Biology Companion

Biology Thinkwell's Biology covers all of the material from a typical two-semester college-level biology course. Taught by Emmy Award-winning biology teacher George Wolfe, it has the rigor necessary for a general biology course for biology majors. In fact, because it so clearly communicates even complicated topics, it is often used in introductory college biology courses, as well. Using Thinkwell's Biology as a study aid makes sure you'll be prepared to get the most out of your biology class. And it's better than a tutor because it's available 24/7 for one fixed price, instead of by the hour. The topic coverage is very similar to high school biology, which makes this an excellent study aid for college prep or for biology homework help. Our complete Biology package includes: 12-month Online Subscription to our complete Biology course with video lessons, automatically graded problems, and much more. Printed Notes (optional) are the Biology course notes from the Online Subscription printed in a color, on-the-go format.   Biology Materials Online Subscription, 12-month access Access to a complete online package that includes everything you need. Thinkwell's video lectures cover the comprehensive scope and sequence of topics covered in a college-level introductory course. Our automatically graded exercises with immediate feedback allow you to quickly determine which areas you'll need to spend extra time studying. Concise, illustrated review notes help you distill the fundamental ideas, concepts, and formulas you'll need to know in order to succeed. Subscriptions start when you are ready. Buy now and activate your course anytime you like. Wait up to one year to activate your subscription; your 12-month subscription doesn't begin until you say so! Biology Details Thinkwell's Biology includes: More than 380 video lessons  1000+ interactive bio exercises with immediate feedback allow you to track your progress Practice tests and final tests for all 14 chapters, as well as a midterm and a final  Interactive animations with audio Printable illustrated notes for each topic Glossary of more than 1600 biology terms Engaging content to help students advance their knowledge of biology: Evolution Inorganic and organic chemistry Organelles, the cytoskeleton, and other aspects of cell biology Molecular genetics and DNA replication Biotechnology and the Human Genome Project Cell reproduction: mitosis and meiosis Mendelian genetics and mutation Taxonomy and the evolution of Earth's organisms Animal systems such as the skeletal, digestive, and nervous systems Plant systems and photosynthesis Ecology, biomes, and ecosystems Table of Contents 1. Evolution 1.1 Unity and Diversity of Life on Earth 1.1.1 Properties of Life 1.2 Early Perspectives in Science 1.2.1 An Introduction to Biology 1.2.2 The Nature of Science: The Story of Darwin 1.2.3 Early Scientific Thought 1.2.4 The Emerging Science of Geology 1.3 An Introduction to Evolution 1.3.1 Linnaeus, Buffon, and Lamarck 1.3.2 Darwin: The Voyage Continues 1.3.3 Darwin: More Observations 1.4 Evolution: The Theory of Natural Selection 1.4.1 Darwin: The Theory of Natural Selection 1.4.2 The Theory of Natural Selection 1.4.3 Contrasting Lamarck and Darwin 1.4.4 Contrasting Lamarck and Darwin, Part II 1.5 Fossils and Evolution 1.5.1 Fossil Formation, Dating, and Indexing 1.5.2 The Fossil Record 1.5.3 Some Fossil Surprises 1.5.4 The Coevolution of Horses and Plants 1.5.5 Mass Extinctions: An Asteroid Can Ruin Your Day 1.6 Human Evolution 1.6.1 Human Evolution: What Is a Primate? 