René Fester Kratz is a biology and global health instructor at Everett Community College and holds a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Washington. Kratz is the author of Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies 2nd Edition, Biology For Dummies 2nd Edition, Biology Essentials For Dummies, and Botany For Dummies.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

How This Book Is Organized 3

Part 1: Getting the Basics 3

Part 2: Creating the Future 3

Part 3: Making Connections 4

Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 4

Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 4

Part 6: The Part of Tens 4

Icons Used in This Book 5

Beyond the Book 5

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: Getting the Basics 7

Chapter 1: Figuring Out the Scientific Method 9

Developing Hypotheses 9

Practicing the Scientific Method 11

Designing Experiments 13

Making an Experiment Count 17

Building Theories 19

Answers to Questions on the Scientific Method 21

Chapter 2: Solving Problems in the Chemistry of Life 23

Mapping Atoms 23

Elemental Thinking 25

Figuring Out Molecules 28

Go Big or Go Home 31

Staying sweet with carbohydrates 32

Getting things done with proteins 34

Making plans with nucleic acids 36

Storing energy and building boundaries with lipids 40

Answers to Questions on the Chemistry of Life 44

Chapter 3: Investigating Life at the Cellular Level 47

Introducing Cells 47

Holding it all together: The plasma membrane 49

Getting in and out of cells 51

Creating proteins: Ribosomes 54

Taking a Tour of Animal Cells 54

Checking Out Plant Cells 57

Peeking at Prokaryotes 59

Answers to Questions on Cells 61

Chapter 4: Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 63

Figuring Out the Role of Food 63

Make it or break it 64

Feeling energized about energy 66

Getting a reaction 68

Transferring energy with ATP 70

Moving your metabolism with enzymes 71

Reduce, reuse, recycle 73

Cooking Up Carbohydrates 75

Light reactions of photosynthesis: Transforming energy from the ultimate energy source 76

Light-independent reactions of photosynthesis: Putting matter and energy together 78

Extracting Energy from Food 80

Glycolysis and the Krebs cycle: Breaking down glucose to carbon dioxide 82

Oxidative Phosphorylation: Transferring energy to ATP 83

Answers to Questions on Tracking the Flow of Energy and Matter 88

Part 2: Creating the Future 93

Chapter 5: Divide and Conquer: Recognizing the Phases of Cell Division 95

Talking 'bout the Generations 95

Duplicating and Dividing Your DNA 97

Riding the Cell Cycle 102

Marching Through Mitosis 104

Getting Ready for Sexual Reproduction 108

Making Sperm and Egg by Meiosis 110

Contrasting Mitosis and Meiosis 114

Answers to Questions on Cell Division 117

Chapter 6: Predicting Future Generations with Mendelian Genetics 121

Getting Acquainted with the Lingo of Genetics 121

Discovering the Laws of Inheritance 124

Puzzling Over Genetics 127

Climbing the Branches of Your Family Tree 129

Answers to Questions on Genetics 134

Chapter 7: Taking Genetics to the DNA Level 137

Going with the Flow of Genetic Information 137

Making a Copy of the Genetic Code: Transcription 139

Locating genes within a chromosome 141

Doing transcription one step at a time 141

Putting on the finishing touches: RNA processing 143

Decoding the Message in mRNA: Translation 145

Deciphering mRNA codes with tRNA 147

Doing translation one step at a time 148

Measuring the Impact of Mutations 153

Answers to Questions on the Genetic Code 156

Chapter 8: Going Straight to the Source with DNA Technology 159

Discovering the Power of DNA Technology 159

Cutting DNA with Restriction Enzymes 161

Separating Molecules with Gel Electrophoresis 164

Copying DNA with PCR 167

Reading a Gene with DNA Sequencing 168

Changing the Code with Genetic Engineering 171

Fighting Diseases with Genetic Vaccines 174

Answers to Questions on DNA Technology 175

Part 3: Making Connections 177

Chapter 9: Organizing the Living World 179

Examining Relationships 179

Classifying Life 181

Figuring Out Relationships from Phylogenetic Trees 185

Answers to Questions on Classification and Phylogeny 189

Chapter 10: Connecting Organisms in Ecosystems 191

Ecosystems: Bringing It All Together 191

Describing Populations 193

Tracking Changes in Populations 195

Getting Along with Other Species 200

Discovering the Job Descriptions of Organisms 202

Following the Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems 203

Recycling Matter within Ecosystems 206

Heating Up with the Greenhouse Effect 207

Answers to Questions on Ecosystems 211

Chapter 11: Evaluating the Effects of Evolution 215

Defining Evolution 215

Predicting the Outcome of Natural Selection 218

Supporting the Theory of Evolution 220

Estimating the Impact of Extinctions 223

Answers to Questions on Evolution 226

Part 4: Getting to Know the Human Body 227

Chapter 12: Building Bodies with the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 229

