31 Biology
Biology 2e
Biology 2e is an OpenStax biology textbook with all of the concepts covered in two terms of first year biology. It was written by biology professors from several American institutions and is faculty-reviewed.
Includes: Instructor resources, slides, simulations, applications, summaries, exercises, and solutions.
May suit: BIO 1A03 and ISCI 1A24.
Biology for Majors I
Biology for Majors II
These texts were created through Lumen Learning to provide an expansive overview of introductory biology for science students. The broad and specific approaches within these texts provides academic freedom for instructors and provides the necessary information for students.
Includes: Applications, instructor resources, exercises, assignments, and solutions.
May suit: BIO 1A03/1M03 and ISCI 1A24.
Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Evolution and Ecology
This textbook has been successfully adopted. It should be noted that it was written in the context of Indian universities and has a dedicated section to Indian ecology; however, it is a high-quality resource that covers all of the necessary concepts.
Includes: Exercises.
May suit: BIO 1M03/1A03 and ISCI 1A24.
Concepts of Biology – First Canadian Edition
This textbook was designed as an introductory biology course for non-science students. It has been successfully adopted and it was written by professors of biology.
Includes: Instructor resources, student resources, simulations, summaries, exercises, and solutions.
May suit: BIO 1P03.
Biology I
Biology II
These texts were developed through Lumen Learning to provide a solid biological foundation for non-science students.
Includes: Instructor resources, student resources, applications, and summaries.
May suit: BIO 1P03.
Microbiology
Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.
Includes: Summaries, check your understanding exercises, review questions (MC, fill in the blank, short answer and critical thinking), practice problems, and instructor resources (PowerPoint slides, test bank, answer guide and Google Doc Customization).
May suit: BIO 2EE3 and HTHSCI 3I03/3K03.
A Primer for Computational Biology
A Primer for Computational Biology aims to provide life scientists and students the skills necessary for research in a data-rich world. The text covers accessing and using remote servers via the command-line, writing programs and pipelines for data analysis, and provides useful vocabulary for interdisciplinary work.
Includes: Data files, scripts, and exercises.
May suit: BIO 3SA3.
Applied Bioinformatics
The tremendous growth of bioinformatics and computational biology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has had an associated growth in software and algorithms for studying biological sequences. This book is designed to introduce students of the life sciences with little to no programming experience to the concepts and methodologies of bioinformatics, and contemporary software applications.
Includes: Exercises, and course labs.
May suit: BIO 3S03.
Introductory Animal Physiology
This book is an introduction to the diversity of structure and function in animals at the tissue and organ system level. The focus of this book is on principles and mechanisms that sustain life and maintain homeostasis, including water balance, gas exchange, acquisition and transport of oxygen and nutrients, temperature regulation, electrical and chemical signal transmission, sensory processing, and locomotion.
Includes: Practice questions, discussion questions, videos, and podcasts.
May suit: BIO 2A03/3P03/3U03.
Genetics, Agriculture, and Biotechnology
This textbook provides an introduction to plant genetics and biotechnology for the advancement of agriculture. A clear and structured introduction to the topic for learners new to the field of genetics, the book includes: an introduction to the life cycle of the cell, DNA and how it relates to genes and chromosomes, DNA analysis, recombinant DNA, biotechnology, and transmission genetics.
Includes: Videos, summaries, and lesson activities.
May suit: BIO 2C03 and MOLBIOL 2C03.
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This text is designed for a course in first year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom.
Includes: Examples, summaries and instructor resources (available via a sharing portal at https://oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133/).
May suit: BIOCHEM 2EE3/3D03, BIO 2B03/2C03, MOLBIOL 2C03, and HTHSCI 1I06.
Biology LibreTexts
A collection of open textbooks, assignments, and other educational resources on biology.
Biology 351 Anatomical Illustrations
These anatomical illustrations were created by Biological and Pre-Medical Illustration (BPMI) students that had previously attended the course, BIOL351: Comparative Chordate Anatomy. The students worked closely with the lab instructor to develop detailed anatomical illustrations of the specimens studied in the lab, which allowed the students to showcase their work. The images were then incorporated in the lab handbook for the course and made more widely available as open educational resources.
May suit: BIO 2A03/3XL3.
The Science of Plants
This book presents straightforward descriptions and plentiful images to discover plant science essentials including plant structures and functions, classification, flowers, fruits, and seeds. From there, you’ll explore requirements for plant growth such as light, water, soil, and nutrients. Finally, you’ll delve into plant genetics and reproductive processes, and discover how people harness natural processes to propagate plants and breed new varieties.
Includes: Videos, summaries, review questions, and flashcards.
May suit: BIO 2D03.
Microbiomes: Health and the Environment
Microbiomes: Health and the Environment takes a look into the world of polymicrobial communities and how they affect aspects of human health and environmental interaction. This book attempts to bridge the gap between the world around us and our well-being through the lens of microbial influence and co-evolution.
Includes: Interactive (quick, drag and drop, and video) quizzes, videos, check your understanding questions, examples, case studies, and (journal club) articles.
May suit: BIO 2EE3/2F03/2D03/3DD3 and LIFESCI 4L03.
Quantitative Ecology: A New Unified Approach
Quantitative Ecology introduces and discusses the principles of ecology from populations to ecosystems including human populations, disease, exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and global dynamics. The book also reformulates and unifies ecological equations making them more accessible to the reader and easier to teach.
Includes: Examples (with code).
May suit: BIO 2F03/2D03/3DD3.
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2nd ed.
This interactive textbook introduces students to the nature of science and throughly delves into organismal and molecular biology. It is designed to allow for students to learn and check their understanding in one place, through the interactive material embedded in each chapter.
Includes: Interactive exercises, examples, interactive images, videos, interactive quizzes, podcasts, and case studies.
May suit: BIO 1A03/1M03 and BIOMEDDC 2W03/3A03.
A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology
The Biology 256 Fundamentals of Human Physiology Laboratory course was designed to provide students with hands-on access to modern techniques in human physiological analyses using the course-based research pedagogical approach. Students will learn how to perform literature searches; generate research questions and hypotheses; design experiments; collect, analyze, visualize and interpret data; and present scientific findings to others. The Biol 256L curriculum offers a high-impact human physiology experience that fosters the critical thinking skills required to be a successful citizen in a modern world filled with misinformation.
Includes: Exercises, interactive activities, examples, and labs.
May suit: BIO 2A03/3U03/3UU3.