Biology Workbook For Dummies

René Fester Kratz is a biology and global health instructor at Everett Community College and holds a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Washington. Kratz is the author of Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies 2nd Edition, Biology For Dummies 2nd Edition, Biology Essentials For Dummies, and Botany For Dummies.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2How This Book Is Organized 3Part 1: Getting the Basics 3Part 2: Creating the Future 3Part 3: Making Connections 4Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 4Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 4Part 6: The Part of Tens 4Icons Used in This Book 5Beyond the Book 5Where to Go from Here 5Part 1: Getting the Basics 7Chapter 1: Figuring Out the Scientific Method 9Developing Hypotheses 9Practicing the Scientific Method 11Designing Experiments 13Making an Experiment Count 17Building Theories 19Answers to Questions on the Scientific Method 21Chapter 2: Solving Problems in the Chemistry of Life 23Mapping Atoms 23Elemental Thinking 25Figuring Out Molecules 28Go Big or Go Home 31Staying sweet with carbohydrates 32Getting things done with proteins 34Making plans with nucleic acids 36Storing energy and building boundaries with lipids 40Answers to Questions on the Chemistry of Life 44Chapter 3: Investigating Life at the Cellular Level 47Introducing Cells 47Holding it all together: The plasma membrane 49Getting in and out of cells 51Creating proteins: Ribosomes 54Taking a Tour of Animal Cells 54Checking Out Plant Cells 57Peeking at Prokaryotes 59Answers to Questions on Cells 61Chapter 4: Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 63Figuring Out the Role of Food 63Make it or break it 64Feeling energized about energy 66Getting a reaction 68Transferring energy with ATP 70Moving your metabolism with enzymes 71Reduce, reuse, recycle 73Cooking Up Carbohydrates 75Light reactions of photosynthesis: Transforming energy from the ultimate energy source 76Light-independent reactions of photosynthesis: Putting matter and energy together 78Extracting Energy from Food 80Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle: Breaking down glucose to carbon dioxide 82Oxidative Phosphorylation: Transferring energy to ATP 83Answers to Questions on Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 88Part 2: Creating the Future 93Chapter 5: Divide and Conquer: Recognizing the Phases of Cell Division 95Talking ’bout the Generations 95Duplicating and Dividing Your DNA 97Riding the Cell Cycle 102Marching Through Mitosis 104Getting Ready for Sexual Reproduction 108Making Sperm and Egg by Meiosis 110Contrasting Mitosis and Meiosis 114Answers to Questions on Cell Division 117Chapter 6: Predicting Future Generations with Mendelian Genetics 121Getting Acquainted with the Lingo of Genetics 121Discovering the Laws of Inheritance 124Puzzling Over Genetics 127Climbing the Branches of Your Family Tree 129Answers to Questions on Genetics 134Chapter 7: Taking Genetics to the DNA Level 137Going with the Flow of Genetic Information 137Making a Copy of the Genetic Code: Transcription 139Locating genes within a chromosome 141Doing transcription one step at a time 141Putting on the finishing touches: RNA processing 143Decoding the Message in mRNA: Translation 145Deciphering mRNA codes with tRNA 147Doing translation one step at a time 148Measuring the Impact of Mutations 153Answers to Questions on the Genetic Code 156Chapter 8: Going Straight to the Source with DNA Technology 159Discovering the Power of DNA Technology 159Cutting DNA with Restriction Enzymes 161Separating Molecules with Gel Electrophoresis 164Copying DNA with PCR 167Reading a Gene with DNA Sequencing 168Changing the Code with Genetic Engineering 171Fighting Diseases with Genetic Vaccines 174Answers to Questions on DNA Technology 175Part 3: Making Connections 177Chapter 9: Organizing the Living World 179Examining Relationships 179Classifying Life 181Figuring Out Relationships from Phylogenetic Trees 185Answers to Questions on Classification and Phylogeny 189Chapter 10: Connecting Organisms in Ecosystems 191Ecosystems: Bringing It All Together 191Describing Populations 193Tracking Changes in Populations 