1.6.2 Human Evolution: The Family Tree 1.6.3 Human Evolution: The Fossil Record 1.7 Evidence for Evolution 1.7.1 Evidence for Evolution: Biochemical Similarities 1.7.2 Evidence for Evolution: Vestigial Structures 1.7.3 Homologous Structures 1.8 Species Concepts 1.8.1 Species Concepts 1.8.2 Speciation 1.8.3 Prezygotic Reproductive Isolation 1.8.4 Postzygotic Reproductive Isolation 1.9 Examples of Artificial and Natural Selection 1.9.1 Artificial Selection in Action 1.9.2 Natural Selection in Action 1.10 The Origin of Life 1.10.1 History of Life: The Heterotroph Hypothesis: An Overview 1.10.2 The Heterotroph Hypothesis: An Introduction 1.10.3 The Origin of Life: Life from Nonlife 1.10.4 The Heterotroph Hypothesis: Protobionts 1.10.5 The Heterotroph Hypothesis: The First Genetic Material 1.10.6 The Origin of Life: The Rest of the Story 1.11 Classifying Life 1.11.1 The Linnaean System 1.11.2 The Linnaean System: Still Changing 2. Inorganic and Organic Chemistry 2.1 An Introduction to Atoms 2.1.1 Atomic Structure: SPONCH and the Atom 2.1.2 Electrons, Orbitals, and Electron Shells 2.1.3 Ions, Ionization, and Isotopes 2.1.4 Isotopes: Unraveling Photosynthesis 2.2 Atoms and Bonding 2.2.1 Bonding and Electronegativity 2.2.2 Ionic and Covalent Bonds 2.2.3 Polar Covalent Bonds, Hydrogen Bonds, and Van der Waals Interactions 2.3 Properties of Water 2.3.1 Water: Hydrogen Bonding, Solubility, and Specific Heat 2.3.2 Water: Adhesion, Cohesion, and a Solid That Floats 2.3.3 Water: Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Substances 2.3.4 Dissociation of Water and the pH Scale 2.3.5 Hemoglobin as a Buffer 2.4 Carbon Chemistry 2.4.1 Carbon Chemistry and Isomers 2.4.2 Functional Side Groups 2.5 Carbohydrates 2.5.1 Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides 2.5.2 Dehydration Synthesis and Hydrolysis: Disaccharides 2.5.3 Polysaccharides: Energy Storage Molecules 2.5.4 Polysaccharides: Structural Molecules 2.6 Lipids and Nucleic Acids 2.6.1 Lipids: An Introduction 2.6.2 Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats 2.6.3 Phospholipids, Waxes, and Steroids 2.6.4 Nucleic Acids: An Introduction to Genetic Material 2.7 Proteins 2.7.1 Proteins: Amino Acids and the Peptide Bond 2.7.2 Amino Acids: The R Groups 2.7.3 Primary and Secondary Structure 2.7.4 Tertiary Structure 2.7.5 Quaternary Structure 2.7.6 Protein Structure: A Summary 2.8 Enzymes 2.8.1 Bioenergetics: The Laws of Thermodynamics 2.8.2 Activation Energy 2.8.3 Enzyme Characteristics 2.9 Enzyme Action 2.9.1 Enzyme Action: The Induced-Fit Model 2.9.2 Enzyme Regulation: Allosteric Regulation 2.9.3 Feedback Inhibition and Cooperativity 3. Cell Biology 3.1 An Introduction to Cell Biology 3.1.1 The History of Cytology 3.1.2 Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes 3.1.3 Plant and Animal Cell Overview: The Basics 3.1.4 Membranes: Basic Structure 3.1.5 The Nuclear Envelope: The Initial Tour 3.1.6 Nuclear Function: Who's in Charge? 