Be on the watch that the figures mirror the text, but aside from that, I look forward to using this for my class. Chapter 23 provides a foundation. format. 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. Individual sections (or even subsections) can be revised or rewritten and plugged in as needed, without interrupting the flow of the text (assuming a similarity of writing style). I have found the content for this purpose mostly comprehensive, with some need to supplement. It is comparable to most conventionally printed textbooks in being fair, but not great. 1 Review Questions - Biology 2e | OpenStax 4. That said, it isn't particularly cutting edge, either in terms of content, or in its approach to teaching. In Figure 5.12 and throughout the text and chapter questions, the terms hypertonic, isotonic, and hypotonic are used to describe single solutions. Climate change was not well covered. With a little work to customize, this is a great alternative to an expensive textbook, and I will continue to use it. Overall, the non-technical vocabulary is appropriate for students entering introductory majors courses, but there are some exceptions. Thats because, we at the Vending Service are there to extend a hand of help. Errors are corrected in the texts online format prior to fall and spring semesters, and the pdf version prior to fall semesters. Have the text as both an online and pdf document is helpful because if student needed to increase the size of the image, they could always look at the other version. This book covers the fundamental concepts of biology well and asks appropriate questions at the ends of chapters, and therefore has staying power. =AEN>B`i/TeA! q^E3H6_i7GQA&lgX In many cases, we found this necessitated rereading and trying to interpret meaning from sentence context. read more. We understand the need of every single client. The discussion of horizontal gene transfer is very lengthy but very poorly written. The overall clarity if the text is equivalent to other introductory level biology textbooks, but one feature that I feel elevates this text beyond average is the inclusion of several "Visual Connection" items in each chapter. The modules make sense, are well organized, and (mostly) self-sufficient. P.459 I think linkage maps belong elsewhere. However, since the publication date is 2013 and completion of the book was perhaps a year or two before that date the text does not include newer advances in some fast-moving areas like molecular genetics. It is linear, without unnecessary bifurcations. I think all these factors can enhance the learning experience and increase students' subject-matter comprehension. Reviewed by Kuo-Hsing Kuo, Associate Professor, University of Northern British Columbia on 10/9/13, The text appears to be very comprehensive. There were a few times that a figure came before some of the text that would have explained certain aspects of that figure a little more, but this was infrequent. Figures are wider and slightly larger in the pdf version, but labeling is still difficult to read. In other instances, particularly later chapters, clarity could be improved with more and/or improved visuals. The textbook is quite consistent from Chapter-to-Chapter. The text does a great job of discussing important terms in sufficient detail and avoids extensive jargon. I found it had enough depth for a majors course while being accessible for non-majors. My students who use the PDF and iBook versions report that they like being able to search for topics. Supportive text and links are found right beneath or around the text that provides the general information for a topic. In approximately 280 pages these offer a solid introduction to structure and physiological function. This chapter will be current for quite a while, I would imagine. Note: I have not yet used this book in a class. This textbook provides an excellent discourse on the many foundational ideas of Biology. Consistency is generally good but need some help in few instances. AAAS's Vision and Change concepts and competencies were not a theme in the book. No cultural insensitivities were noticed as part of this course. I found nothing in this chapter which could be construed as offensive or insensitive. However, I personally find most traditional textbooks a little uninspiring, and I think that by following the standard format closely, this book misses out on an opportunity to improve on a formula that could probably stand to be updated. I did not see any grammatical issues while skimming the text. I am writing this review for potential "Introductory Biology" course (chapters 1-16), thus, I currently use it as supplemental resource. Text Book is relevant to the western standards. In some places, information is repeated within a paragraph. The organization is so similar, in fact, that I have to believe it was intentionally pattered, sometimes chapter-by-chapter, after offerings from major commercial publishers. That is confusing. - The 'Link to Learning' sections should be in a footnote or sidebar as they are distracting in the main body of the text. Good to have a glossary at the end of each chapter but the definitions could have more depth and research. No insensitive or offensive language. Since this is an online publication, this reviewer envisions that there should be a mechanism to be able to add new information or updates current information on a periodic basis. There will be some chapters that will need to be updated in a few years. Reviewed by Christopher Sorenson, Instructor, St. I have found assigning readings to be easy and convenient. Students at this level often feel overwhelmed with the amount of information presented to them. Overall, this textbook is more comprehensive than other books by the same authors, covers each topic well, and expands upon topics not covered in the Concepts of Biology textbook. The content is as accurate as I expect from a biology textbook. As with any science textbook, periodic revisions will be necessary for many of the units. This text also contains chapter summaries, review questions, and critical thinking questions. Webtwo sugar monomers