Open Textbook Versioning History
NSCC
Changes made to create:
NSCC Edition, by Rhea Langille, adapter of Concepts of Biology 1st Canadian Edition
Unit 1 | The Amazing Human Machine
Chapter 1: Created using section 1.1 Properties of Life and Levels of Organization of Living Things. Removed The Diversity of Life and everything that follows.
Chapter 2: Added a section on Cell Theory.
Section 2.2 from old 3.3 Eukaryotic Cells. Wording revised and terms simplified. Removed plant cell picture, and content after Animal Cells vs Plant Cells.
Section 2.3 from 6.3 Cancer and the Cell Cycle.
Chapter 3: Added a new section using 14.2 Animal Primary Tissues from the previous edition. Edits made to simplify text.
Section 3.2 created on Systems of the Human Body, with two new images inserted.
Chapter 4: Created from content from Chapters 12 (vaccines) and 23 (The Immune System).
Unit 2 | Sensing the World Around You
Chapter 5: Created from Chapter 11.6 Nervous System. Removed some parts of the introduction and parts in the Neuron and Glial Cells section. Added Figure 16.24 into the Brain section.
Unit 3 | Fueling Your Machine
Chapter 6: Created from Chapter 11.2 Digestive System, with some edits and rewording.
Unit 4 | Your Internal Transportation System
Chapter 7: Created from Chapter 11.3 Circulatory and Respiratory System (sections on mammalian respiration and System of Gas Exchanges).
Chapter 8: Created from Chapter 11.3 Circulatory and Respiratory System (section on circulatory system and heart). New image added- Figure 8.2 The Human Heart. Added some parts of 21.2 Components of the Blood
Unit 5 | Reproduction, Genetics and Inheritance
Chapter 9: Created from section 13.3 Human Reproduction. Remove section on Gametogenesis. Added figure 24.17 in the section on female hormones. Added figure 24.18 in the section on fertilization. Added the section on Infertility from section 24.5
Section 9.2: Include section 6.1 The Genome. Some editing and additions needed.
For all Chapters
End of chapter exercises revised and glossaries modified to reflect concepts covered.
BC Campus
Changes made to create:
1st Canadian Edition, by Charles Molnar and Jane Gair, adapters of Concepts of Biology
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that all of us are entwined in, life itself.
In the adapted textbook, Concepts of Biology — 1st Canadian Edition, you will find the following units:
- Unit 1: The Cellular Foundation of Life
- Unit 2: Cell Division and Genetics
- Unit 3: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
- Unit 4: Animal Structure and Function
Adaptations to the original textbook Concepts of Biology by OpenStax College include:
- Remixed Concepts of Biology from 6 units into 4 units.
- Removed the original Unit 4: Evolution and the Diversity of Life from Concepts of Biology.
- Remixed the original Unit 5: Animal Structure and Function from Concepts of Biology by embedding Chapters 33-43 from Biology by OpenStax College.
- Adapted PowerPoints for each chapter- includes additional notes, images, and embedded videos.
- Added resources from “Let’s Talk Science” to the end of each PowerPoint.
Thanks to BCcampus and Camosun College for funding and support. We are most grateful to the Let’s Talk Science organization from their trove of science links.
Welcome to Concepts of Biology, an OpenStax College resource. This textbook has been created with several goals in mind: accessibility, customization, and student engagement—all while encouraging students toward high levels of academic scholarship. Instructors and students alike will find that this textbook offers a strong introduction to biology in an accessible format.
Additional Changes
This section provides a record of edits and changes made to this book since its initial publication in the B.C. Open Textbook Collection. Whenever edits or updates are made, we make the required changes in the text and provide a record and description of those changes here. If the change is minor, the version number increases by 0.1. However, if the edits involve substantial updates, the version number goes up to the next full number. The files on our website always reflect the most recent version, including the print-on-demand copy.
If you find an error in this book, please fill out the Report an Open Textbook Error form. We will contact the author, make the necessary changes, and replace all file types as soon as possible. After, this Versioning History page will be updated to reflect the edits made.
| Version | Date | Change | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | May 1, 2015 | Book added to the B.C. Open Textbook collection. | |
| 1.2 | November 21, 2017 |
|
Some <a id=””> tags in the book were causing large sections of text to turn blue. These tags were removed. In addition, all of the exercise questions were edited to ensure a consistent format. This involved putting the content into ordered lists and grouping questions and answers together.
