Biological Science, Global Edition, 6th edition

For introductory courses for biology majors.

Uniquely engages biology students in active learning, scientific thinking, and skill development.

Scott Freeman’s Biological Science is beloved for its Socratic narrative style, its emphasis on experimental evidence, and its dedication to active learning. Science education research indicates that true mastery of content requires a move away from memorization towards active engagement with the material in a focused, personal way. Biological Science is designed to equip students with strategies to assess their level of understanding and identify the types of cognitive skills that need improvement.

With the Sixth Edition, content has been streamlined with an emphasis on core concepts and core competencies from the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education report. The text’s unique BioSkills section is now placed after Chapter 1 to help students develop key skills needed to become a scientist, new “Making Models” boxes guide learners in interpreting and creating models, and new “Put It all Together” case studies conclude each chapter and help students see connections between chapter content and current, real-world research questions. New, engaging content includes updated coverage of global climate change, advances in genomic editing, and recent insights into the evolution of land plants.

Hallmark features of this title

• Big Picture concept maps integrate visuals and words to help students synthesize concepts, patterns, and information across chapters for challenging topics in biology,
• You should be able to… activities encourage students to analyze important patterns within each Big Picture concept map.
• Put It All Together Case Studies for each chapter enable students to apply knowledge they learned in the chapter to a new, related situation straight from contemporary research.
• BioSkills reference section appears between Chapters 1 and 2, drawing attention to key skills students need to succeed in biology with easy-to-find reference material that supports the skill development throughout the course.

New to this Edition

Develop skills-based learning in biology : Building on the extensive skills instruction in previous editions, the Sixth Edition places an even greater emphasis on developing important science skills that reinforce concepts in biology.

• Unique BioSkills reference section is now placed earlier in the text to draw attention to key skills students need to succeed in biology. Previously located in an appendix at the end of the text, this easy-to-find reference material now follows Chapter 1 to better support the development of skills throughout the course. Each BioSkill includes practice exercises in the book and in MasteringBiology that reinforce each skill.
  • Opening roadmap introduces the BioSkills section and places science skills in context with student success in biology.
  • BioSkill on Reading and Making Visual Models teaches students how to interpret visual models and how to create their own models to visualize and understand biology concepts.
  • BioSkill on Recognizing and Correcting Misconceptions alerts students to ways that preconceptions about ideas can hinder their understanding of biology. This BioSkill helps students develop metacognition about misconceptions, and it provides some strategies students can employ throughout the course to avoid common pitfalls.
  • EXPANDED! BioSkill on Interpreting Standard Error Bars and Using Statistical Tests includes a new discussion of commonly used tests, such as Chi square, t-test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). A new section discusses interpreting P values and statistical significance.
  • BioSkill on Using Spectrophotometry covers this technique that is commonly taught and used in introductory labs.
  • BioSkill on Using Molecular Biology Tools and Techniques relocates material previously covered in genetics chapters. Coverage includes Making and Using DNA Libraries, PCR, Dideoxy Sequencing, Shotgun Sequencing, and DNA Microarray.
• Unique Making Models boxes appear at strategic points throughout chapters to guide students in deepening their understanding of biology concepts by learning how to interpret and create visual models.
  • Brief, easy-to-follow instructions are provided in each Making Models box, including a short introduction that describes how to make a useful drawing, a simple sketch that models how to draw the concepts, and an activity questionthat prompts students to create their own model or modify the example sketch.
  • Interactive whiteboard videos accompany each Making Models box to deepen the learning and to dynamically show students how to build visual models. Students can access the videos via QR codes, through the eText, or in the Study Area of MasteringBiology.
• MORE! Additional quantitative questions have been added throughout the text, and are labeled for easy identification to encourage students to practice quantitative reasoning skills. These questions are available for auto-graded assignments in MasteringBiology.