For non-majors biology courses.

Compelling and relatable stories engage students in learning biology

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier have helped students understand biology for more than twenty years in the classroom and over ten years with their popular text, Biology: Science for Life. The thoroughly revised Fifth Edition engages students with new storylines that explore high-interest topics such as binge drinking, pseudoscience, and study drugs.  The book helps students develop scientific skills using new Working With Data figure legend questions and addresses common misconceptions with Sounds Right, But Is It? discussions in each chapter.  This edition also offers a wealth of new “Flipped Classroom” activities and other resources to help professors enliven their classes and to help students assess their understanding of biology outside of class.

MasteringBiology^® is not included. Students, if MasteringBiologyis a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please ask your instructor for the correct ISBN. MasteringBiology should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

MasteringBiology is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment product proven to improve results by helping students quickly master concepts. Students benefit from self-paced tutorials that feature personalized wrong-answer feedback and hints that emulate the office-hour experience and help keep students on track. With a wide range of interactive, engaging, and assignable activities, students are encouraged to actively learn and retain tough course concepts.

Table of Contents

1. Can Science Cure the Common Cold? Introduction to the Scientific Method

Unit One: Chemistry and Cells

2. Science Fiction, Bad Science, and Pseudoscience: Water, Biochemistry, and Cells

3. Is it Possible to Supplement Your Way to Better Health? Nutrients and Membrane Transport

4. Body Weight and Health: Enzymes, Metabolism, and Cellular Respiration

5. Life in the Greenhouse: Photosynthesis and Climate Change

Unit Two: Genetics

6. Cancer: DNA Synthesis, Mitosis, and Meiosis

7. Are You Only as Smart as Your Genes? Mendelian and Quantitative Genetics

8. DNA Detective: Complex Patterns of Inheritance and DNA Profiling

9. Genetically Modified Organisms: Gene Expression, Mutation, Stem Cells, and Cloning

Unit Three: Evolution

10. Where Did We Come From? The Evidence for Evolution

11. An Evolving Enemy: Natural Selection

12. Who Am I? Species and Races

13. The Greatest Species on Earth? Biodiversity and Classification

Unit Four: Ecology

14. Is the Human Population Too Large? Population Ecology

15. Conserving Biodiversity: Community and Ecosystem Ecology

16. Where Do You Live? Climate and Biomes

Unit Five: Animal Structure and Function

17. Organ Donation: Tissues and Organs

18. Binge Drinking: The Digestive and Urinary Systems

19. Clearing the Air: Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems

20. Vaccination: Protection and Prevention or Peril? Immune System, Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Pathogens

21. Human Sex Differences: Endocrine, Skeletal, and Muscular Systems

22. Is There Something in the Water? Reproductive and Developmental Biology

23. Study Drugs: Brain Boost or Brain Drain? Brain Structure and Function

Unit Six: Plant Biology

24. Feeding the World: Plant Structure and Growth

25. Growing a Green Thumb: Plant Physiology