read more. A suggested and testable explanation for an event is called a ________. I found no problems with the accuracy of major concepts or with the more specific steps of cellular respiration. Most of the material taught in introductory biology courses has not changed in the last 15-20 years and this book is certainly up to date. I wonder if the text needed a firmer editor. We ensure that you get the cup ready, without wasting your time and effort. The format and terminology are consistent across units and chapters. OpenStax Reading Guides. I think all these factors can enhance the learning experience and increase students' subject-matter comprehension. So, find out what your needs are, and waste no time, in placing the order. Please check your connection and try again. Several features are included to help the learner and educator alike. Something especially unique about this book is the Career connections Section within every chapter. The book is relevant and well structured. The text book used various external resources with both female and male voices. I am optimistic that this book will be quite useful for me and my students. Therefore, I conclude that the text is neither culturally relevant, nor culturally insensitive. 7+$3 X@mc !B"+ Core concepts for introductory level college course are addressed in sufficient detail, without overly complicating the material for this audience. Given that many students struggle with thoroughly understanding evolutionary processes and have misconceptions regarding evolution, this does seem to be an oversight. On page 30, the text says, Many organisms belonging to the Archaea domain live under extreme conditions and are called extremophiles. This would be fine if the text then went on to explain that we now realize that Archaea are far more widespread than previously thought, but the discussion ends there. The applied examples make great connections for students. Text Book is relevant to the western standards. Topics are explained in a clear and concise manner. I encountered no interface issues other than that of slowness of loading. No cultural insensitivities were noticed as part of this course. Overall, this textbook is more comprehensive than other books by the same authors, covers each topic well, and expands upon topics not covered in the Concepts of Biology textbook. However, I have found some points of disagreement that are perhaps matters of emphasis, philosophy or omission. But overall regardless of the depth of information in the figures; they appear accurate. al.). It would then fall on the instructor to really add a lot of depth and context for the content into their class in lectures and active learning activities. read more. I found the book to be consistent in regards of terminology and layout, definitions of terms, and general chapter scheme. If this statement were true, the energy of ATP could not be used to supply energy to reactions within cells. After one semester of using Openstax, I have received positive feedback from students. It was easy to navigate the contents list, and very easy to switch from one section to another. The terms higher and lower organisms are used throughout the text. One of the most attractive features of an open source text is that it can be more readily revised that hard copy since it is a web-based text. read more. I did not notice anything culturally insensitive or offensive. There were also some chapters that were sparse of images, including the genetics unit - in particular the information about cancer. Each chapter has a list of key terms defined at the end of the chapter (in the PDF; the online version has a shorter glossary at the end of each chapter). Finally, each chapter has review questions, both multiple choice and short answer (critical thinking). hydrophobic and Hydrophobic) were noted in the index. The OpenStax Biology book has units and chapters that cover all of the major topics that one would consider for a general or introductory Biology course. As an older reader, the small artwork was a challenge for me to work out, but expanding the magnification of what I see on the screen certainly helped. WebPANOPEN + OPENSTAX BIOLOGY ACCESS CODE 17th Edition ISBN: 9781944519766 BIOLOGY 2E 2nd Edition ISBN: 9781506699851 BIOLOGY 13th Edition ISBN: 2810017676413 BIOLOGY FOR AP COURSES (OER) 17th Edition ISBN: 9781947172401 EBK BIOLOGY 2nd Edition ISBN: 9781947172524 Homework Help by Science Subjects p.358 Please show the McClintock strategy as well. The text has some good features. Ecosystem concepts range from excellent to shallow (or none). I use Openstax Biology 2e as a textbook for my AP Bio and dual credit class. Many figures are not readable until viewing at 200% or even 300%. This text avoids the use of ethnocentric names and concepts as far as I can see. Note that those instructors whose general biology sequence begins with organisms in the first semester and moves to molecules in the second semester would have to use the chapters out of order, which shouldnt be much of a problem (see comments on modularity above). All the components of the textbook, including the terminology and framework, are consistent throughout. Again, I think this structure is typical for an introductory class. It must be assumed that students have no prior knowledge of these concepts. The table of contents and index are useful, and the PDF is searchable. The content appears to be accurate. Author (s) OpenStax. The book was published in 2013 and in spite of the 2017 Rice University