Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain why angiosperms are the dominant form of plant life in most terrestrial ecosystemsDescribe the main parts of a flower and their purposeDetail the life cycle of an angiospermDiscuss the two main groups of flowering plants

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Identify the new traits that first appear in tracheophytesDiscuss the importance of adaptations to life on landDescribe the classes of seedless tracheophytesDescribe the lifecycle of a fernExplain the role of seedless vascular plants in the ecosystem

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Identify the two types of root systemsDescribe the three zones of the root tip and summarize the role of each zone in root growthDescribe the structure of the rootList and describe examples of modified roots

Elementary Algebra is a work text that covers the traditional topics studied in a modern elementary algebra course. It is intended for students who (1) have no exposure to elementary algebra, (2) have previously had an unpleasant experience with elementary algebra, or (3) need to review algebraic concepts and techniques.

What do plants need? Students examine the effects of light and air on green plants, learning the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. Student teams plant seeds, placing some in sunlight and others in darkness. They make predictions about the outcomes and record ongoing observations of the condition of the stems, leaves and roots. Then, several healthy plants are placed in glass jars with lids overnight. Condensation forms, illustrating the process of transpiration, or the release of moisture to the atmosphere by plants.

Students gain an understanding of the parts of a plant, plant types and how they produce their own food from sunlight through photosynthesis. They also learn about transpiration, the process by which plants release moisture to the atmosphere. With this understanding, students test the effects of photosynthesis and transpiration by growing a plant from seed. They learn how plants play an important part in maintaining a balanced environment in which the living organisms of the Earth survive. This lesson is part of a series of six lessons in which students use their evolving understanding of various environments and the engineering design process, to design and create their own model biodome ecosystems.

Students learn how scientific terms are formed using Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes, and on that basis, learn to make an educated guess about the meaning of a word. Students are introduced to the role played by metaphor in language development.