195Getting Along with Other Species 200Discovering the Job Descriptions of Organisms 202Following the Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems 203Recycling Matter within Ecosystems 206Heating Up with the Greenhouse Effect 207Answers to Questions on Ecosystems 211Chapter 11: Evaluating the Effects of Evolution 215Defining Evolution 215Predicting the Outcome of Natural Selection 218Supporting the Theory of Evolution 220Estimating the Impact of Extinctions 223Answers to Questions on Evolution 226Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 227Chapter 12: Building Bodies with the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 229Moving Around with Friction and Gravity 230Getting Support from Skeletons and Bones 231This Joint Is Jumpin’ 236Flexing Your Knowledge of Muscles 237Answers to Questions on the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 242Chapter 13: Giving Your Body What It Needs: The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 245Catching Your Breath: Animal Respiration 245Taking a Breath with the Human Respiratory System 248In with the Good, Out with the Bad: Animal Circulatory Systems 250Navigating the Human Heart and Circulatory System 251Entering the cardiac cycle 253Oxygenating the blood: Pulmonary circulation 254Spreading oxygenated blood around: Systemic circulation 256Answers to Questions on the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 258Chapter 14: Processing Food with the Digestive and Excretory Systems 261Got Food? Understanding What Happens When Animals Eat 261Moving Along the Human Digestive System 265Filtering Fluids through the Urinary System 269Exploring the Inner Workings of the Human Kidney 270Answers to Questions on the Digestive and Excretory Systems 273Chapter 15: Fighting Enemies with the Immune System 275Microbial Encounters of the Best and Worst Kinds 276Investigating Your Built-In Defenses 279Fighting Back with Adaptive Immunity 282Gaining a Tactical Advantage with Vaccines 286Answers to Questions on the Immune System 291Chapter 16: Sending Messages with the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 293Mapping out Nervous Systems 293Getting on Your Nerves 296Getting in on the Action Potential 298Regulating the Body with Glands and Hormones 301Answers to Questions on the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 303Chapter 17: Making Babies with the Reproductive System 305Identifying the Parts of the Male Reproductive System 305Identifying the Parts of the Female Reproductive System 307Following the Female Ovarian and Menstrual Cycles 309Fertilization through Birth: Developing New Humans 312Answers to Questions on the Human Reproductive System 317Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 319Chapter 18: Studying Plant Structures 321Peering at the Parts and Types of Plants 321Taking a Look at Plant Tissues 328Growing Like a Weed: Plant Reproduction 332Answers to Questions on Plant Structures 337Chapter 19: Pondering Problems in Plant Physiology 339Taking Minerals from the Soil 339Pulling Water Through Plants 342Sending Sugars from Sources to Sinks 344Sending Signals with Plant Hormones 346Answers to Questions on Plant Physiology 349Part 6: The Part of Tens 351Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Getting an A in Biology 353Put in Enough Time 353Pace Yourself 354Study Actively, Not Passively 354Make Vocabulary Flashcards 355Test Yourself Before Your Instructor Tests You 356Learn From Your Mistakes 356Maximize the Easy Points 357Ask for Help Upfront 357Use Your Resources 357Don’t Leave It in the Classroom 357Chapter 21: Ten Great Biology Websites 359Dummies.com 360The Amoeba Sisters 360Bozeman Science 360Khan Academy 360The Biology Project at the University of Arizona 361Genetic Science Learning Center 361DNA from the Beginning 361The Biology Corner 361Cells Alive! 361BioNinja 362Other Study Sites 362Chapter 22: Ten Ways Biology Matters To Your Life Right Now 363Climate Change 363Spread of Infectious Diseases 364Curing Cancer 364Genetic Engineering of Humans 364Ancestry 365Personalized Medicine 365Eating a Plant-Based Diet 365Getting to Know Your Physical Body 366Growing Plants for Food and Fun 366Human Population Growth 366Index 367