copyright notice it does not appear to have been updated since the original publication. From nutrient and water uptake transport: root absorption, cation exchange, active transport into root hair The lengths of the paragraphs are rightly tailored for mobile devices such that continued reading interest is sustained. But given the abundance of information in this text, I am quite pleased at the factual accuracy. The key terms and review questions for each chapter are excellent and the answers to the review questions are provided. I have found the content for this purpose mostly comprehensive, with some need to supplement. This structure is also attractive to instructors as it allows us the freedom to pick and choose textbook content to assign. The textbook is divisible into smaller reading sections and it is self-referential. Images use a variety of skin tones in the peripheral nervous system and human pregnancy and birth sections. I am signed up for OpenStax. Overall, this chapter was accurate, with concepts clearly described. Each section is very short. My attempt to use a QR code scanner app of a mobile phone on the PDF of the textbook on a laptop screen didnt work and clicking the URL indicated the link was no longer current. The chapters are clear and concise. I did not notice any bias towards or against historical studies, current topics, research, or ideas made apparent. A suggested and testable explanation for an event is called a ________. Overall, I highly recommend the book. Due to the challenging nature of the subject, figures can help students understand concepts better when the figures are clear and unambiguous. The book would benefit from greater use of diagrams, charts, and images (and even lists and bullet points) to cater to visual learners. Because there is so much information to cover in the Introductory Biology survey courses, it is helpful to organize the text in this way so students are not overwhelmed. For the downloaded PDF version, each chapter and section are listed in the drop-down table of contents. I found it to be very clear and concise, yet still containing the rigor you would expect of a major's level textbook. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. The book takes a historical approach to dealing with protists and is, in that respect, in need of modernization. The subsections are natural and permit the instructor to easily select the specific topics they wish to cover or not. Text was written clearly and was fairly engaging to read. I enjoyed that throughout the chapter, there were little blurbs relating the material being discussed to a potential experiment, a human disease, or thought questions. This book includes less detail on landmark scientific discoveries than other books Ive used. A suggested and testable explanation for an event is called a ________. Yes, this text is much like any of the regular, paper general biology textbooks. Additionally, there is a lack of images of people in the text, so I supplement the information presented with "scientist spotlights" to highlight diverse scientists in the wide range of careers available with a Biology degree. While it is challenging to cover all Biology content in an introductory text, the book is an excellent substitute for the previous Biology text we were using. There is no theme of how science works or is done. The online version also linked the figures to the text itself, so students could click the referenced figure and have it appear as they were reading. Unit 1: The Chemistry of Life, Unit 2: The Cell, Unit 3: Genetics, etc. The book is organized in a very similar manner to most introductory Biology textbooks - with good reason. Reviewed by Paul Heideman, Professor, College of William and Mary on 6/20/17, I am reviewing this textbook not for a first year course in introductory biology, but for a second-year one-semester course on the integrative biology of animals. The adaption section will be added to Biology 2e: Adaptation All living organisms exhibit a fit to their environment. The text is consistently organized into brief modules, that break down the ideas into manageable chunks of information. I did find a couple of minor errors that are not related to conceptual issues. I liked the fact that there was a glossary of terms in each section, rather than a full glossary at the end of the chapter, because I think it will help students organize the information and help them to understand the material better as a consequence. Content is very up-to-date, and I did check out how frequently the content was altered (it mentions this at the bottom of the online version). - Figures should not cross multiple pages (i.e., figure 1.16 in pdf version). However, The themes of epigenetics, genomic research, non-coding RNA, and CRISPR-Cas gene editing were not discussed and need to be perhaps added on with additional course materials. it could be conveyed that it notes ALL species variation is directly related to genetics). The concept of T suppressor subsets has been changed and regulatory T, B, DC and NK populations have been described and shown to have immune suppressive and regulatory functions. GitHub openstax / cnx-recipes Public Notifications Fork 14 Star 5 Code Issues 81 Pull requests Actions Projects Security Insights New issue I believe this will allow for easy alignment into any new or existing Biology course. A well-organized textbook interface is provided. I have no impression that it will be quickly out of date. I appreciate this because it allows