The depth of content is largely appropriate for a 200-level Biology class. For these reasons, I think this would be a very difficult text for a new instructor to teach from. Sections will need to be fully revised to provide updates of text and figures. Reviewed by Eric Goff, Biology Professor, Midlands Technical College on 3/22/21, Content-wise, Biology -2e very closely aligns itself with most traditional introductory Biology text books. We call a molecule that binds up excess hydrogen ions in a solution a(n) ________. These concepts are best taught with interactive animations that allow the student to try different responses and then get immediate feedback on whether they were correct or not. Sanger sequencing is NOT what is used for cheap sequencing today. At approximately 1,500 pages, the book is slightly longer than other books weve used, but the additional length may be due to the organization and inclusion of glossaries at the end of each chapter. There is not much to say here. This text easily lends itself to be parceled into units/modules, such as between two semesters. The approach of including Hardy Weingberg under population evolution and drift, flow, mutations, and natural selection under population genetics is different from what Ive seen in other books. For example, the discussion of Lakes work would not be accessible to general biology students. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Granted that the texbook is "inaccurate" with respect to T cell subpopulations (at this detail level), but if one wants to know more about T-cells, then perhaps an Immunology textbook would be more appropriate! I selected Cellular Respiration because this is a complex, multi-step concept which is challenging for many students. Therefore in order to reach this audience effectively (to help them retain material), it is better to have a few more images. Many topics are covered at a moderate level of depth with additional links provided to content from other sections of the text The application should let the user specify how many random numbers the file will hold and should use a SaveFileDialog control to let the user specify the files name and location. The text covers most necessary areas, but not always with clarity or accuracy. On page 242, the discussion of CAM and C4 photosynthesis is far too brief. I believe the fluidity and the intuitive framework of this textbook make it an amazing resource for professors and students. Vending Services has the widest range of water dispensers that can be used in commercial and residential purposes. Sometimes a link will bring the reader to a website, and not directly to the learning video or animation. Naturally, other chapters addresses some scientific concepts which have unfortunately become politicized (evolution and anthropogenic climate change, for example), which may be alienating to some students. The Career Connection sections are good, although they are definitely American and not Canadian. This doesnt always correlate with the amount of material covered in each section (e.g., Section 45.3 is pretty dense but only has three Review Questions). So this can easily be used for this purpose. All texts tend to emphasize some areas over others, and this is no exception. Not sure this is a major hang up, just something I noticed. The textbook is comparable to a general biology textbook for majors from any of the major publishers. I did not find instructional resources, but I assume that if I had purchased the text I would have been granted access to them. Reviewed by Emma Murray, Instructor (Biology for majors), Aims Community College on 7/23/19, Overall this text covers each topic in adequate detail and provides enough detail and content for a two semester coverage of biology for majors, especially if this text is used alongside additional instructor input and labs. The text is organized in a clear and easy to follow manner and provides formative assessments throughout so that students may gauge their learning. Broadly speaking, the TOC and units are easy to navigate and the images/videos are placed appropriately. I was disappointing to see that Dr. Rosalind Franklin did not get a little more ink and perhaps a photo. I tried several times to access the Instructor Power Points that are supposedly available, and I could not get the website to work. Mendelian genetics and non-mendelian traits, DNA replication and repair and mitosis and meiosis I believe are covered adequately for a genetics class, but I think to use this book for a genetics class many outside resources would also need to be used (epigenetics, modern bioinformatics and next generation sequencing, genetic testing, ethics, and CRISPR-cas are some examples). At room temperature, its pressure is 180 atm. Each chapter consists a number of sections - this makes it easy for the student to break the material up into manageable chunks. A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area is called a(n) ________. More importantly, however, rapid advances are made in many aspects of modern biology, most notably in molecular genetics, but even other areas are undergoing change from the application of molecular approaches and new discoveries. Otherwise I had no interface issues. I know that several other reviewers commented on errors they found in this textbook. The consistency in terminology and flow of content is