Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

List the unifying characteristics of eukaryotes
Describe what scientists know about the origins of eukaryotes based on the last common ancestor
Explain the endosymbiotic theory

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the structure of eukaryotic cells
Compare animal cells with plant cells
State the role of the plasma membrane
Summarize the functions of the major cell organelles

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the cytoskeleton
Compare the roles of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules
Compare and contrast cilia and flagella
Summarize the differences among the components of prokaryotic cells, animal cells, and plant cells

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Explain the significance of photosynthesis to other living organisms
Describe the main structures involved in photosynthesis
Identify the substrates and products of photosynthesis

Overview of plant cells and the unique structures found in plants cells only.

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Introduction to plants and some of their common traits and needs.

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An illustrated tutorial describing the structure and function of the chloroplast organelle in a plant cell. [0:37]

Eukaryotic cells have separate DNA from mitochondria and chloroplasts which indicates that they were once primitive cells on their own. This multimedia article includes animations, pictures, video, biographical information, and quiz questions that are accessed by clicking on buttons along the bottom of the page.

Through a teacher-led discussion, students realize that the food energy plants obtain comes from sunlight via the plant process of photosynthesis. They learn what photosynthesis is, at an age-appropriate level of detail and vocabulary, and then begin to question how we know that photosynthesis occurs, if we can't see it happening. Elodea is a common water plant that students can use to directly observe evidence of photosynthesis. When Elodea is placed in a glass beaker near a good light source, bubbles of oxygen will be released as products of photosynthesis. By counting the number of bubbles that rise to the surface in a five-minute period, students can compare the photosynthetic activity of Elodea in the presence of high and low light levels.

This is a thorough site which contains a glossary of plant/animal cell anatomy terms. Diagrams of both cells are included along with worksheets to label.

This site features a clear picture of the plant cell with a concise explanation of its key parts and their functions.

Learn about the endosymbiotic theory. This theory explains the evolution of cells from a mitochondria and chloroplast working together in a symbiotic relationship to the current cell structure.

This site describes cellular components involved in light reaction and describes steps involved in photosynthesis.

This NetLogo model of leaf photosynthesis shows the macroscopic outcome of the reaction.