Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part 1: Getting the Basics 3
Part 2: Creating the Future 3
Part 3: Making Connections 4
Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 4
Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 4
Part 6: The Part of Tens 4
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part 1: Getting the Basics 7
Chapter 1: Figuring Out the Scientific Method 9
Developing Hypotheses 9
Practicing the Scientific Method 11
Designing Experiments 13
Making an Experiment Count 17
Building Theories 19
Answers to Questions on the Scientific Method 21
Chapter 2: Solving Problems in the Chemistry of Life 23
Mapping Atoms 23
Elemental Thinking 25
Figuring Out Molecules 28
Go Big or Go Home 31
Staying sweet with carbohydrates 32
Getting things done with proteins 34
Making plans with nucleic acids 36
Storing energy and building boundaries with lipids 40
Answers to Questions on the Chemistry of Life 44
Chapter 3: Investigating Life at the Cellular Level 47
Introducing Cells 47
Holding it all together: The plasma membrane 49
Getting in and out of cells 51
Creating proteins: Ribosomes 54
Taking a Tour of Animal Cells 54
Checking Out Plant Cells 57
Peeking at Prokaryotes 59
Answers to Questions on Cells 61
Chapter 4: Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 63
Figuring Out the Role of Food 63
Make it or break it 64
Feeling energized about energy 66
Getting a reaction 68
Transferring energy with ATP 70
Moving your metabolism with enzymes 71
Reduce, reuse, recycle 73
Cooking Up Carbohydrates 75
Light reactions of photosynthesis: Transforming energy from the ultimate energy source 76
Light-independent reactions of photosynthesis: Putting matter and energy together 78
Extracting Energy from Food 80
Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle: Breaking down glucose to carbon dioxide 82
Oxidative Phosphorylation: Transferring energy to ATP 83
Answers to Questions on Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 88
Part 2: Creating the Future 93
Chapter 5: Divide and Conquer: Recognizing the Phases of Cell Division 95
Talking 'bout the Generations 95
Duplicating and Dividing Your DNA 97
Riding the Cell Cycle 102
Marching Through Mitosis 104
Getting Ready for Sexual Reproduction 108
Making Sperm and Egg by Meiosis 110
Contrasting Mitosis and Meiosis 114
Answers to Questions on Cell Division 117
Chapter 6: Predicting Future Generations with Mendelian Genetics 121
Getting Acquainted with the Lingo of Genetics 121
Discovering the Laws of Inheritance 124
Puzzling Over Genetics 127
Climbing the Branches of Your Family Tree 129
Answers to Questions on Genetics 134
Chapter 7: Taking Genetics to the DNA Level 137
Going with the Flow of Genetic Information 137
Making a Copy of the Genetic Code: Transcription 139
Locating genes within a chromosome 141
Doing transcription one step at a time 141
Putting on the finishing touches: RNA processing 143
Decoding the Message in mRNA: Translation 145
Deciphering mRNA codes with tRNA 147
Doing translation one step at a time 148
Measuring the Impact of Mutations 153
Answers to Questions on the Genetic Code 156
Chapter 8: Going Straight to the Source with DNA Technology 159
Discovering the Power of DNA Technology 159
Cutting DNA with Restriction Enzymes 161
Separating Molecules with Gel Electrophoresis 164
Copying DNA with PCR 167
Reading a Gene with DNA Sequencing 168
Changing the Code with Genetic Engineering 171
Fighting Diseases with Genetic Vaccines 174
Answers to Questions on DNA Technology 175
Part 3: Making Connections 177
Chapter 9: Organizing the Living World 179
Examining Relationships 179
Classifying Life 181
Figuring Out Relationships from Phylogenetic Trees 185
Answers to Questions on Classification and Phylogeny 189
Chapter 10: Connecting Organisms in Ecosystems 191
Ecosystems: Bringing It All Together 191
Describing Populations 193
Tracking Changes in Populations 195
Getting Along with Other Species 200
Discovering the Job Descriptions of Organisms 202
Following the Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems 203
Recycling Matter within Ecosystems 206
