Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This is a modern biology text in a cartoon format from bestselling author Larry Gonick and Dave Wessner, professor of biology at Davidson College.
Beginning with an account of life's essential organic chemistry, cell structure, and energy, it goes on to describe how life extracts useful energy from food (cellular respiration and fermentation), how plants and other producers make that food from air, water, and sunlight (photosynthesis), and how DNA stores information to create genetics, gene regulation, and reproduction.
The narrative then goes macro to show how interactions between these mechanisms and their environment lead to an immense variety of multicellular organisms with complex organ systems.
Finally, the text explores the systems of species, ecosystems, energy flows and chemical cycles--and what happens when biological systems are disrupted.
--Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Larry Gonick and Davidson College biology professor David Wessner comes this comprehensive and humorous cartoon guide to topics in biology
Did you faint when your middle school science teacher asked you to dissect a frog? Do you think DNA stands for "Don't Know the Answer"? Do you still cling to the belief that osmosis was the name of Ozzy Osbourne's last tour? If you said yes to any of these questions--or even if you didn't--then you need The Cartoon Guide to Biology.
The latest from New York Times bestselling author Larry Gonick--writing with Davidson College biology professor David Wessner--is a hilarious and informative handbook to the science of life. From the inner workings of the cell, to the magic of gene expression, to the Krebs and Calvin cycles, to sexual and asexual reproduction, The Cartoon Guide to Biology uses simple, clear, humorous illustrations to make biology's most complex concepts understandable and entertaining. Whether you're peering into the microscope for the first time or brushing up after decades of de-evolution, this book has you covered.