Moving Around with Friction and Gravity 230

Getting Support from Skeletons and Bones 231

This Joint Is Jumpin' 236

Flexing Your Knowledge of Muscles 237

Answers to Questions on the Skeletal and Muscular Systems 242

Chapter 13: Giving Your Body What It Needs: The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 245

Catching Your Breath: Animal Respiration 245

Taking a Breath with the Human Respiratory System 248

In with the Good, Out with the Bad: Animal Circulatory Systems 250

Navigating the Human Heart and Circulatory System 251

Entering the cardiac cycle 253

Oxygenating the blood: Pulmonary circulation 254

Spreading oxygenated blood around: Systemic circulation 256

Answers to Questions on the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems 258

Chapter 14: Processing Food with the Digestive and Excretory Systems 261

Got Food? Understanding What Happens When Animals Eat 261

Moving Along the Human Digestive System 265

Filtering Fluids through the Urinary System 269

Exploring the Inner Workings of the Human Kidney 270

Answers to Questions on the Digestive and Excretory Systems 273

Chapter 15: Fighting Enemies with the Immune System 275

Microbial Encounters of the Best and Worst Kinds 276

Investigating Your Built-In Defenses 279

Fighting Back with Adaptive Immunity 282

Gaining a Tactical Advantage with Vaccines 286

Answers to Questions on the Immune System 291

Chapter 16: Sending Messages with the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 293

Mapping out Nervous Systems 293

Getting on Your Nerves 296

Getting in on the Action Potential 298

Regulating the Body with Glands and Hormones 301

Answers to Questions on the Nervous and Endocrine Systems 303

Chapter 17: Making Babies with the Reproductive System 305

Identifying the Parts of the Male Reproductive System 305

Identifying the Parts of the Female Reproductive System 307

Following the Female Ovarian and Menstrual Cycles 309

Fertilization through Birth: Developing New Humans 312

Answers to Questions on the Human Reproductive System 317

Part 5: Going Green with Plant Biology 319

Chapter 18: Studying Plant Structures 321

Peering at the Parts and Types of Plants 321

Taking a Look at Plant Tissues 328

Growing Like a Weed: Plant Reproduction 332

Answers to Questions on Plant Structures 337

Chapter 19: Pondering Problems in Plant Physiology 339

Taking Minerals from the Soil 339

Pulling Water Through Plants 342

Sending Sugars from Sources to Sinks 344

Sending Signals with Plant Hormones 346

Answers to Questions on Plant Physiology 349

Part 6: The Part of Tens 351

Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Getting an A in Biology 353

Put in Enough Time 353

Pace Yourself 354

Study Actively, Not Passively 354

Make Vocabulary Flashcards 355

Test Yourself Before Your Instructor Tests You 356

Learn From Your Mistakes 356

Maximize the Easy Points 357

Ask for Help Upfront 357

Use Your Resources 357

Don't Leave It in the Classroom 357

Chapter 21: Ten Great Biology Websites 359

[...] 360

The Amoeba Sisters 360

Bozeman Science 360

Khan Academy 360

The Biology Project at the University of Arizona 361

Genetic Science Learning Center 361

DNA from the Beginning 361

The Biology Corner 361

Cells Alive! 361

BioNinja 362

Other Study Sites 362

Chapter 22: Ten Ways Biology Matters To Your Life Right Now 363

Climate Change 363

Spread of Infectious Diseases 364

Curing Cancer 364

Genetic Engineering of Humans 364

Ancestry 365

Personalized Medicine 365

Eating a Plant-Based Diet 365

Getting to Know Your Physical Body 366

Growing Plants for Food and Fun 366

Human Population Growth 366

Index 367