Concepts of Biology
An enhanced version of the OER title Concepts of Biology by OpenStax gives you the tools you need to implement a successful online course, including the ability to assign for credit and in-app support for faculty and students. All at an affordable cost to your students.
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Presentation and exploration
Each chapter offers the presentation of OpenStax Concepts of Biology content. Soomo original Investigation assignments guide students through the exploration of scientific breakthroughs.
Study questions
Questions throughout the text encourage close reading and guide students to key information.
Everything you need
Concepts of Biology provides everything you need for an online course. And we can tailor the webtext to match your program’s emphasis, term length, student expectations, and assignment types.
- Introduction to Biology
- Themes and Concepts of Biology
- The Process of Science
- Chapter Review
- Chemisty of Life
- Investigation: The Chemistry of Life, on Mars?
- The Building Blocks of Molecules
- Water
- Biological Molecules
- Chapter Review
- Cell Structure and Function
- How Cells Are Studied
- Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
- Eukaryotic Cells
- The Cell Membrane
- Passive Transport
- Active Transport
- Chapter Review
- How Cells Obtain Energy
- Energy and Metabolism
- Glycolysis
- Citric Acid Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation
- Fermentation
- Connections to Other Metabolic Pathways
- Chapter Review
- Photosynthesis
- Overview of Photosynthesis
- The Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis
- The Calvin Cycle
- Chapter Review
- Reproduction at the Cellular Level
- The Genome
- The Cell Cycle
- Cancer and the Cell Cycle
- Prokaryotic Cell Division
- Investigation: Using DNA Testing for Equity in Cancer Research
- Chapter Review
- The Cellular Basis of Inheritance
- Sexual Reproduction
- Meiosis
- Errors in Meiosis
- Chapter Review
- Patterns of Inheritance
- Mendel’s Experiments
- Laws of Inheritance
- Extensions of the Laws of Inheritance
- Chapter Review
- Molecular Biology
- Investigation: Early Evidence of DNA
- The Structure of DNA
- DNA Replication
- Transcription
- Translation
- How Genes Are Regulated
- Investigation: Working Backward to Build an Insulin Gene
- Chapter Review
- Biotechnology
- Cloning and Genetic Engineering
- Biotechnology in Medicine and Agriculture
- Genomics and Proteomics
- Chapter Review
- Evolution and Its Processes
- Discovering How Populations Change
- Mechanisms of Evolution
- Evidence of Evolution
- Speciation
- Common Misconceptions about Evolution
- Investigation: Explaining Biodiversity in the Lower Congo River
- Chapter Review
- Diversity of Life
- Organizing Life on Earth
- Determining Evolutionary Relationships
- Chapter Review
- Diversity of Microbes, Fungis, and Protists
- Prokaryotic Diversity
- Eukaryotic Origins
- Protists
- Fungi
- Chapter Review
- Diversity of Plants
- The Plant Kingdom
- Seedless Plants
- Seed Plants: Gymnosperms
- Seed Plants: Angiosperms
- Chapter Review
- Diversity of Animals
- Features of the Animal Kingdom
- Sponges and Cnidarians
- Flatworms, Nematodes, and Arthropods
- Mollusks and Annelids
- Echinoderms and Chordates
- Vertebrates
- Chapter Review
- The Body's Systems
- Homeostasis and Osmoregulation
- Digestive System
- Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
- Endocrine System
- Musculoskeletal System
- Nervous System
- Chapter Review
- The Immune System and Disease
- Viruses
- Innate Immunity
- Adaptive Immunity
- Disruptions in the Immune System
- Chapter Review
- Animal Reproduction and Development
- How Animals Reproduce
- Development and Organogenesis
- Human Reproduction
- Chapter Review
- Population and Community Ecology
- Population Demographics and Dynamics
- Population Growth and Regulation
- The Human Population
- Chapter Review
- Ecosystems and the Biosphere
- Energy Flow through Ecosystems
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Terrestrial Biomes
- Aquatic and Marine Biomes
- Chapter Review
- Conservation and Biodiversity
- Importance of Biodiversity
- Threats to Biodiversity
- Preserving Biodiversity
- Investigation: Predicting and Preventing the Next Pandemic
- Chapter Review
- Appendices
- The Periodic Table of Elements
- Geological Time
- Measurements and the Metric System
Interactive content
Investigation assignments
These original Soomo assignments help students explore scientific breakthroughs and apply the AAAS Vision and Change goals to help develop an understanding of the relationship between science and society.
Study questions
Multiple-choice questions guide students to critical information by providing immediate feedback. These low-risk opportunities allow students to reset answers to try again or study for tests.
Response boards
Students engage each other through discussion boards that only allow
students to see the responses of their peers after they’ve posted their
own comment.
Study tools
Webtext Reader app
Students can access materials and complete assignments offline with our mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Reading tools
Reading tools allow students to click on vocabulary terms for definitions and mark up their own webtext by highlighting and adding notes in the margins.
Read to Me
Our text-to-speech feature instantly creates an audio version of the webtext page to extend the reach of online content.
My Progress
Students can keep track of their own work inside My Progress, which records their scores, time spent, and completion.