Heating Up with the Greenhouse Effect 207
Answers to Questions on Ecosystems 211
Chapter 11: Evaluating the Effects of Evolution 215
Defining Evolution 215
Predicting the Outcome of Natural Selection 218
Supporting the Theory of Evolution 220
Estimating the Impact of Extinctions 223
Answers to Questions on Evolution 226
Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 227
Chapter 12: Building Bodies with the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 229
Moving Around with Friction and Gravity 230
Getting Support from Skeletons and Bones 231
This Joint Is Jumpin' 236
Flexing Your Knowledge of Muscles 237
Answers to Questions on the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 242
Chapter 13: Giving Your Body What It Needs: The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 245
Catching Your Breath: Animal Respiration 245
Taking a Breath with the Human Respiratory System 248
In with the Good, Out with the Bad: Animal Circulatory Systems 250
Navigating the Human Heart and Circulatory System 251
Entering the cardiac cycle 253
Oxygenating the blood: Pulmonary circulation 254
Spreading oxygenated blood around: Systemic circulation 256
Answers to Questions on the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 258
Chapter 14: Processing Food with the Digestive and Excretory Systems 261
Got Food? Understanding What Happens When Animals Eat 261
Moving Along the Human Digestive System 265
Filtering Fluids through the Urinary System 269
Exploring the Inner Workings of the Human Kidney 270
Answers to Questions on the Digestive and Excretory Systems 273
Chapter 15: Fighting Enemies with the Immune System 275
Microbial Encounters of the Best and Worst Kinds 276
Investigating Your Built-In Defenses 279
Fighting Back with Adaptive Immunity 282
Gaining a Tactical Advantage with Vaccines 286
Answers to Questions on the Immune System 291
Chapter 16: Sending Messages with the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 293
Mapping out Nervous Systems 293
Getting on Your Nerves 296
Getting in on the Action Potential 298
Regulating the Body with Glands and Hormones 301
Answers to Questions on the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 303
Chapter 17: Making Babies with the Reproductive System 305
Identifying the Parts of the Male Reproductive System 305
Identifying the Parts of the Female Reproductive System 307
Following the Female Ovarian and Menstrual Cycles 309
Fertilization through Birth: Developing New Humans 312
Answers to Questions on the Human Reproductive System 317
Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 319
Chapter 18: Studying Plant Structures 321
Peering at the Parts and Types of Plants 321
Taking a Look at Plant Tissues 328
Growing Like a Weed: Plant Reproduction 332
Answers to Questions on Plant Structures 337
Chapter 19: Pondering Problems in Plant Physiology 339
Taking Minerals from the Soil 339
Pulling Water Through Plants 342
Sending Sugars from Sources to Sinks 344
Sending Signals with Plant Hormones 346
Answers to Questions on Plant Physiology 349
Part 6: The Part of Tens 351
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Getting an A in Biology 353
Put in Enough Time 353
Pace Yourself 354
Study Actively, Not Passively 354
Make Vocabulary Flashcards 355
Test Yourself Before Your Instructor Tests You 356
Learn From Your Mistakes 356
Maximize the Easy Points 357
Ask for Help Upfront 357
Use Your Resources 357
Don't Leave It in the Classroom 357
Chapter 21: Ten Great Biology Websites 359
Dummies.com 360
The Amoeba Sisters 360
Bozeman Science 360
Khan Academy 360
The Biology Project at the University of Arizona 361
Genetic Science Learning Center 361
DNA from the Beginning 361
The Biology Corner 361
Cells Alive! 361
BioNinja 362
Other Study Sites 362
Chapter 22: Ten Ways Biology Matters To Your Life Right Now 363
Climate Change 363
Spread of Infectious Diseases 364
Curing Cancer 364
Genetic Engineering of Humans 364
Ancestry 365
Personalized Medicine 365
Eating a Plant-Based Diet 365
Getting to Know Your Physical Body 366
Growing Plants for Food and Fun 366
Human Population Growth 366
Index 367
