In Sandra and Brian Alters’ years of teaching biology and training science teachers, they’ve worked to understand how to create the optimal learning environment and a buzz in the classroom. Biology: Understanding Lifereflects this experience and dedication to teaching and learning by providing unique, classroom-tested examples, analogies, and explanation––along with pedagogy that points students to the important ideas in biology. Some of these unique, highly-praised pedagogical features include:

• Analogiesthroughout the text help students visualize and understand concepts and processes by comparing them with readily recognizable, real-life examples.
• Visual Thinkingquestions accompany many of the illustrations in this text, asking students to demonstrate understanding and application of what’s being depicted in a figure or table.
• In The Newschapter-opening stories, video clips, and end-of-chapter review questions place biology topics in the context of current events and students’ lives.
• Just Wonderingboxes placed throughout the text showcase and answer questions from students across the country. At the conclusion of each box, students are invited to submit their own questions to the authors by visiting the text‘s companion website.
• Levels of UnderstandingReview Materialsat the end of each chapter include questions structured according to a three-level system, providing different types of questions designed to encourage students to think about different strategies for studying the chapter’s material.

 Brian Alters, Sir William Dawson Scholar, holds appointments internationally at McGill University, Montreal, where he recently won the university’s highest teaching award, and at Harvard University, Cambridge. Brian is founder and director of the Evolution Education Research Center, a joint involvement between professors of McGill and Harvard universities. He writes primarily about evolution education and teaching.

Chapter 1. Biology: Understanding Life.

Chapter 2. How Scientists Do Their Work.

PART TWO: CELLS AND HOW THEY TRANSFORM ENERGY.

Chapter 3. The Chemistry of Life.

Chapter 4. Biological Molecules.

Chapter 5. Cell Structure and Function.

Chapter 6. The Flow of Energy Within Organisms.

Chapter 7. Storing Energy from the Sun: Photosynthesis.

Chapter 8. Releasing Energy from Carbohydrates: Cellular Respiration.

PART THREE: GENETICS.

Chapter 9. DNA Structure and Replication.

Chapter 10. Gene Expression and Regulation.

Chapter 11. Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering.

Chapter 12. Cell Reproduction.

Chapter 13. Patterns of Inheritance.

Chapter 14. Human Genetics.

PART FOUR: PRINCIPLES OF EVOLUTION.

Chapter 15. The History and Development of Evolutionary Theory.

Chapter 16. Beyond Darwin: A Genetic Basis of Evolution.

Chapter 17. Speciation & Extinction: How Species Arise & Die Out.

Chapter 18. The Evolution of Life on Earth.

PART FIVE: BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY & ITS EVOLUTION.

Chapter 19. Viruses and Bacteria.

Chapter 20. Protists, Fungi, & Plants.

Chapter 21. Invertebrates.

Chapter 22. Chordates & Vertebrates.

PART SIX: PLANT ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY.

Chapter 23. Patterns of Reproduction in Plants.

Chapter 24. Patterns of Structure and Function in Plants.

Chapter 25. Control Systems in Plants.

PART SEVEN: ANIMAL ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY.

Chapter 26. Tissues.

Chapter 27. Digestion.

Chapter 28. Respiration.

Chapter 29. Circulation.

Chapter 30. Defense Against Disease.

Chapter 31. Excretion.

Chapter 32. Nervous System Communication.

Chapter 33. The Senses.

Chapter 34. Protection, Support, & Movement.

Chapter 35. Hormones.

Chapter 36. Sex, Reproduction, & Development.

PART EIGHT: INTERACTIONS AMONG ORGANISMS AND WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

Chapter 37. Behavior.

Chapter 38. Population Ecology.

Chapter 39. Interactions Within Communities.

Chapter 40. Ecosystems.

Chapter 41. Biomes and Life Zones of the World.

Chapter 42. The Biosphere: Today and Tomorrow.

Appendix A: A Scientific Journal Article Examined.

Appendix B: Periodic Table of the Elements.

Appendix C: Units of Measurement.

Appendix D: Answers.

Glossary.

Credits.

Index.