What Is life? : a guide to biology / Jay Phelan

Includes bibliographical references and index

Scientific thinking: your best pathway to understanding the world -- Chemistry: raw materials and fuel for our bodies -- Cells: the smallest part of you -- Energy: from the sun to you in just two steps -- DNA, gene expression, and biotechnology: what is the code and how is it harnessed? -- Chromosomes and cell division: continuity and variety -- Mendelian inheritance: family resemblance - how traits are inherited -- Evolution and natural selection: Darwin's dangerous idea -- Evolution and behavior: communication, cooperation, and conflict in the animal world -- The origin and diversification of life on Earth: understanding biodiversity -- Animal diversification: visibility in motion -- Plant and fungi diversification: where did all the plants and fungi come from? -- Evolution and diversity among the microbes: bacteria, archaea, protists, and viruses - the unseen world -- Population ecology: planet at capacity - patterns of population growth -- Ecosystems and communities: organisms and their environments -- Conservation and biiodiversity: human influences on the environment