Note: We are aware that there is some text missing in Chapter 20.4, that Chapter 14.1 is missing exercise questions, and that Chapter 14.2 and 14.3 have the same exercise questions. The author has been informed of these issues and we will update the book once we receive the corrections. |
| 1.3 | September 17, 2018 | Image 2.15 replaced. | Original Figure 2.15 image was a duplicate of Figure 2.17. Replaced Figure 2.15 with the correct image. |
| 1.4 | June 13, 2019 | Updated the book’s theme. | The styles of this book have been updated, which may affect the page numbers of the PDF and print copy. |
OpenStax
Concepts of Biology
OpenStax College is a non-profit organization committed to improving student access to quality learning materials. Our free textbooks are developed and peer-reviewed by educators to ensure they are readable, accurate, and meet the scope and sequence requirements of today’s college courses. Unlike traditional textbooks, OpenStax College resources live online and are owned by the community of educators using them. Through our partnerships with companies and foundations committed to reducing costs for students, OpenStax College is working to improve access to higher education for all. OpenStax College is an initiative of Rice University and is made possible through the generous support of several philanthropic foundation
About Concepts of Biology
Concepts of Biology is designed for the single-semester introduction to biology course for non-science majors, which for many students is their only college-level science course. As such, this course represents an important opportunity for students to develop the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills to make informed decisions as they continue with their lives. Rather than being mired down with facts and vocabulary, the typical non-science major student needs information presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. Even more importantly, the content should be meaningful. Students do much better when they understand why biology is relevant to their everyday lives. For these reasons, Concepts of Biology is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. We also strive to show the interconnectedness of topics within this extremely broad discipline. In order to meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, we maintain the overall organization and coverage found in most syllabi for this course. A strength of Concepts of Biology is that instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Concepts of Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.
Coverage and Scope
Our Concepts of Biology textbook adheres to the scope and sequence of most one-semester non-majors courses nationwide. We also strive to make biology, as a discipline, interesting and accessible to students. In addition to a comprehensive coverage of core concepts and foundational research, we have incorporated features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. Our scope of content was developed after surveying over a hundred biology professors and listening to their coverage needs. We provide a thorough treatment of biology’s fundamental concepts with a scope that is manageable for instructors and students alike.
- Unit 1: The Cellular Foundation of Life. Our opening unit introduces students to the sciences, including the process of science and the underlying concepts from the physical sciences that provide a framework within which learners comprehend biological processes. Additionally, students will gain solid understanding of the structures, functions, and processes of the most basic unit of life: the cell.
- Unit 2: Cell Division and Genetics. Our genetics unit takes learners from the foundations of cellular reproduction to the experiments that revealed the basis of genetics and laws of inheritance.
- Unit 3: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Students will learn the intricacies of DNA, protein synthesis, and gene regulation and current applications of biotechnology and genomics.
- Unit 4: Evolution and the Diversity of Life. The core concepts of evolution are discussed in this unit with examples illustrating evolutionary processes. Additionally, the evolutionary basis of biology reappears throughout the textbook in general discussion and is reinforced through special call-out features highlighting specific evolution-based topics. The diversity of life is explored with detailed study of various organisms and discussion of emerging phylogenetic relationships between and among bacteria, protist kingdoms, fungi, plants, and animals.
- Unit 5: Animal Structure and Function. An introduction to the form and function of the animal body is followed by chapters on the immune system and animal development. This unit touches on the biology of all organisms while maintaining an engaging focus on human anatomy and physiology that helps students connect to the topics.
- Unit 6: Ecology. Ecological concepts are broadly covered in this unit, with features highlighting localized, real-world issues of conservation and biodiversity.
Pedagogical Foundation and Features
Because of the impact science has on students and society, an important goal of science education is to achieve a scientifically literate population that consistently makes informed decisions. Scientific literacy transcends a basic understanding of scientific principles and processes to include the ability to make sense of the myriad instances where people encounter science in day-to-day life. Thus, a scientifically literate person is one who uses science content knowledge to make informed decisions, either personally or socially, about topics or issues that have a connection with science. Concepts of Biology is grounded on a solid scientific base and designed to promote scientific literacy. Throughout the text, you will find features that engage the students in scientific inquiry by taking selected topics a step further.
- Evolution in Action features uphold the importance of evolution to all biological study through discussions like “Global Decline of Coral Reefs” and “The Red Queen Hypothesis.”
- Career in Action features present information on a variety of careers in the biological sciences, introducing students to the educational requirements and day-to-day work life of a variety of professions, such as forensic scientists, registered dietitians, and biogeographers.
- Biology in Action features tie biological concepts to emerging issues and discuss science in terms of everyday life. Topics include “Invasive Species” and “Photosynthesis at the Grocery Store.”
Art and Animations that Engage
Our art program takes a straightforward approach designed to help students learn the concepts of biology through simple, effective illustrations, photos, and micrographs. Concepts of Biology also incorporates links to relevant animations and interactive exercises that help bring biology to life for students.
- Concepts in Action features direct students to online interactive exercises and animations to add a fuller context and examples to core content.