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 the properties of water that are critical to maintaining life
Explain why water is an excellent solvent
Provide examples of water’s cohesive and adhesive properties
Discuss the role of acids, bases, and buffers in homeostasis

How is farming a system? What are the inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, seed) and outputs (crop yield, emissions, runoff)? What impact does soil as a storage have on the consequences of these inputs and outputs?

Systems thinking, applied in business and environmental science, examines the interconnected parts of a whole, categorized as inputs (external additions), outputs (productions), storages (reserves for future use), and flows (movement of matter and energy). In agriculture, inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and water interact within the soil system, influencing crop production. Soil composition—sand, silt, clay—along with nutrient levels (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) and pH, affects plant growth. Mismanagement, particularly over-fertilization, can lead to cultural eutrophication, creating "dead zones" in water bodies by depleting oxygen, crucial for aquatic life.

This learning module includes 9 lessons and/or activities.

In this lesson on exploring acids and bases, students will explore the pH scale and how is it related to acids and bases by learning key vocabulary terms and visuals related to the chemical process of neutralization.

Test the pH of everyday liquids such as coffee, spit, and soap to determine whether each is acidic, basic, or neutral. Investigate how adding more of a liquid or diluting with water affects pH.

Review examples of macro and micro pH scales of a variety of substances available in a drop down menu. Create a solution to measure.

In this advanced simulation, students experiment with changing the ion ratios in solutions and thus the pH. The experiment can be viewed on a macroscopic or microscopic level, or customized.

In this simulation, students learn how changing the concentration of a solution affects the pH level.

How do we convert log form to exponential form and vice versa? What's does converting log vs exponential form ultimately look like? Explore these questions through examples and a video. [1:03]

An introduction, aimed at upper elementary- and middle-school learners, to acid rain. [Click back to home to access the site in Spanish.]

The aim of this lesson is to introduce the concept of Neutralization and its application in our daily lives. Students are encouraged to construct their knowledge of Neutralization through brainstorming sessions, experiments, and mind mapping. [20:22]

A video tutorial introducing the pH scale as a representation of the concentration of protons. [4:45]