This book builds an excellent foundation for upper level courses by teaching all the basics necessary for understanding advanced material while fostering the understanding of biology as a process of discovery. A Wealth of Study Aids Chapter outlines state major ideas. Section headings provide a guide to preview and reviewing the concepts of each chapter. Illustrations with captions reinforce important concepts. Tables summarize important sections and provide specific examples of material mentioned in the text.
Boxes provide background for the material in the text.
Thought questions ask students to either check their understanding, or to think about the limits of the data or about the applications of biological findings in society Chapter summaries boil down key ideas. Connections to other chapters offer a series of sentences that relates material from that chapter to other chapters. Chapter-ending key terms are highlighted in bold type and appear with page references. A taxonomic summary appears as an appendix. A bibliography offers suggestions for further reading.