Life: The Science of Biology

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Science is a process for learning about the natural world. Most scientific investigations involve the testing of potential answers to important research questions. For example, oncologists ( cancer doctors) are interested in finding out why some cancers respond well to chemotherapy while others are unaffected. Based on their growing knowledge of molecular biology, some doctors suspect a connection between a patient’s genetics and their response to chemotherapy. Many years of research have produced numerous scientific papers documenting the evidence for a connection between cancer, genetics, and treatment response. Once published, scientific information is available for anyone to read, learn from, or even question/dispute. This makes science an iterative, or cumulative, process, where previous research is used as the foundation for new research. Our current understanding of any issue in the sciences is the culmination of all previous work. The 12th edition of Life: The Science of Biology continues to be engaging, active, and focused on teaching the skills that students need to master. New pedagogical features work in conjunction with powerful updates to the online suite of materials in LaunchPad to support the mission of Life by teaching students the skills and understanding of experimentation and data they need to succeed in introductory biology and ultimately in their future STEM careers. Life's potent combination of expertly crafted media, assessment, pedagogy and engagement makes this new edition the best resource yet for biology students. H. Craig Heller is the Lorry I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor in Biological Sciences and Human Biology at Stanford University. He has taught in the core biology courses at Stanford since 1972 and served as Director of the Program in Human Biology, Chairman of the Biolo-gical Sciences Department, and Associate Dean of Research. Dr. Heller is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Walter J. Gores Award for excellence in teaching and the Kenneth Cuthberson Award for Exceptional Service to Stanford University. All flying birds and insects have wings. Birds and insects flap their wings as they move through the air. Therefore, wings enable flight.

For example, bioethicists may examine the implications of gene editing technologies, including the ability to create organisms that may displace others in the environment, as well as the ability to “design” human beings. In that effort, ethicists will likely seek to balance the positive outcomes -- such as improved therapies or prevention of certain illnesses -- with negative outcomes. Jul 7, 2023 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo Figure 1.5 Historians credit Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) as the first to define the scientific method. (credit: Paul van Somer) There is not only unity of basic living substance and functioning but also unity of origin of all living things. According to a theory proposed in 1855 by German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, “all living cells arise from pre-existing living cells.” That theory appears to be true for all living things at the present time under existing environmental conditions. If, however, life originated on Earth more than once in the past, the fact that all organisms have a sameness of basic structure, composition, and function would seem to indicate that only one original type succeeded.Basic science or “pure” science seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge. It is not focused on developing a product or a service of immediate public or commercial value. The immediate goal of basic science is knowledge for knowledge’s sake, although this does not mean that, in the end, it may not result in a practical application. THE NEXT GREAT CHAPTER IN THE STORY OF LIFE The science of biology evolves. The science classroom and lab evolve. In this edition, as Goal Setting and Reflection Surveys help students learn how their expectations and behaviors contribute to achieving their own personal goals for the course. Instructors benefit from easy-to-access reports so they can gain important insights into their students’ expectations, confidence, and personal challenges.

A GREENER LIFEAnother first, the new edition of Life is printed on paper earning the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, the “gold standard” in green paper products. Life paper includes 10% pre-consumer waste, 10% post-consumer waste, and is manufactured from wood from well-managed sustainable forests. Additionally, Life’s green initiatives include: The scientific community has been debating for the last few decades about the value of different types of science. Is it valuable to pursue science for the sake of simply gaining knowledge, or does scientific knowledge only have worth if we can apply it to solving a specific problem or to bettering our lives? This question focuses on the differences between two types of science: basic science and applied science.Chromosomes, the carriers of DNA, are distributed evenly between the daughter cells during cell division. Therefore, each daughter cell will have the same chromosome set as the mother cell. Achieve is more than just an online homework system—it’s a full online learning system. Studies show that a more structured course that includes smaller and more frequent assignments benefits students who are less prepared for the course without hindering well prepared students. Achieve supports that structure by providing content for all aspects of your course including pre-class preparation, in-class active learning, and post-class homework and assessment. Discussion of COVID-19 pandemic is introduced in chapter 1, with further information also added to chapters 17, 19, 21, 24, 40, and 53. Figure 1.2 Formerly called blue-green algae, these (a) cyanobacteria, magnified 300x under a light microscope, are some of Earth’s oldest life forms. These (b) stromatolites along the shores of Lake Thetis in Western Australia are ancient structures formed by layering cyanobacteria in shallow waters. (credit a: modification of work by NASA; credit b: modification of work by Ruth Ellison; scale-bar data from Matt Russell) H. Craig Heller is the Lorry I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor in Biological Sciences and Human Biology at Stanford University. He has taught in the core biology courses at Stanford since 1972 and served as Director of the Program in Human Biology, Chairman of the Biological Sciences Department, and Associate Dean of Research. Dr. Heller is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Walter J. Gores Award for excellence in teaching and the Kenneth Cuthberson Award for Exceptional Service to Stanford University.

Course and book-specific resources including adaptive quizzing to personalise the experience for students. Animal cells and plant cells contain membrane-bound organelles, including a distinct nucleus. In contrast, bacterial cells do not contain organelles. (more)New Podcast Interviews highlight current research areas and the diverse scientists involved in that research. These include reflection assignments to help students understand how the concepts they are learning are reflected in real world research. Data in Depth offers students a more in-depth exploration of the in-text “Work with Data” feature via interactive modules that further enhance scientific literacy skills via a host of interactive enhancements: data visualizations, experimental design, graphing, and mathematical calculations. While the decisions made in the Tuskegee study are unjustifiable, some decisions are genuinely difficult to make. Bioethicists work to establish moral and dignifying approaches before such decisions come to pass. For example, doctors rely on artificial intelligence and robotics for medical diagnosis and treatment; in the near future, even more responsibility will lie with machines. Who will be responsible for medical decisions? Who will explain to families if a procedure doesn’t go as planned? And, since such treatments will likely be expensive, who will decide who has access to them and who does not? These are all questions bioethicists seek to answer, and are the types of considerations that all scientific researchers take into account when designing and conducting studies. Figure 1.3 Escherichia coli ( E. coli) bacteria, in this scanning electron micrograph, are normal residents of our digestive tracts that aid in absorbing vitamin K and other nutrients. However, virulent strains are sometimes responsible for disease outbreaks. (credit: Eric Erbe, digital colorization by Christopher Pooley, both of USDA, ARS, EMU) The Process of Science The science of biology is very broad in scope because there is a tremendous diversity of life on Earth. The source of this diversity is evolution, the process of gradual change during which new species arise from older species. Evolutionary biologists study the evolution of living things in everything from the microscopic world to ecosystems.

The engaging and powerful simulations are now outfitted with quizzes that will report to the Instructor grade-book.

New Interactive Homework Assignments (improved from the older Activities content) drive conceptual understanding. Figure 1.9 The Human Genome Project was a 13-year collaborative effort among researchers working in several different science fields. Researchers completed the project, which sequenced the entire human genome, in 2003. (credit: the U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs ( http://genomics.energy.gov) Once one has selected a hypothesis, the student can make a prediction. A prediction is similar to a hypothesis but it typically has the format “If . . . then . . . .” For example, the prediction for the first hypothesis might be, “ If the student turns on the air conditioning, then the classroom will no longer be too warm.” Testing a Hypothesis We lead by example by exposing students to many thoughtful questions throughout the body of the text, reinforcing the importance of asking questions in biology.