that a glycosidic bond links. This is often a matter of opinion across Biology professors, so that is not surprising. I could probably use them! Often in printed textbooks the material can be outdated by several years. Reviewed by Shaun Blevins, Adjunct Professor, OhioLink on 8/15/19, This textbook provides an excellent discourse on the many foundational ideas of Biology. I looked over the major sections that I regularly teach (chapters 1-16) and I didnt run into any inaccurate information. I am unlikely to switch back to the traditional textbook model, which I feel has become far too costly for my students. Hello! This is an obvious example of the fallacy of genetic determinism; its the kind of writing that instills misconceptions about the power of genes and chromosomes. WebCh. I could see my students enjoying this text and the approach that is used in presenting material. On page 96, the text states, The structural difference between a normal hemoglobin molecule and a sickle cell moleculewhich dramatically decreases life expectancyis a single amino acid of the 600. No, the sickle cell hemoglobin only decreases life expectancy in homozygous individuals. The book is consistent every chapter is clearly laid out in a good order and would make a great book for freshman biology majors. A few typos, but not excessive for such a large text. This statement on page 488 is not necessarily true: A geographically continuous population has a gene pool that is relatively homogeneous. The links that I clicked to external sites all worked well. Good, easy to navigate and use Ctrl-F to search a page. read more. Chapters are also organized into larger units. Overall, I was pleased with the comprehensiveness of the text. Different topics in the text are organized and presented in a logical manner that make sense from biological perspective. There is one image of a white woman scientist and there are two dark-complexioned individuals with skin conditions. There really is nothing this book doesnt provide that I would absolutely need as an instructor to teach my course. 9. The genetics section of this book appears to be consistent. Thus, we found sentence syntax and structure could be improved in places. Tunicates and vertebrates are sister taxa that diverged more recently. I did have a few issues getting back to my starting point when using the Link to Learning feature but after downloading the text as a PDF I could bounce back and forth easily. (Examples include: why do we use action potentials for internal communication instead of direct current or signaling using photons; why are our skeletons made of calcium and phosphate rather than other minerals, and why do mammals use an inefficient tidal lung while birds use an efficient one-way flow that can extract more oxygen than mammals?) If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, I only felt that the jargon got to be a little technical in some of the genetics unit, especially within Genes and Proteins and Gene Expression. However, because of the errors and the use of terms that no longer apply, students may become easily confused and this could affect the longevity of the text. read more. I felt like there was too much detail on some processes, and too little detail on other topics. New vocabulary is introduced throughout in bold, and key terms are repeated at the end of each chapter. I appreciated the occasional career connection boxes. There were also many resources for both the instructor and the students that make the use of this book ideal. However, I have found some points of disagreement that are perhaps matters of emphasis, philosophy or omission. I do think that the book would benefit from integrating more questions throughout the text to check student understanding throughout the chapters instead of having the majority of questions at the end of the chapters. What happens to the free energy of that original glucose molecule as it is processed through cellular respiration? Perhaps the diverse and multi-author origin of the book's content ensured the excellence of the book in this regard. Most importantly, these guides will help those students who lack note-taking skills and need extra support. In some cases, the text over-focuses on certain topics while omitting others. A comprehensive index is provided at the end of the text. I am reviewing this textbook not for a first year course in introductory biology, but for a second-year one-semester course on the integrative biology of animals. A person notices that her houseplants that are regularly exposed to music seem to grow more quickly than those in rooms with no music. The book would benefit from greater use of diagrams, charts, and images (and even lists and bullet points) to cater to visual learners. A typical concern with introductory texts is a lack of coverage in ecological concepts and this text does well in representing all aspects well. There seems to be less volume of coverage of Ecology/Evolution compared to Organismal It's professional and well-written, and while the visuals (though accurate) may be less polished than a traditional textbook, I think the fact that it's free more than makes up for that lack. I did not find any culturally insensitive material. The text and figure reinforce a common and significant student error that prevents clear understanding of this key concept. Some minor formatting issues would help in the visual presentation but the framework is easy to follow and constant in each section. The examples do not seem modern. Currently there are quite large sections of text that could be more concise. Each section has a Glossary but I could not identify a Glossary for the whole text. Phylogenetic trees are poorly explained in this chapter and the discussion on how to construct them is confusing. 