for the cross-referencing of important cellular and genetic concepts in later chapters. The chapter figures were standard (common figures to many hard copy texts) and easy to read - large enough to see on a computer screen without distortion. However, I don't think it goes out of its way make science more accessible. American Biology Teacher 56:7, 405-407. Given the fact the book is written by a variety of authors in different subject areas, I found the book's consistency to be quite impressive. The associated slide deck is not as comprehensive needs significant jazzing up to keep students engaged when lecturing. I think that in an introductory course, it is more important to convey the more general, big picture of concepts without adding confusion with over-exertion of details. At the end of the chapter, there is a mini glossary, defining key terms that were found throughout the chapter, which will be a nice resource for students. In some places, information is repeated within a paragraph. It would make more sense to discuss the topics as they arise than to briefly mention and revisit later. As such the text was lacking in examples and depicting a diverse cultural tone and images when possible. A few are important to correct, especially given that we push students to understand the need for precise use of science terminology and vocabulary (e.g., Section 34.2 is titled "Nutrition and Energy Production," which might confuse a student who has learned that "energy can neither be created nor destroyed."). The figures have an overall similar look and parts of them are colored the same way for consistency for example the homologous chromosomes (blue and red). For example, at the time of this review in December 2016, statistics and citations in the book date primarily to 2012 and earlier, and some recently hot topics like CRISPR are not yet covered. This text book has taken modularity to new heights. The distinction is also clear on page 682. The very brief discussion of sociobiology on page 1372 is biased, sketchy, and inaccurate: Sociobiology also links genes with behaviors and has been associated with biological determinism, the belief that all behaviors are hardwired into our genes. p.214 error (again) in the equations/arrows. For example, why does a business major need to know about RNA transcription or the different parts of the translation machinery. Which of the following statements is true? I was wondering if you have Chapter 12 (Genetics)? I like that I can find small sections throughout the book to assign to students. I didn't notice any culturally insensitive statements or examples in the text. The contents on the left side of the page make navigation very easy and you can easily switch to different sections to find the information that you need. What happens to the free energy of that original glucose molecule as it is processed through cellular respiration? The table of contents and index are useful, and the PDF is searchable. The book followed a typical format of introducing biological concepts starting with cell and ending with community biology. All areas of introductory biology were covered. What I found particularly refreshing was the inclusion of a biotechnology and genomics chapter later on in the book. That may be true for most humans, but some humans have 45 or 47. The terms sometimes can be used before they are fully defined, and some of the figures appeared before the text, which can be confusing to students as they pace through the book. Which of the following statements is not true? In Mendel's chapter, the text gives a brief, insufficient description of topics like linkage and independent assortment that would confuse a student and then only at the end of the chapter does the text cover these in depth. Nowhere does the text point out that attaching a phosphate with its -2 charge will necessarily cause a change in the conformation of the protein, and taking that phosphate back off will cause a change back to the original conformation: that cycle causes the protein to do physiologically useful activity, from powering the movement of sodium and potassium across membranes to the movement of a myosin head. The book highlights different career paths for students in each respective field of biology using engaging real-world examples, and explicitly calls out areas that cause frequent confusion for students (for example, the difference between weather and climate when discussing climate change, and common misunderstandings about the process of evolution. These highlighted boxes standout for the students as something extra and interesting, and the information is not lost in the main text. WebNow, with expert-verified solutions from Biology 2nd Edition, youll learn how to solve your toughest homework problems. However, in order to sustain student interest, it maybe useful to add a few more examples where biological concepts are applied to daily living making this subject more interesting to the reader. Single-celled eukaryotes and the major phyla of animals. Are those available somewhere or exclusively on TpT? There is no reason to dwell on this metric, as the grammar and English were fine in all the chapters I read. Now that you have the Water Cooler of your choice, you will not have to worry about providing the invitees with healthy, clean and cool water. An example is chromosomes in Figure 11.7. On page 94, the term homology is used but not clearly defined or explained. For instance different aspects regarding natural selection are found in