Practical Skills in Biology, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (October 25, 2021) © 2022
  • Allan Jones
  • Rob Reed
  • Jonathan Weyers

Title overview

A must-have practical resource for all undergraduate bio scientists, this updated seventh edition of Practical Skills in Biology provides a complete and easy-to-read guide. Covering fundamental background for laboratory and field work, its tips, key points, and detailed instructions help students develop key transferable and employability skills. 

This edition includes a Companion Website.

  • Provides a one-stop guide to the key practical skills needed in biology, including comprehensive coverage of: study and examination skills; fundamental laboratory and field methods; investigative and analytical techniques; analysis and presentation of data. 
  • Contains numerous margin tips and hints, ‘how to' boxes, checklists and examples. 
  • Key points highlight critical features of methodology. 
  • Gives theoretical background to methods to enhance understanding. 
  • Includes numerous end-of-chapter study exercises to support student self-evaluation, with answers available on the companion website. The website also includes PowerPoint slides of key illustrations to enhance lecturer presentations. 
  • Detailed treatment of self-management and well-being, teamwork, data analysis, effective learning, and improving performance in assignments and exams. 
  • Increased coverage of laboratory skills including drawing cell diagrams, measuring temperature, operating pH probes, and microelectrodes, measuring dissolved oxygen, and using complement-based immunoassays.
  • Updated health, safety, and legal aspects, including dealing with lab and field incidents.
  • New chapters on working with bacteria, eukaryotic microbes, and viruses, and on assaying biomolecules. 
  • New sections covering online learning, designing and conducting surveys, work placements, videography, molecular markers in classification and ecology, location and geology of field sites, estimating vegetation coverage, classifying soil types, epidemiology, Drosophila as a tool in Mendelian genetics, and essential molecular biology techniques, including sequencing of nucleic acids. 
  • Over 300 new and updated illustrations, tables, and tips, including 25 new ‘how to' boxes.

Key features

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Table of contents

  1. Developing your skills
  • Self-management
  • Learning effectively
  • Making the most of learning resources
  • Locating and citing published information
  • Evaluating information
  • Working with others
  • Mapping your personal development
  • Assessment skills
  1. Succeeding in assessments
  • Scientific writing
  • Writing essays
  • Reporting practical and project work
  • Tackling literature surveys and reviews
  • Presenting written assignments
  • Preparing a poster
  • Giving a spoken presentation
  • Revision strategies
  • Improving your performance in exams
  • Fundamental laboratory techniques
  1. Preparing for practical work
  • Working safely in the lab and field
  • Basic laboratory skills
  • Measuring and dispensing liquids
  • Preparing solutions – principles and practice
  • Measuring and maintaining pH
  • The investigative approach
  1. Making measurements
  • Understanding SI units and their use
  • Observational skills
  • Recording data in the laboratory and field
  • Drawing diagrams
  • Taking samples
  • Designing experiments
  • Understanding bioethics
  • Tackling project work and placements
  • Obtaining and identifying specimens
  1. Collecting animals and plants
  • Collecting and isolating microbes
  • Fixing and preserving specimens
  • Naming and classifying organisms
  • Identifying plants and animals
  • Identifying microbes
  • Examining specimens and samples
  1. Understanding microscopy
  • Preparing specimens for light microscopy
  • Setting up and using a light microscope
  • Interpreting microscope images
  • Recording and processing photographic images
  • Measuring growth and responses
  • Dissection techniques
  • Working with microbes, cells and tissues
  1. Learning sterile technique
  • Culturing cells
  • Working with bacteria
  • Working with eukaryotic microbes: fungi and protists
  • Working with viruses
  • Working with animal and plant tissues and cells
  • Environmental investigations
  1. Developing fieldwork skills
  • Describing ecosystems
  • Analysing aquatic environments
  • Analysing soils and sediments
  • Measuring atmospheric variables
  • Measuring light
  • Analytical techniques
  1. Understanding chemical analysis
  • Understanding calibration and quantitative analysis
  • Assaying biomolecules
  • Centrifugation techniques
  • Using spectroscopic methods
  • Using chromatographic systems
  • Methods of electrophoresis
  • Studying Mendelian and population genetics
  • Investigating molecular genetics
  • Using immunological methods
  • Studying enzymes
  • Measuring oxygen content
  • Quantifying photosynthesis and respiration
  • Using radioisotopes
  • Analysing stable isotopes
  • Analysing and presenting data
  1. Manipulating and transforming raw data
  • Analysing data with spreadsheets
  • Summarising data in tables
  • Illustrating data in graphs
  • Solving numerical problems
  • Using descriptive statistics
  • Selecting and interpreting statistical tests

Author bios

Allan Jones, Chancellor's Award Fellow in Ecology, Environmental Science and Zoology at the University of Dundee, UK. 

Rob Reed, Emeritus Professor (Education and Science) at Central Queensland University, Australia. 

Jonathan Weyers, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, U

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