3.2 Membrane-Bound Organelles 3.2.1 Cellular Function: Endoplasmic Reticulum 3.2.2 Cell Function: Golgi Apparatus 3.2.3 Food Vacuole Formation: The Role of the Lysosome 3.2.4 Still More Vacuoles and Peroxisomes 3.2.5 Mitochondria: Welcome Guests 3.2.6 The Origin of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts 3.3 The Cytoskeleton 3.3.1 The Cytoskeleton: Basic Components 3.3.2 Centrioles, Flagella, and Cilia 3.3.3 Cell Walls 3.4 The Plasma Membrane 3.4.1 Plasma Membrane: The Extracellular Matrix 3.4.2 The Plasma Membrane: The Fluid-Mosaic Model 3.4.3 Proteins as the Mosaic of the Cell Membrane 3.4.4 Animal Cell Junctions 3.5 Cell Transport 3.5.1 Simple and Facilitated Diffusion 3.5.2 Passive Transport: Osmosis 3.5.3 Active Transport: Ion Pumps and Cotransport 3.5.4 Active Transport: The Sodium-Potassium Pump 3.5.5 Energy-Requiring Transport: Endocytosis and Exocytosis 3.6 Tools for Cell Biology 3.6.1 Tools of the Cytologist: Light and Fluorescent Microscopy 3.6.2 Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes 3.6.3 Freeze Fracture and Differential Centrifugation 3.7 The Evolution of Metabolic Functions 3.7.1 Major Modes of Nutrition Among Organisms 4. Respiration 4.1 An Introduction to Respiration 4.1.1 ATP Structure and Function 4.1.2 Phosphorylated Intermediates 4.1.3 Respiration: An Overview 4.1.4 Redox: A Brief Review 4.1.5 Energy Release from Sugar: A Demo 4.1.6 Coenzymes: The Role of NAD+ 4.2 Glycolysis and Fermentation 4.2.1 Glycolysis: The Initial Steps: Energy Input 4.2.2 Glycolysis: The Energy Payoff 4.2.3 Anaerobic Respiration: The Fermentation of Pyruvate 4.3 Aerobic Respiration 4.3.1 Aerobic Respiration: The Acetyl CoA Step 4.3.2 Aerobic Respiration: The Krebs Cycle 4.3.3 Glycolysis and the Krebs Cycle 4.4 The Electron Transport Chain and Oxidative Phosphorylation 4.4.1 The Electron Transport Chain 4.4.2 Oxidative Phosphorylation 4.4.3 ATP Yield from Aerobic Respiration 4.4.4 Other Fuels in Respiration 4.4.5 The Evolution of Glycolysis 5. Photosynthesis 5.1 Discovering Photosynthesis 5.1.1 The Unraveling of Photosynthesis: A Historical Perspective 5.1.2 Photosynthesis: Twentieth-Century Breakthroughs 5.1.3 Photosynthesis: The Final Picture 5.2 Adaptations for Photosynthesis 5.2.1 The Leaf: Adaptations for Photosynthesis 5.2.2 The Structure of a Chloroplast 5.2.3 Photosynthetic Pigments 5.2.4 The Nature of Light 5.2.5 Photoexcitation and Electron Transfer 5.3 The Light Reactions 5.3.1 The Light Reactions: An Introduction 5.3.2 Photosystem 1 5.3.3 Photosystem 2 5.3.4 The Light Reactions: A Summary 5.4 The Dark Reactions 5.4.1 The Calvin Cycle 5.4.2 The Calvin Cycle: RuBP Regeneration 5.4.3 A Review of Photosynthesis 5.5 Photorespiration 5.5.1 Photorespiration 5.5.2 C4 Plants and CAM Plants 5.5.3 The Evolution of Photosynthesis 6. Molecular Genetics 6.1 Discovering DNA 6.1.1 Molecular Genetics: The Protein vs. DNA Debate 6.1.2 Continuing to Link Genes to Chemicals: Muller, Beadle, and Tatum 6.1.3 Griffith and Transformation 6.1.4 Avery, MacLeod and McCarty/Hershey and Chase: DNA Wins! 6.1.5 Chargaff and Franklin and Wilkins: The DNA Story Begins 6.2 DNA Structure Revealed 6.2.1 Watson and Crick: The Clues 6.2.2 Watson and Crick: The Double Helix 6.3 Introduction to DNA Replication 6.3.1 Replication: Meselson and Stahl 6.3.2 DNA: Polymerization with Triphosphate Nucleotides 6.4 Events of DNA Replication 6.4.1 Events at the Replication Fork: The Leading Strand 6.4.2 Events at the Leading Strand, Part II 6.4.3 Events at the Replication Fork: The Lagging Strand 6.4.4 Proofreading, End Replication, and Telomeres 6.4.5 DNA Replication: A Summary 6.5 Transcription 6.5.1 Transcription and Translation: An Overview 6.5.2 Transcription: RNA Formation from the DNA Template 6.5.3 Transcription: Termination and RNA Protection 6.5.4 Posttranscriptional Modification/RNA Splicing 6.6 Translation 