solid throughout. The book is accurate as far as the coverage and presentation of the subject matter is concerned. Additional supporting materials with simulations and problem sets. There was also links to videos and tutorials which more fully explained some of the more difficult topics in a visual and/or audio dimension. This is a boon to both students looking for a term I've assigned, and to me when I'm re-working my concept study guides. I think it is a great alternative to using a for pay text, and with the multitude of formats (browser, pdf, app, print) it can be accessed in the format that is best for a particular student. Reviewed by Robert Sorensen, Professor, Minnesota State University Mankato on 6/10/15, The 8 units this textbook, chemistry through ecology, sufficiently cover the range of topics that would be covered in an Introductory Biology series of courses.The order in which topics are addressed follows the common approach of building from OpenStax Reading Guides. We biologists study the diversity of life! the study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environments. The book is comprehensive and suitable for use in a 2-semester (year long) college-level biology/science majors general biology sequence. Unless you use a third party software to remix, textbook is highly accurate. read more. I have cited a few examples In fig 2.19, human blood should be included in the pH scale. The instructor will easily be able to present topics in the order in which they prefer. A two-column format may be more appropriate. If an extensively updated version was available which also addressed some of the other concerns noted earlier I would definitely adopt this textbook in my majors biology sequence. It is provides a baseline for the essential content for a Biology course. For any of the following that can exist as isomers, state the type of isomerism and draw the structures: The glossary appears comprehensive, however, many duplicates (ie. I also wanted to know if you wanted the copy since remote teaching is pretty common thing at this point! Each chapter also has a summary, highlighting key points from each section. It was easy to navigate the contents list, and very easy to switch from one section to another. Van der Waals attractions can occur between any two or more molecules and are dependent on slight fluctuations of the electron densities, which are not always symmetrical around an atom. These included sites such as Khan Academy. Overall figures / images were good and clearly demonstrated the concepts, although occasionally they look somewhat unprofessional when compared to other similar texts. The table of contents and index are useful, and the PDF is searchable. One example is section 25.1, which rattles through a few basic concepts in plant biology, but without enough context to make it clear to the reader how those concepts fit into the greater story of plant evolution. No references for further reading (e.g., review or primary literature) are provided. I am rating a 4 just based on the fact that I have not read the entire text, nor all the chapters I intend to assign. A second way I was disappointed was in the handling of biological sex. Chemokines are not discussed. My audience rate it highly. Justify your answer. This is a problem throughout the text. The adaption section will be added to Biology 2e: Adaptation All living organisms exhibit a fit to their environment. However, within individual chapters, the topics may not always be presented in the most logical order. Text does not seem to be written in a way that will make it obsolete any more quickly than any other textbook. 1 Review Questions - Biology 2e | OpenStax 4. This is a science textbook, so there are very few places to talk about other cultures and ethnicities. We have a two part biology series for majors and pre-nursing students that should have a good grounding in biology. The textbook is aimed to provide fundamental knowledge at a general reading level. Overall, a timely discussion of modern issues is demonstrated well throughout the text. Again, the instructor can supplement. On page 503, the text states, Evolutionary theory states that humans, beetles, plants, and bacteria all share a common ancestor, but that millions of years of evolution have shaped each of these organisms into the forms seen today. No, billions of years. I compare the chapter from Biology 2e to both the first edition Openstax Biology and a traditional introductory text from a major publisher. For the most part the concepts and topics are up-to-date. One misconception is in the link on text page 149 to the process of diffusion as it actually links to a video showing dispersion of a dye in water due to turbulent currents created by adding the dye to a beaker of water (and is correctly labeled as dispersion in Wikipedia), rather than diffusion. Or take this example, If the solute levels increase beyond a certain range, a hormone releases that slows water loss. It seems that what the authors intended to convey is that a hormone is released that slows water loss, and this may be perfectly obvious to a well-informed reader. read more. There is no superfluous verbiage. The majority of the photos in this textbook are images adopted from American-based resources. type of secondary protein structure formed by folding the polypeptide into a helix shape with hydrogen