Cain M.L., Yoon C.K., Singh-Cundy A. Discover Biology: Core Topics

4th edition. — W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. — 679 p. — ISBN: 978-0-393-11492-8This book has been derived from the title "Discover Biology" by the same authors and highlights the core topics. From the Preface: "Using stem cells to repair or replace damaged organs. Discovering every last branch on the vast evolutionary tree of life. Seeking a cure for cancer. These are but a few of the many reasons why biology is a gripping subject for us and, we hope, for students using this book. These topics are simultaneously intensely interesting and critically important. Because the scientific understanding of fundamental biological principles is growing by leaps and bounds, this is an exciting time to write, teach, and learn about all areas of the biological sciences. Just consider that researchers are beginning to unlock the secrets of the human genome, allowing us to explore in unprecedented detail both the causes of and potential treatments for a host of human genetic disorders. And ecologists have begun to make real progress in understanding and predicting events that affect all of the world’s ecosystems, such as the transport of pollutants and the contribution of human activities to global warming. Discoveries such as these, along with a host of others, mean that biology is the subject of news stories on a daily basis. Recently, for example, the news has focused on both the disturbing (germs resistant to much of our antibiotic arsenal) and the exciting (the promise of biofuels made from algae). As these and other news reports show, biology carries important ramifications not only for individuals, but for all human societies, and it touches our lives every day, as well as in long-term ways that we are only beginning to comprehend."