6.6.1 Translation: Ribosomal and Transfer RNA 6.6.2 The Role of Transfer RNA: Charging a tRNA Molecule 6.6.3 Translation: Initiation Events 6.6.4 Translation/Elongation: The Initiation of Elongation 6.6.5 Elongation Continued and Termination 6.7 Protein Synthesis Review 6.7.1 Polypeptide Destinations: Signal Peptides and ER Ribosomes 6.7.2 Protein Synthesis: An Overview 6.8 The lac Operon 6.8.1 Control Mechanisms: Lactose Metabolism in E. coli 6.8.2 Jacob and Monod's Model: The lac Operon 6.8.3 lac Operon: The Summary 6.9 Eukaryotic Genomic Organization 6.9.1 The Eukaryotic Genome: DNA Packing 6.9.2 Eukaryotic Genomic Organization: Repetitive DNA 6.9.3 Eukaryotic Genomic Organization: Gene Families 6.9.4 Eukaryotic Genomic Organization: Transposons and Amplified Genes 6.10 Controlling Protein Synthesis in Eukaryotes 6.10.1 Eukaryotic Gene Control: Transcriptional Controls 6.10.2 Eukaryotic Control Mechanisms: Posttranscriptional and Posttranslational Controls 6.10.3 Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes: Protein-Making Machinery 7. Biotechnology 7.1 Plasmids and Gene Cloning 7.1.1 Biotechnology: Plasmids in Prokaryotes 7.1.2 Using a Restriction Enzyme to Create a Vector 7.1.3 Biotechnology: Gene Cloning 7.1.4 Biotechnology: Detection of Cell Clones 7.2 Techniques in Biotechnology 7.2.1 Biotechnology: Reverse Transcriptase: A Tool Taken from Viruses 7.2.2 Using Reverse Transcriptase to Make cDNA 7.2.3 Electrophoresis: Separating DNA 7.2.4 Sequencing DNA: The Sanger Method 7.3 More Techniques in Biotechnology 7.3.1 Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms: Genetic Markers 7.3.2 Polymerase Chain Reaction: DNA Amplification 7.3.3 DNA Fingerprinting 7.3.4 Southern Blotting 7.3.5 Detecting DNA Homology: A Biotechnology Summary 7.4 Human Genome Project 7.4.1 The Human Gene Pool 7.4.2 The Human Genome Project: Recent Findings 8. Cell Reproduction 8.1 An Introduction to the Cell Cycle and Mitosis 8.1.1 The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle 8.1.2 Mitosis: An Overview 8.1.3 Mitosis: The Phases 8.1.4 Cytokinesis 8.2 Regulating Mitosis 8.2.1 Cell-Cycle Regulation: Protein Kinases 8.2.2 Cell-Cycle Regulation: Other Mechanisms 8.2.3 Cancer: When Mitosis Goes Unchecked 8.2.4 The ras Gene and the p53 Gene 8.3 Meiosis 8.3.1 Sexual Reproduction and the Role of Meiosis 8.3.2 Homologous Chromosomes: Thanks, Mom and Dad! 8.3.3 Meiosis: Prophase I 8.3.4 Disjunction and Meiosis II 8.3.5 Mitosis vs. Meiosis 8.4 Understanding Meiosis 8.4.1 Independent Assortment 8.4.2 Spermatogenesis: Meiosis in Males 8.4.3 Oogenesis: Meiosis in Females 9. Mendelian Genetics and Mutation 9.1 Gregor Mendel 9.1.1 Heredity: The Story of Gregor Mendel 9.1.2 Mendel's Findings: A First Look at Phenotypic Ratios 9.1.3 Mendel's Conclusions: Alternate Alleles and Dominance 9.1.4 Mendel's Conclusions: Segregation and Recombination 9.2 The Laws of Mendelian Inheritance 9.2.1 Determining Heterozygosity: Test Crosses and Back Crosses 9.2.2 Mendelian Inheritance 9.3 Segregation and Independent Assortment 9.3.1 Segregation and Independent Assortment 9.3.2 Independent Assortment: An Explanation 9.4 Laws of Probability 9.4.1 Laws of Probability: Rule of Multiplication 9.4.2 The Multiplicative Law: Some Extensions 9.4.3 Laws of Probability: The Additive Rule 9.4.4 Using the Laws of Probability in Dihybrid Crosses 9.5 Genetic Dominance 9.5.1 What Is a Dominant Gene? Intermediate Inheritance 9.5.2 Codominance and