bonds stabilizing the structure, a protein's monomer; has a central carbon or alpha carbon to which an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen, and an R group or side chain is attached; the R group is different for all 20 common amino acids, secondary structure in proteins in which hydrogen bonding forms "pleats" between atoms on the polypeptide chain's backbone, large molecule necessary for life that is built from smaller organic molecules, biological macromolecule in which the ratio of carbon to hydrogen and to oxygen is 1:2:1; carbohydrates serve as energy sources and structural support in cells and form arthropods' cellular exoskeleton, polysaccharide that comprises the plants' cell wall; provides structural support to the cell, chaperonin), protein that helps nascent protein in the folding process, type of carbohydrate that forms the outer skeleton of all arthropods that include crustaceans and insects; it also forms fungi cell walls, condensation), reaction that links monomer molecules, releasing a water molecule for each bond formed, loss of shape in a protein as a result of changes in temperature, pH, or chemical exposure, double-helical molecule that carries the cell's hereditary information, two sugar monomers that a glycosidic bond links, catalyst in a biochemical reaction that is usually a complex or conjugated protein, bond formed by a dehydration reaction between two monosaccharides with eliminating a water molecule, chemical signaling molecule, usually protein or steroid, secreted by endocrine cells that act to control or regulate specific physiological processes, reaction that causes breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules by utilizing water, macromolecule that is nonpolar and insoluble in water, RNA that carries information from DNA to ribosomes during protein synthesis, smallest unit of larger molecules that are polymers, biological macromolecule that carries the cell's genetic blueprint and carries instructions for the cell's functioning, monomer of nucleic acids; contains a pentose sugar, one or more phosphate groups, and a nitrogenous base, type of polyunsaturated fat that the body requires; numbering the carbon omega starts from the methyl end or the end that is farthest from the carboxylic end, bond formed between two amino acids by a dehydration reaction, linkage covalent chemical bond that holds together the polynucleotide chains with a phosphate group linking neighboring nucleotides' two pentose sugars, membranes' major constituent; comprised of two fatty acids and a phosphate-containing group attached to a glycerol backbone, chain of monomer residues that covalent bonds link; polymerization is the process of polymer formation from monomers by condensation, long chain of amino acids that peptide bonds link, long chain of monosaccharides; may be branched or unbranched, linear sequence of amino acids in a protein, biological macromolecule comprised of one or more amino acid chains, type of nitrogenous base in DNA and RNA; adenine and guanine are purines, type of nitrogenous base in DNA and RNA; cytosine, thymine, and uracil are pyrimidines, association of discrete polypeptide subunits in a protein, single-stranded, often internally base paired, molecule that is involved in protein synthesis, RNA that ensures the proper alignment of the mRNA and the ribosomes during protein synthesis and catalyzes forming the peptide linkage, long-chain hydrocarbon with single covalent bonds in the carbon chain; the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton is maximized, regular structure that proteins form by intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the oxygen atom of one amino acid residue and the hydrogen attached to the nitrogen atom of another amino acid residue, type of lipid comprised of four fused hydrocarbon rings forming a planar structure, a protein's three-dimensional conformation, including interactions between secondary structural elements; formed from interactions between amino acid side chains, fat formed artificially by hydrogenating oils, leading to a different arrangement of double bond(s) than those in naturally occurring lipids, process through which messenger RNA forms on a template of DNA, RNA that carries activated amino acids to the site of protein synthesis on the ribosome, process through which RNA directs the protein's formation, triglyceride), fat molecule; consists of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule, long-chain hydrocarbon that has one or more double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain, lipid comprised of a long-chain fatty acid that is esterified to a long-chain alcohol; serves as a protective coating on some feathers, aquatic mammal fur, and leaves, Bio Honors Ch 3 Vocabulary Flash Cards (From, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols Page 1 -, OpenStax Biology 2e Chapter 2 The Chemical Fo, OpenStax Biology 2e Chapter 4 Cell Structure, OpenStax Biology 2e Chapter 5 Structure and F, OpenStax Microbiology Chapter 1 An Invisible, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology Chapter 28 De, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology Chapter 27 Th, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology Chapter 26 Fl, Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Hendrick Van Ness, J.M. Which of the following statements is true? The