three sections in two different chapters, being the sections: understanding evolution, population genetics, and adaptive evolution. Organization is appropriate and is adaptable for the specifics of individual course requirements. I intentionally stepped into chapters out of order and found them to be appropriately modular. The contents list expands readily, and the names of the chapters mirrors those in the competitor texts. Links to Animations As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Currently available textbooks have made huge strides in producing carefully rendered and accurate illustrations and animations that are produced by talented teams of artists and animators. I've found all the terminology to be consistent. Additionally, with the online version, students could see what unit, chapter, and subsection they were within, as it becomes highlighted in the table of contents at the top. It presents the same problems if one wishes to teach topics out of order, which is that the student will have to pay attention to the section they are currently teaching on as not all professors go in chapter order. A typical concern with introductory texts is a lack of coverage in ecological concepts and this text does well in representing all aspects well. Figures rendered well. I found it very easy to divide the readings into manageable segments that provide clarity and promote student understanding. There are a few things that pervade the text that I take issue with. However, some topics at least for a genetics class, I believe do not have enough detail (examples gene expression, sequencing). The book uses relatively few examples or images of people, so while it does not highlight diversity, it also did not feel exclusionary to me. In my first year of using this OER, I regret to report that I didnt have time to explore the links embedded in the text. I don't find it to be any more modular than a rather textbook, however. On page 503, the text states, Evolutionary theory states that humans, beetles, plants, and bacteria all share a common ancestor, but that millions of years of evolution have shaped each of these organisms into the forms seen today. No, billions of years. The online version has features to search, highlight (with five color options), and add notes. The material is presented in an engaging manner and should hold the students attention. The website was easy to use and search. The authors use a confusing 'straight line' terminology to try to explain monophyly. We call a molecule that binds up excess hydrogen ions in a solution a(n) ________. We focus on clientele satisfaction. There was nothing culturally insensitive that I could find. Ex-Chinese use of various techniques to treat physical ailments, Syrian environmental migrants and disease they may endure as a result of their conditions. science that seeks to expand knowledge and understanding regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge. It is refreshing to see a discussion of epigenetics in detail as this is often missing from upper level genetics text books. On page 676, the text confounds green algae and charophytes, referring to all green algae as charophytes. read more. I do think that the book would benefit from integrating more questions throughout the text to check student understanding throughout the chapters instead of having the majority of questions at the end of the chapters. In Chapter 19, the discussion of some evolutionary mechanisms, e.g., nonrandom and assortative mating, is very sketchy. read more. In general, the content to me felt like a classic introductory biology set of material. There is previous knowledge assumed in several chapters that students would not have if entire units of the textbook were skipped or covered out of order. is positive and it is certainly a book I would consider using in my general biology course sequence, not only because of cost considerations (the web and PDF versions are free and even the printed version is inexpensive). p.359 Why show a karyotype where the colours dont match up for the homologues? Most importantly, they help you churn out several cups of tea, or coffee, just with a few clicks of the button. Some of them (Figure 5.11, Figure 18.6) are truly awful. I use Openstax Biology 2e as a textbook for my AP Bio and dual credit class. Certainly from the perspective of an instructor, maintaining some consistency from one semester to another is helpful, but I am hoping that future updates will not be limited to errata. I thought many images had a random quality. Webquestions biology 2e openstax biology 2e openstax staar biology answer key paper 2022 release texas kcet 2023 questions concepts of biology openstax kvs answer key 2023 released download omr sheet textbook answers gradesaver Aug Individual sections (or even subsections) can be revised or rewritten and plugged in as needed, without interrupting the flow of the text (assuming a similarity of writing style). Figure 1.16 is one example where the display issues make the figure almost useless. This seems like a great book for freshman because often at that stage the students are interested in science but are unsure of what branch of science they want to go into. These are presented well with all sides considered. Some of the charts and photos were a bit pixelated, but it didn't detract too much to the meaning of these photos/charts. To dealing with protists and is adaptable for the students as something extra and,. 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