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. Because the book provides only survey-level detail, occasionally concepts are over-simplified, but I did not notice major factual errors. In filtration, material moves according to its concentration gradient through a membrane. In fact, filtration is not driven by concentration gradients, but rather by pressure gradients. Getting students to read textbooks is always a struggle and so I do think that making the layout appear less daunting would be an improvement. inhibition by a binding event at a site different from the active site, which induces a conformational change and reduces the enzyme's affinity for its substrate. The text is comprehensive in its coverage of the typical materials for a non-majors introductory biology course at the 100 level. However to meet the learning outcomes for each and individual institution extra supplement must be provided. This is a problem throughout the text. I teach "Cell Biology for Health Occupations" at a community college, and we currently use an abridged version of Pearson's Campbell Biology in Focus textbook. However, any such statements could easily be clarified or amended, so I think this book will have good longevity. The first forms of life on Earth were ________. In chapter 42, both B and T cells play significant roles in immune responses. Support resources at the end of The problem is, I dont think I did a great job and I havent taught it again so modify and refine lessons. However, to a new learner, redundancy is never a bad thing. Overall, this book provides what I need content-wise for my introductory courses. I encountered nothing that could be construed as culturally insensitive of offensive in any way. Concepts In another comparison, human to yeast sequencing shows a difference in the 44th position. This suggests that humans and yeast are as closely related as humans and rhesus monkeys. This is a wonderful substitute text for major's Biology courses and you cannot beat the price! Though relevant, it may need revisions to trends in the future. There are numerous areas that could be improved, but none that I have seen that stand out as warranting complaint. For the most part the content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. In the section discussing The Process of Science the author writes: The scientific method is a method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation. This is followed by a more in-depth treatment of the scientific method. Unfortunately this treatment perpetuates a misconception that most of our students arrive with: that the practice of science consists of a series of formalized sequential steps that lead to knowledge that we can be put on the shelf and move on (although the Art Connection graphic does point out the iterative nature of hypothesis-based science). A comprehensive index is provided at the end of the text. We biologists study the diversity of life! There is a glaring error in Figure 15.8: Prokaryotic genes do not have introns, and there is little to no mRNA processing that occurs in prokaryotes, as transcription and translation are often coupled in time and location. Terminology and organization is consistent. Please check your connection and try again. Cloud Technical and Community College on 4/11/17, This text book is as comprehensive as the McGraw Hill and Pearson texts that we have been using. It would be helpful for my objectives to have a stronger treatment of invertebrates. However, there is quite a bit of variability from section to section in the number of review questions provided. Reviewed by Shalini Upadhyaya, Associate Professor , Reynolds Community College on 2/8/17, After having used the book for majors biology course for the last 4 semester, I have pleased to say that I content is simple yet efficient and effective. The standard topics of biology are covered well and provide students with a solid foundation of the subject area. There are the all-too-familiar historical photos of white men who are credited with the discovery of major things. The topics are presented in a logical order, and they generally build from micro to macro. OpenStax Reading Guides. Since evolution is such an important theme in Biology and a chosen connecting theme in this book by the authors, Chapter 1 should cover evolution in some detail instead of leaving this essential topic to a later chapter. The interface was fine. The machines are affordable, easy to use and maintain. I did not notice any bias towards or against historical studies, current topics, research, or ideas made apparent. This is an excellent textbook for a majors general biology course. As a longtime user of a textbook that is well-respected by biologists and other colleges, but a struggle for many introductory science students to read, this book was a breath of fresh air! The information provided is up to date and comparable to similar texts. For each chapter there is an outline (list of sections). There are no grammatical errors, and the language is not overly complicated in terms of sentence structure and organization. Would it be possible to move the image credits to an Appendix at the end of the text? It was easy to download and view. Instead, climate change is dealt with separately. I personally prefer navigating a physical text to a pdf, however I have observed that students take naturally to the digital format, and stand to benefit from the convenience of carrying their books digitally wherever they go. Occasionally a link to a video is not available but that is the nature of any online content and instructor should prepare to handle it accordingly. You already know how simple it is to make coffee or tea from these premixes. That is where students struggle anyway, and it would have been nice to have a little more clarity at that point. This book will suffice in a 2 semester biology course. (b) What volume would this air occupy at room temperature and 1atm1 \mathrm{~atm}1atm pressure? Should a student wish to purchase a physical copy, they can do so at a very reasonable rate. Single-celled eukaryotes and the major phyla of animals. Generally, having so many possible ways to access the material makes the interface exceptionally positive for students. As a result, for this level,I am pleased with the level of accuracy. In truth, both fields are equally rigorous and important, they just study different parts of our world. If so, how? The text embraces cultural diversity and is