Life: The Science of Biology

David M. Hillis is the Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor in Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, where he also has directed the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, the Biodiversity Center, and the School of Biological Sciences. Dr. Hillis has taught courses in introductory biology, genetics, evolution, systematics, and biodiversity. David E. Sadava is the Pritzker Family Foundation Professor of Biology, Emeritus, at the Keck Science Center of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps, three of The Claremont Colleges. In addition, he is Adjunct Professor of Cancer Cell Biology at the City of Hope Medical Center. Twice winner of the Huntoon Award for superior teaching, Dr. Sadava has taught courses on introductory biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, plant biology, and cancer biology.  H. Craig Heller is the Lorry I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor in Biological Sciences and Human Biology at Stanford University. He has taught in the core biology courses at Stanford since 1972 and served as Director of the Program in Human Biology, Chairman of the Biolo-gical Sciences Department, and Associate Dean of Research. Dr. Heller is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recipient of the Walter J. Gores Award for excellence in teaching and the Kenneth Cuthberson Award for Exceptional Service to Stanford University.  Sally D. Hacker is Professor at Oregon State University where she has been a faculty member since 2004. She has taught courses in introductory ecology, community ecology, invasion biology, field ecology, and marine biology. She was awarded the Murray F. Buell Award by the Ecological Society of America and the Young Investigator Prize by the American Society of Naturalists. David W. Hall is an Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of Georgia, where he was the recipient of the Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching Award in 2013. Recent work includes using mathematical models to address the evolution of meiotic drive, the rate and pattern of molecular evolution in social insects, and early sex chromosome evolution. In the lab, he utilizes different yeast species to study spontaneous mutations using a combination of both mutation-accumulation and adaptation experiments. Marta Laskowski is a Professor in the Biology Department at Oberlin College. Dr. Laskowski has mentored undergraduate students in research and has taught introductory biology, skills-based first year seminars (Feeding the World), plant physiology, and plant development. She heads an effort at Oberlin, funded by the HHMI Inclusive Excellence program, to enhance the climate for and success of a diverse student population in STEM. 

Part one The Science of Life and Its Chemical Basis



 



1 Studying Life



2 Small Molecules and the Chemistry of Life



3 Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids



4 Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life



 



Part two Cells



 



5 Cells: The Working Units of Life



6 Cell Membranes



7 Cell Communication and Multicellularity



 



Part three Cells and Energy



 



8 Energy, Enzymes, and Metabolism



9 Pathways that Harvest Chemical Energy



10 Photosynthesis: Energy from Sunlight



 



Part four Genes, Genomes, and Heredity



 



11 The Cell Cycle and Cell Division



12 Inheritance, Genes, and Chromosomes



13 DNA and Its Role in Heredity



14 From DNA to Protein: Gene Expression



15 Gene Mutation and Molecular Medicine



16 Regulation of Gene Expression



17 Genomes



18 Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology



 



Part five The Processes and Patterns of Evolution



 



19 Processes of Evolution



20 Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies



21 Evolution of Genes and Genomes



22 Speciation



23 The History of Life on Earth



 



Part six The Evolution of Diversity



 



24 Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses



25 The Origin and Diversification of Eukaryotes



26 Plants without Seeds: From Water to Land



27 The Evolution of Seed Plants



28 The Evolution and Diversity of Fungi



29 Animal Origins and the Evolution of Body Plans



30 Protostome Animals



31 Deuterostome Animals



 



 



Part seven Flowering Plants: Form and Function



 



32 The Plant Body



33 Transport in Plants



34 Plant Nutrition



35 Regulation of Plant Growth



36 Reproduction in Flowering Plants



37 Plant Responses to Environmental Challenges



 



Part eight Animals: Form and Function



 



38 Physiology, Homeostasis, and Temperature Regulation



39 Animal Hormones



40 Immunology: Animal Defense Systems



41 Animal Reproduction



42 Animal Development



43 Neurons, Glia, and Nervous Systems



44 Sensory Systems



45 The Mammalian Nervous System



46 Musculoskeletal Systems



47 Gas Exchange



48 Circulatory Systems



49 Nutrition, Digestion, and Absorption



50 Salt and Water Balance and Nitrogen Excretion



51 Animal Behavior



 



Part nine Ecology



 



52 The Physical Environment and Biogeography of Life



53 Populations



54 Species Interactions



55 Communities



56 Ecosystems



57 A Changing Biosphere