sentence conveys an implicit idea that ALL variation in a species is attributable to genes. OpenStax Reading Guides. Most of the time you are linked right to the page you clicked off of. The textbooks content and depth of coverage are comparable to current commercial introductory biology textbooks. The text covers the appropriate breadth of material in appropriate depth for an introductory biology class. However, I can't say for sure that one order is better than the other for student learning. For example, there is one instance in which a figure caption did not match the figure. I enjoyed the Links to Learning and Career Connections sections. End of chapter questions are also a nice addition for students to practice (especially since answers are provided at end of text). Webtwo sugar monomers that a glycosidic bond links. I like how vocabulary words are in bold as this makes it easy for students to make flash cards. There are some areas of the book that would benefit from additional copy editing. Biology (OpenStax) is as comprehensive as, and follows the general topical format of a commercially available introductory biology textbook designed for life science majors. I would also recommend reminding readers where the answers to the comprehension questions can be found (i.e. I also did not find an easy way to highlight or make notes in the online version, which are features often available in commercial online texts. I had problems with the interface for several of the animations I tried: a few took me to pages that didn't work (in either Chrome or Explorer), some opened a TED talk or YouTube video in my browser window and when I wanted to navigate back to the text, I had to wait for the entire pdf to load. Interfacing with the online version was straightforward. These chapters provide sufficient background, though they will be best if supplemented with a laboratory text that provides more details and images. It would be nice if, when using the online version of the textbook (rather than pdf), one could click on the figures to view them enlarged in a separate window. I found the online interface difficult to use, because the pages load slowly and only one section of a chapter was visible on the page at a time. As I would expect, this chapter is organized in a logical, straightforward manner. This text book shows relevance. How many grams and how many liters of water would have to be evaporated through perspiration to rid the body of the heat generated during two hours of exercise? The abstracts are a good concise summary of what the chapter intends. 1999-2023, Rice University. 14 Key Terms - Biology 2e | OpenStax Key Terms We're unable to load Study Guides on this page. Reviewed by Alyssa MacDonald, Assistant Professor of Biology, Leeward Community College on 4/23/21, While it is challenging to cover all Biology content in an introductory text, the book is an excellent substitute for the previous Biology text we were using. Like most biology textbooks, the topics are presented in hierarchy from small to large scale (atoms to ecosystems), which builds concepts logically and necessarily somewhat cumulatively. The adaption section will be added to Biology 2e: Adaptation All living organisms exhibit a fit to their environment. I found it had enough depth for a majors course while being accessible for non-majors. This terminology is out-of-date and reinforces student misconceptions of evolutionary change as goal-directed and progressive. I would prefer more detail on, for example, the similarity of the molecular basis of movement in protists and in animals. My students have always struggled with the ever-higher page count zoology or integrative biology textbooks. Readers will have to go to the glossary for some definitions, and that is not ideal. Each chapter has a number of small photographs, Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the This is a very comprehensive textbook that provides an appropriate balance between the different fields of biology. From Plant Sensory: Pathogen defense, Herbivory defense, Electrical signalling, Auxin transport, Acid growth hypothesis, Auxin regulated gene expression I did not find references to other sections of the book, and these chapters could be used without the rest of the text. This textbook is available in a variety of formats, and each is easy to use. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . While other recent textbooks also have taken this approach, it is important that we move forward and write textbooks that are consistent with what is well known now about evolutionary history. Diversity of life and physiology get a lot of attention and surprising detail for an introductory textbook. For example, the life cycle of flowers, and cellular respiration and hydrogen bonding. read more. The authors' voices are clear and the text is easy to follow and understand. The answer is that they cannot do it and are constantly dying. Its not clear that the author understands it, frankly. Also, many of the videos are laced with advertisements that a faculty or a student could find offensive. In Chapter 11, the text states, Spores are haploid cells that can produce a haploid organism or can fuse with another spore to form a diploid cell. Spores never fuse with other spores to form diploid cells. The book is consistent. 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