For non-majors/mixed biology courses.

The most comprehensive coverage at the most affordable price for non-majors biology

With a proven and effective tradition of engaging readers with real-world applications, high-interest case studies, and inquiry-based pedagogy, Biology: Life on Earth fosters discovery and scientific understanding that students can use throughout their lives. Engaging Case Studies throughout each chapter and thoughtful pedagogy help students develop critical thinking and scientific literacy skills.

The 12th Edition offers the most comprehensive coverage at the most affordable price for the non-majors biology student. This loose-leaf edition maintains its conversational, question-and-answer presentation style that has made it a best-seller. The new edition expands its focus on the process of science with new Doing Science boxes throughout the text that walk students through the scientific process, and interactive Doing Science coaching activities in Mastering Biology. The text also provides Think Deeper questions that give instructors guidance for starting classroom discussions that promote critical thinking.

For coverage of plant and animal anatomy & physiology, an alternate edition, Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology, 12th Edition, is also available.

Also available with Mastering Biology

By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, Mastering personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student.Built for, and directly tied to the text, Mastering Biology enables an extension of learning allowing students a platform to practice, learn, and apply outside of the classroom.  

Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; Mastering Biology does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with Mastering Biology ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

If you would like to purchase both the physical text and Mastering Biology search for:

0135407427 / 9780135407424 Biology: Life on Earth Plus Mastering Biology with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package

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• 0135238528 / 9780135238523 Biology: Life on Earth
• 0321989732 / 9780321989734 Mastering Biology with Pearson eText -- ValuePack Access Card -- for Biology: Life on Earth

TERRY AND GERRY AUDESIRK grew up in New Jersey, where they met as undergraduates, Gerry at Rutgers University and Terry at Bucknell University. After marrying in 1970, they moved to California, where Terry earned her doctorate in marine ecology at the University of Southern California and Gerry earned his doctorate in neurobiology at the California Institute of Technology. As postdoctoral students at the University of Washington’s marine laboratories, they worked together on the neural bases of behavior, using a marine mollusk as a model system.

They are now emeritus professors of biology at the University of Colorado Denver, where they taught introductory biology and neurobiology from 1982 through 2006. In their research, funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health, they investigated the mechanisms by which neurons are harmed by low levels of environmental pollutants and protected by estrogen.

Terry and Gerry are long-time members of many conservation organizations and share a deep appreciation of nature and of the outdoors. They enjoy hiking in the Rockies, walking and horseback riding near their home outside Steamboat Springs, and singing in the community chorus. Keeping up with the amazing and endless stream of new discoveries in biology provides them with a continuing source of fascination and stimulation. They are delighted that their daughter Heather has become a teacher and is inspiring a new generation of students with her love of chemistry.

BRUCE E. BYERS is a Midwesterner transplanted to the hills of western Massachusetts, where he is a professor in the biology department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has been a member of the faculty at UMass (where he also completed his doctoral degree) since 1993. Bruce teaches courses in evolution, ornithology, and animal behavior, and does research on the function and evolution of bird vocalizations.

Biology Life on Earth, 12th Edition includes Chapters 1-31

Biology Life on Earth with Physiology, 12th Edition includes Chapters 1-46

1 An Introduction to Life on Earth 1

UNIT 1

The Life of the Cell 17

2 Atoms, Molecules, and Life 18

3 Biological Molecules 33

4 Cell Structure and Function 51

5 Cell Membrane Structure and Function 72

6 Energy Flow in the Life of a Cell 88

7 Capturing Solar Energy: Photosynthesis 102

8 Harvesting Energy: Glycolysis and Cellular

Respiration 114

UNIT 2

Inheritance 127

9 Cellular Reproduction 128

10 Meiosis: The Basis of Sexual Reproduction 142

11 Patterns of Inheritance 156

12 DNA: The Molecule of Heredity 177

13 Gene Expression and Regulation 188

14 Biotechnology 205

UNIT 3

Evolution and Diversity of Life 227

15 Principles of Evolution 228

16 How Populations Evolve 247

17 The Origin of Species 265

18 The History of Life 280

19 Systematics: Seeking Order Amid Diversity 306

20 The Diversity of Prokaryotes and Viruses 316

21 The Diversity of Protists 332

22 The Diversity of Plants 347

23 The Diversity of Fungi 366

24 Animal Diversity I: Invertebrates 384

25 Animal Diversity II: Vertebrates 412

UNIT 4

Behavior and Ecology 429

26 Animal Behavior 430

27 Population Growth and Regulation 454

28 Community Interactions 473

29 Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling in

Ecosystems 493

30 Earth’s Diverse Ecosystems 513

31 Conserving Earth’s Biodiversity 540

UNIT 5

Animal Anatomy and Physiology 557

32 Homeostasis and the Organization of the Animal

Body 558

33 Circulation 573

34 Respiration 594

35 Nutrition and Digestion 608

36 The Urinary System 629

37 Defenses Against Disease 643

38 Chemical Control of the Animal Body: The

Endocrine System 665

39 The Nervous System 683

40 The Senses 706

41 Action and Support: The Muscles and Skeleton 722

42 Animal Reproduction 740

43 Animal Development 759

UNIT 6

Plant Anatomy and Physiology 779

44 Plant Anatomy and Nutrient Transport 780

45 Plant Reproduction and Development 809

46 Plant Responses to the Environment 827