Table of Contents

1  Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry 

Inquiring About Life 

CONCEPT 1.1 The study of life reveals common themes 

CONCEPT 1.2 The Core Theme: Evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of life 

CONCEPT 1.3 In studying nature, scientists make observations and form and test hypotheses 

CONCEPT 1.4 Science benefits from a cooperative approach and diverse viewpoints 




UNIT 1  THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE 

2  The Chemical Context of Life 

A Chemical Connection to Biology 

CONCEPT 2.1 Matter consists of chemical elements in pure form and in combinations called compounds 

CONCEPT 2.2 An element’s properties depend on the structure of its atoms 

CONCEPT 2.3 The formation and function of molecules depend on chemical bonding between atoms 

CONCEPT 2.4 Chemical reactions make and break chemical bonds 

3  Water and Life 

The Molecule That Supports All of Life 

CONCEPT 3.1 Polar covalent bonds in water molecules result in hydrogen bonding 

CONCEPT 3.2 Four emergent properties of water contribute to Earth’s suitability for life 

CONCEPT 3.3 Acidic and basic conditions affect living organisms 

4  Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life 

Carbon: The Backbone of Life 

CONCEPT 4.1 Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds 

CONCEPT 4.2 Carbon atoms can form diverse molecules by bonding to four other atoms 

CONCEPT 4.3 A few chemical groups are key to molecular function 

5  The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules 

The Molecules of Life 

CONCEPT 5.1 Macromolecules are polymers, built from monomers 

CONCEPT 5.2 Carbohydrates serve as fuel and building material 

CONCEPT 5.3 Lipids are a diverse group of hydrophobic molecules 

CONCEPT 5.4 Proteins include a diversity of structures, resulting in a wide range of functions 

CONCEPT 5.5 Nucleic acids store, transmit, and help express hereditary information 

CONCEPT 5.6 Genomics and proteomics have transformed biological inquiry and applications 

 

UNIT 2  THE CELL 

6  A Tour of the Cell 

The Fundamental Units of Life 

CONCEPT 6.1 Biologists use microscopes and biochemistry to study cells 

CONCEPT 6.2 Eukaryotic cells have internal membranes that compartmentalize their functions 

CONCEPT 6.3 The eukaryotic cell’s genetic instructions are housed in the nucleus and carried out by the

About the Author

Lisa A. Urry

Lisa Urry (Chapter 1 and Units 1, 2, and 3) is Professor of Biology and Chair of the Biology Department at Mills College in Oakland, California, and a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating from Tufts University with a double major in biology and French, Lisa completed her Ph.D. in molecular and developmental biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. She has published a number of research papers, most of them focused on gene expression during embryonic and larval development in sea urchins. Lisa has taught a variety of courses, from introductory biology to developmental biology and senior seminar. As a part of her mission to increase understanding of evolution, Lisa also teaches a nonmajors course called Evolution for Future Presidents and is on the Teacher Advisory Board for the Understanding Evolution website developed by the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Lisa is also deeply committed to promoting opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in science.





Michael L. Cain

Michael Cain (Units 4, 5, and 8) is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist who is now writing full-time. Michael earned a joint degree in biology and math at Bowdoin College, an M.Sc. from Brown University, and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University. As a faculty member at New Mexico State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, he taught a wide range of courses, including introductory biology, ecology, evolution, botany, and conservation biology. Michael is the author of dozens of scientific papers on topics that include foraging behavior in insects and plants, long-distance seed dispersal, and speciation in crickets. Michael is also the lead author of an ecology textbook.





Steven A. Wasserman

Steve Wasserman (Unit 7) is Professor of Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He earned his A.B. in biology from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in biological sciences from MIT. Through his research on regulatory pathway mechanisms in the fruit fly Drosophila, Steve has contributed to the fields of developmental biology, reproduction, and immunity. As a faculty member at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and UCSD, he has taught genetics, development, and physiology to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. He currently focuses on teaching introductory biology. He has also served as the research mentor for more than a dozen doctoral students and more than 50 aspiring scientists at the undergraduate and high school levels. Steve has been the recipient of distinguished scholar awards from both the Markey Charitable Trust and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. In 2007, he received UCSD’s Distinguished Teaching Award for undergraduate teaching.





Peter V. Minorsky

Peter Minorsky (Unit 6) is Professor of Biology at Mercy College in NEW! York, where he teaches introductory biology, evolution, ecology, and botany. He received his A.B. in biology from Vassar College and his Ph.D. in plant physiology from Cornell University. He is also the science writer for the journal Plant Physiology. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Peter taught at Kenyon College, Union College, Western Connecticut State University, and Vassar College. His research interests concern how plants sense environmental change. Peter received the 2008 Award for Teaching Excellence at Mercy College.





Jane B. Reece