmajors and majors; he also teaches courses in ornithology and animal behavior.

 

A lifelong fascination with birds ultimately led Bruce to scientific exploration of avian biology. His current research focuses on the behavioral ecology of birds, especially on the function and evolution of the vocal signals that birds use to communicate. The pursuit of vocalizations often takes Bruce outdoors, where he can be found before dawn, tape recorder in hand, awaiting the first songs of a new day.

Table of Contents

An Introduction to Life on Earth	p. 1
The Life of a Cell
Atoms, Molecules, and Life
Biological Molecules
Cell Structure and Function
Cell Membrane Structure and Function
Energy Flow in the Life of a Cell
Capturing Solar Energy: Photosynthesis
Harvesting Energy: Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration
Inheritance
DNA: The Molecule of Heredity
Gene Expression and Regulation
The Continuity of Life: Cellular Reproduction
Patterns of Inheritance
Biotechnology
Evolution
Principles of Evolution
How Organisms Evolve
The Origin of Species
The History of Life
Systematics: Seeking Order Amidst Diversity
The Diversity of Prokaryotes and Viruses
The Diversity of Protists
The Diversity of Plants
The Diversity of Fungi
Animal Diversity I: Invertebrates
Animal Diversity II: Vertebrates
Behavior and Ecology
Animal Behavior
Population Growth and Regulation
Community Interactions
How Do Ecosystems Work?
Earths Diverse Ecosystems
Conserving Life on Earth
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.