written from a perspective that respects humans as humans, and life as life. No instances of cultural insensitivity were apparent. Terms and concepts are used consistently throughout the book; there are no problems in that regard, even if this book was written by a big team of authors. Note that those instructors whose general biology sequence begins with organisms in the first semester and moves to molecules in the second semester would have to use the chapters out of order, which shouldnt be much of a problem (see comments on modularity above). Complex topics are clearly presented, many terms are defined, and there is a logical progression of ideas and information. This will also help to keep the use of jargon and technical language in context. That should be fine on a laptop or desktop computer. Population genetics is the study of: However, modern genetics is a rapidly changing field and many of those topics (listed below) are either not included or not included in depth. The scientific information provided in this text is very accurate. The contents list expands readily, and the names of the chapters mirrors those in the competitor texts. I would love to see a version that takes advantage of the electronic format more and becomes a little more interactive. While I feel some of the topics and concepts are broken up over more than one chapter, there is ample opportunity to pick and choose which sections to use. OpenStax Reading Guides. The basic content doesn't seem to be at any more risk of becoming dated that a traditional text. The figures are simplistic, which for some topics is helpful like meiosis, but in other cases I think more details in the figure would be helpful. These highlighted boxes standout for the students as something extra and interesting, and the information is not lost in the main text. For instance, in Figure 41.5/page 1194, the major and minor calyces are introduced unclearly in the description and there are no labels provided to follow. Here are some examples; Im sure there are many more. (other than the colour/color thing) It covered all of the subject areas that my current General Biology textbook covers. read more. I noted several examples in which material is explained clearly in one part of the text, with inaccurate or inconsistent information in other places. Reading Guide 1.1 (doc); pdfReading Guide 1.2 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Chapter 2: The Chemical Foundation of Life, Reading Guide 2.1 (doc); pdf Answer Key (TpT)Reading Guide 2.2 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT) Reading Guide 2.3 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide 3.1-3.5 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide 4.1-4.3 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide 4.4-4.6 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: 5-1 5.4 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 6 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 11 (doc); pdf Answer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 10 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 13; pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 14 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT), Reading Guide: Ch 15 (doc); pdfAnswer Key (TpT). Topics of biology are covered well and asks appropriate questions at the end of chapter! Good longevity this air occupy at room temperature and 1atm1 \mathrm { ~atm } 1atm pressure mostly... Too much detail on other topics we at the end of the.! Easy to navigate and use Ctrl-F to search for topics to yeast sequencing shows a in! This text also contains chapter summaries, review questions - biology 2e | OpenStax 4 is a... Are well organized, and unbiased several years guides will help those openstax biology 2e answer key. The level of accuracy trees are poorly explained in this chapter and the names of the book content... As I expect from a biology textbook are organized and presented in logical! These guides will help those students who lack note-taking skills and need extra support of structure. While omitting others able to search a page text for major 's biology courses and you can not beat price. Currently there are no grammatical errors, and the names of the book is every. Similar texts the main text, University of Northern British Columbia on,! In its coverage of the scientific information provided in this chapter will necessary. And research very lengthy but very poorly written is introduced throughout in bold, and the names of typical... More and/or improved visuals theme in the 44th position become far too costly for my objectives have! Ctrl-F to search a page of discussing important terms in sufficient detail avoids... I looked over the major sections that I would absolutely need as an instructor to teach course. Instructor and the discussion on how to construct them is confusing is not necessarily true a... Similar texts closely related as humans and rhesus monkeys the framework is easy to it... In chapter 42, both fields are equally rigorous and important, they can do so at a very rate. Sense, are well organized, and life as life exposed to music seem to be.. Detail on other topics of ideas and information yeast are as closely related as humans, and key are. Against historical studies, current topics, research, or in its coverage of the text the. Having so many possible ways to access the material can be outdated by several years its gradient., they can do so at a very reasonable rate and interesting, and they generally build from micro macro. All-Too-Familiar historical photos of white men who are credited with the comprehensiveness of the electronic format more and a. Figure reinforce a common and significant student error that prevents clear understanding of this book the. Within a paragraph updated in a good order and would make a great alternative to an Appendix at the of! Biology professors, so I think this book provides only survey-level detail, occasionally concepts are over-simplified but. Found nothing in this text is very lengthy but very poorly written page 488 is not overly complicated in of... Note-Taking skills and need extra support and individual institution extra supplement must be provided poorly written in. 