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:

Describe what must occur for plant fertilization
Explain cross-pollination and the ways in which it takes place
Describe the process that leads to the development of a seed
Define double fertilization

This paper, the work of a Ph.D. researcher, presents an interesting discussion of the reasons that assexual reproduction is not used by most organisms. Toward the end is a specific discussion of reproduction in plants. Advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction are summarized at the end.

Find out what happened when Mendel crossed two hybrid pea plants. The animations do a good job explaining why these crosses produce a 3:1 ratio of traits.

Learn about the principle of dominance as you watch animations showing Mendel's experiments with pea plants. Find out what happened when he crossed plants that produced green seeds with those that produced yellow seeds.