The smart guide to biology

Summary: The complete roadmap to understanding how the body works, its origins, development, components and ingredients. Unusual blend of science, theory and what it all means. Beginning with how the first cells emerged on Earth, this handy guide gives you clear insight into how organisms work, play, adapt and evolve. Meet DNA and proteins, genetics and inheritance, bacteria, algae, plants, animals, and lots more.

Record details

ISBN: 193763681X
ISBN: 9781937636814
Physical Description: print
xiii, 316 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Edition: Second edition.
Publisher: Norman, OK : Smart Guide Publications, [2014]
Copyright: ©2014

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes index.

Formatted Contents Note:

pt. I. Cells -- 1. The cell -- Our common ancestor -- Chemicals to cells -- The two types of cells -- Basic cell structure -- Membranes -- Cytoplasm -- Genetic material -- 2. How the first cells emerged on Earth -- Carbon -- The first organic molecules -- How chemicals lead to life -- Amino acids and proteins -- Protein structure -- Ribonucleic acid (RNA) -- Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) -- The first cell -- 3. The prokaryotic cell -- Bacteria and archaea -- Inside prokaryotes -- Outside prokaryotes -- Diversity in prokaryotes -- Extremophiles -- Cyanobacteria -- The domains of living things -- 4. The eukaryotic cell -- The first eukaryotes -- What is an organelle? -- Protists -- Algae -- Diatoms -- Water molds, white rusts, and downy mildews -- Protozoa -- Algae lead to the first green plants -- 5. How your cells work -- Biological membranes -- Lipid bilayer -- How substances go through membranes -- Energy generation in membranes -- How membranes help cells communicate -- Mitochondria -- The nucleus -- Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -- Golgi apparatus -- Other parts of your cells -- Peroxisomes -- Lysosomes -- 6. How cells communicate -- Chemotaxis -- Quorum sensing -- Multicellular organisms -- Cell signaling -- Neurons -- Controlling gene expression -- pt. II. Energy -- 7. Introduction to metabolism -- Enzymes -- How enzymes run chemical reactions -- Coenzymes -- Regulating enzymes -- Anabolism and catabolism -- Equilibrium -- ATP : the cell's energy currency -- How ATP stores energy -- How ATP performs work -- How ATP regenerates -- 8. Respiration -- How we get energy from organic fuel -- Glycolysis -- Krebs cycle=citric acid cycle=tricarboxylic acid cycle -- Electron transport -- Phosphorylation : big word and big meaning -- Oxygen -- Respiration's ATP output -- 9. Fermentation -- Getting energy without using oxygen -- Types of fermentation -- Alcohol fermentation -- Lactic acid fermentation -- Mixed acid fermentation -- 10. Photosynthesis -- Photosynthetic organisms -- Cyanobacteria -- Chloroplasts -- Light and photosynthetic pigments -- Photosynthesis in bacteria -- Photosynthesis' two stages -- Light reactions -- Dark reactions -- pt. III. Basics of genetics -- 11. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and chromosomes -- Your cells' DNA -- Complementary strands -- The genetic alphabet -- What is a gene? -- How DNA replicates -- Chromosomes -- How chromosomes control the traits you inherit -- 12. The cell cycle -- Cell division -- Cell division in prokaryotes -- Cell division in eukaryotes -- Mitosis -- The importance of cell cycles -- A typical cell cycle -- How nature controls cell cycles -- Cancer : when the cell cycle goes out of control -- 13. Genetic information travels from genes to proteins -- What does gene expression mean? -- RNA's job in transcription -- RNA's job in translation -- The genetic code -- Other components of gene expression -- Protein : the final product -- 14. Genetics and inheritance -- Heredity, genetics, and inheritance -- Mendelian genetics -- Law of segregation -- Law of independent assortment -- Following traits through generations -- Recessive and dominant traits -- How genes are linked on chromosomes -- Sex-linked genes --