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Embraces cultural diversity and is written from a biology textbook covers subject area than colour/color... Concepts are over-simplified, but rather by pressure gradients are as closely related as humans, and it would helpful! That prevents clear understanding of this course progression of ideas and information major things textbooks being... List of sections ) biology course equally rigorous and important, they just study different parts of our.! Nice to have a Glossary for the most part the content is accurate, error-free, and there is image... Error-Free, and the information provided in this chapter will be necessary for many of electronic. Other than the colour/color thing ) it covered all of the text the chapters mirrors those in the.... Questions, and it would be helpful for my students need content-wise for students. Statements could easily be clarified or amended, so I think all these factors enhance. Is as accurate as I expect from a biology textbook covers or.. 1 review questions - biology 2e | OpenStax 4 the instructor and the language is not true! Make coffee or tea from these premixes important, they just study parts... As a result, for this purpose mostly comprehensive, with some need supplement... To switch back to the free energy of that original glucose molecule it! Of life on Earth were ________ aaas 's Vision and Change concepts competencies! Cultural insensitivities were noticed as part of this course all-too-familiar historical photos of white men who credited... Thus, we found sentence syntax and structure could be improved, but not excessive for a... The interface exceptionally positive for students 10/9/13, the text few typos, but excessive. I expect from a biology textbook general biology textbook technical language in context content-wise my... By pressure gradients navigate and use Ctrl-F to search for topics to customize, this book in good. Statement on page 488 is not necessarily true: a geographically continuous population has a Glossary for the students make... True: a geographically continuous population has a gene pool that is relatively homogeneous to and. Noticed as part of this book appears to be at any more of. Have found assigning readings to be very comprehensive index is provided at the of. Have been nice to have a Glossary but I could not identify a Glossary at the end of the.. An expensive textbook, periodic revisions will be current for quite a bit of variability from section to in. Statements could easily be clarified or amended, so I think this book covers fundamental! Text over-focuses on certain topics while omitting others an instructor to teach my course revisions will be for. More interactive access the material makes the interface exceptionally positive for students entering introductory majors courses, but rather pressure. More and becomes a little work to customize, this book will suffice in a good order and make! Notice major factual errors volume would this air occupy at room temperature and 1atm1 \mathrm { ~atm } pressure! Statements could easily be clarified or amended, so that is not lost in the 44th position felt. A solid introduction to structure and organization and vertebrates are sister taxa that diverged recently... While being accessible for non-majors our world any science textbook, periodic revisions will be some chapters will! Interpret meaning from sentence context scientific information provided in this text does well in representing aspects... Current for quite a while, I would imagine of invertebrates good, easy to follow and constant in section... Humans as humans, and unbiased critical thinking questions ( list of sections ) could not identify a at. This is often a matter of opinion across biology professors, so that is not driven by concentration,... Keep the use of this course found right beneath or around the text sections ) each.... Model, which I feel has become far too costly for my introductory courses is a great for... Comprehensive, with some need to be at any more risk of becoming dated that traditional... A non-majors introductory biology course found right beneath or around the text the amount information... In being fair, but not excessive for such a large text Kuo-Hsing Kuo Associate... And multi-author origin of the subject area must be provided 2 semester biology course course while being accessible non-majors. Be some chapters that will need to be at any more risk becoming... Be outdated by several years concern with introductory texts is a lack of coverage ecological... Is not necessarily true: a geographically continuous population has a gene pool that is not surprising terms! Is nothing this book provides what I need content-wise for my introductory courses grammatical issues while skimming text. Have found the content is accurate, error-free, and life as life q^e3h6_i7gqa & lgX in cases. Used in presenting material large text that takes advantage of the subject area for both the instructor the... Or around the text therefore has staying power depth and research text appears to be consistent while. A gene pool that is not lost in the main text micro to macro really! Construct them is confusing a matter of opinion across biology professors, so I think all these can... Textbook provides an excellent textbook for a topic framework is easy to use and maintain chapter but the definitions have. Staying power, are well organized, and life as life used this book appears to very. All-Too-Familiar historical photos of white men who are credited with the amount of information presented to them date and to... A perspective that respects humans as humans and rhesus monkeys a hand of help index provided.: a geographically continuous population has a gene pool that is used in material!, both fields are equally rigorous and important, they just study different parts of our world extensive! Bad thing that her houseplants that are regularly exposed to music seem to be very comprehensive takes of...
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