Book Description Should there be warning labels on fast foods? Should SUV drivers pay extra taxes? Should employers be allowed to require drug testing of prospective employees? This introductory biology text helps you master biology while encouraging you to think about critical issues. The issues-oriented approach enlivens the subject matter and helps you grasp concepts by making connections between biology and real-life concerns. Here’s how it works: An "Impacts, Issues" case study opens each chapter, focusing on a biology-related societal issue. You also view a short film that expands on the issue. Then each chapter’s "How Would You Vote?" question, inspired by the case study, asks you to consider biology-related news, explore the facts behind the issue, apply your knowledge of biology, and cast a vote on the Web. You can also see state and nationwide voting tallies. This book has been widely praised for clear and engaging writing, art with step-by-step callouts, and terrific support from student media that all work together to help you "get" biology. Technology highlights include CengageNOW, an interactive online resource featuring personalized study plans and hundreds of animations, and an MP3 download of audio study tools that let you review concepts from the text anywhere! About the Author For the past two decades, Cecie Starr has been known as one of the best-selling biology textbook authors. Her texts, appreciated for their clarity in both the written word and the visual representation of biological concepts, include multiple editions of BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, BIOLOGY: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS, and BIOLOGY TODAY AND TOMORROW. Her original dream was to become an architect. Instead of building houses, she now builds, with care and attention to detail, incredible texts based on this philosophy: "I invite students into a chapter through an intriguing story. Once inside, they get the great windows that biologists construct on the world of life. Biology is not just another house. It is a conceptual mansion. I hope to do it justice."

1. Invitation to Biology.
Part I: PRINCIPLES OF CELLULAR LIFE.
2. Life’s Chemical Basis.
3. Molecules of Life.
4. Cell Structure and Function.
5. Ground Rules of Metabolism.
6. Where It Starts--Photosynthesis.
7. How Cells Release Chemical Energy.
Part II: PRINCIPLES OF INHERITANCE.
8. How Cells Reproduce.
9. Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction.
10. Observing Patterns in Inherited Traits.
11. Chromosomes and Human Inheritance.
12. DNA Structure and Function.
13. From DNA to Proteins.
14. Controls over Genes.
15. Studying and Manipulating Genomes.
Part III: PRINCIPLES OF EVOLUTION.
16. Evidence of Evolution.
17. Microevolutionary Process.
18. Life’s Origin and Early Evolution.
Part IV: EVOLUTION AND BIODIVERSITY.
19. Prokaryotes and Viruses.
20. Protists--The Simplest Eukaryotes.
21. Plant Evolution.
22. Fungi.
23. Animal Evolution--The Invertebrates.
24. Animal Evolution--The Vertebrates.
25. Plants and Animals--Common Challenges.
Part V. HOW PLANTS WORK.
26. Plant Tissues.
27. Plant Nutrition and Transport.
28. Plant Reproduction and Development.
Part VI. HOW ANIMALS WORK.
29. Animal Tissues and Organ Systems.
30. Neural Control.
31. Sensory Perception.
32. Endocrine Control.
33. Structural Support and Movement.
34. Circulation.
35. Immunity.
36. Respiration.
37. Digestion and Human Nutrition.
38. The Internal Environment.
39. Animal Reproduction and Development.
Part VII: PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY.
40. Population Ecology.
41. Community Structure and Biodiversity.
42. Ecosystems.
43. The Biosphere.
44. Behavioral Ecology.
Appendix I: Classification System.
Appendix II: Units of Measure.
Appendix III: Answers to Self-Quizzes.
Appendix IV: Answers to Genetic Problems.
Appendix V: Molecular Models.
Appendix VI: Closer Look at Some Major Metabolic Pathways.
Appendix VII: The Amino Acids Appendix.
Appendix VIII: Life’s Changing Geologic Stage.
Appendix IX: Periodic Table of the Elements.
Appendix X: A Comparison of Plant and Animal Mitosis.
Glossary.
Index.