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 how a karyogram is created
Explain how nondisjunction leads to disorders in chromosome number
Compare disorders that aneuploidy causes
Describe how errors in chromosome structure occur through inversions and translocations

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

Define water potential and explain how it is influenced by solutes, pressure, gravity, and the matric potential
Describe how water potential, evapotranspiration, and stomatal regulation influence how water is transported in plants
Explain how photosynthates are transported in plants

Students learn the basics about soil, including its formation, characteristics and importance. They are also introduced to soil profiles and how engineers conduct site investigations to learn about soil quality for development, contamination transport, and assessing the general environmental health of an area.