Understanding Biology

A concise and engaging biology text for biology majors, Understanding Biology partnered with Connect emphasizes fundamental concepts to help students better understand biology and focus on developing scientific skills.
Condensed chapters are centered on a learning path that serves to connect concepts within a chapter. The learning path begins with learning outcomes, which help students understand the core skills and concepts they should develop. Inquiry and Analysis cases help students build scientific skills, while scaffold end of chapter assessment ensures they not only grasp core concepts, but can also critically analyze and apply what they’ve learned. “Make the Connection,” a synthesis feature that ends every unit, helps students understand the connections between biological concepts, thus helping them “see” the big picture.

Part I The Molecular Basis of Life
1--The Science of Biology
2--The Nature of Moleculars and the Properties of Water
3--The Chemical Building Blocks of Life
Part II The Biology of the Cell
4--Cell Structure
5--Membranes
6--Energy and Metabolism
7--How Cells Harvest Energy
8--Photosynthesis
9--Cell Communication
10--How Cells Divide
Part III Genetic and Molecular Biology
11--Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis
12--Patterns of Inheritance
13--The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
14--DNA: The Genetic Material
15--Genes and How They Work
16--Control of Gene Expression
17--Biotechnology
18--Genomics
Part IV Evolution
19--Genes Within Populations
20--The Evidence for Evolution
21--The Origin of Species
Part V The Diversity of Life
22--Systematics and Phylogeny
23--Prokaryotes and Viruses
24--Protists
25--Fungi
26--Plants
27--Animal Diversity
28--Vertebrates
Part VI Plant Form and Function
29--Plant Form
30--Plant Reproduction
31--The Living Plant
Part VII Animal Form and Function
32--The Animal Biology and How It Moves
33--The Nervous System
34--Fueling the Body's Metabolism
35--Maintaining Homeostasis
36--Reproduction and Development
Part VIII Ecology and Behavior
37--Behavioral Biology
38--Ecology of Populations
39--Community Ecology
40--The Living World