Learn about jumping insects with real gears, and the ingenious technology behind a power-punching shrimp. Enter the strange world of carnivorous plants. And check out a microscopic protein machine in a bird's eye that may work as a GPS device by harnessing quantum entanglement. Join renowned Brazilian scientist Marcos Eberlin as he uncovers a myriad of artful solutions to major engineering challenges in chemistry and biology, solutions that point beyond blind evolution to the workings of a...

“Original and awe-inspiring . . . an exhilarating tour of some of the most profound and important ideas in biology.”—New ScientistWhere does DNA come from? What is consciousness? How did the eye evolve? Drawing on a treasure trove of new scientific knowledge, Nick Lane expertly reconstructs evolution’s history by describing its ten greatest inventions—from sex and warmth to death—resulting in a stunning account of nature’s ingenuity.

“One of the deepest, most illuminating books about the history of life to have been published in recent years.” —The EconomistThe Earth teems with life: in its oceans, forests, skies and cities. Yet there’s a black hole at the heart of biology. We do not know why complex life is the way it is, or, for that matter, how life first began. In The Vital Question, award-winning author and biochemist Nick Lane radically reframes evolutionary history, put...

A Harvard biologist and master inventor explores how new biotechnologies will enable us to bring species back from the dead, unlock vast supplies of renewable energy, and extend human life.In Regenesis, George Church and science writer Ed Regis explore the possibilities of the emerging field of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology, in which living organisms are selectively altered by modifying substantial portions of their genomes, allows for the creation of entire...

"Handsome and elegantly designed, this tour through the cell's history and diversity in form and function is a delight to peruse . . . stunning." — American ScientistWith The Cell, Jack Challoner treats readers to a visually striking tour of these remarkable molecular machines. Most of the living things we're familiar with—the plants in our gardens, the animals we eat—are composed of billions or trillions of cells. Most multicellular organisms cons...

**From the renowned biochemist and author of The Vital Question, an illuminating inquiry into the Krebs cycle and the origins of life.“Nick Lane’s exploration of the building blocks that underlie life’s big fundamental questions—the origin of life itself, aging, and disease—have shaped my thinking since I first came across his work. He is one of my favorite science writers.”—Bill Gates**What brings the Earth to life, and our own lives to an end?For decades,...

The Nobel Prize–winning scientist’s elegant explanation of the fundamental ideas in biology and their uses today.The renowned biologist Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work. In What Is Life?, he takes up the challenge of describing what it means to be alive in a way that every reader can understand.It is a shared journey of discovery; step-by-step Nurse illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology—the Cell, the Gene...

Exam Board: EdexcelLevel: AS/A-levelSubject: BiologyFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Endorsed by EdexcelSupports Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology B (9BI0) specificationBuild investigative skills, test understanding and apply biological theory to topical examples with this Edexcel Year 1 Student Book...

This great study tool is a must for any student taking Biology. It contains the key information you need to be safe in the lab.

What is life?Humans have been asking this question for thousands of years. But as technology has advanced and our understanding of biology has deepened, the answer has evolved. For decades, scientists have been exploring the limits of nature by modifying and manipulating DNA, cells and whole organisms to create new ones that could never have existed on their own.In Creation, science writer Adam Rutherford explains how we are now radically exceeding...

Don't be baffled by biology. Master this science with practice, practice, practice!Practice Makes Perfect: Biology is a comprehensive guide and workbook that covers all the basics of biology that you need to understand this subject. Each chapter focuses on one major topic, with thorough explanations and many illustrative examples, so you can learn at your own pace and really absorb the information. You get to apply your knowledge and practice what you've l...

Why do we age? How do we age? These questions have baffled scientists for centuries and remain unresolved. The answer to the "how" question is critical to our ability to successfully prevent and treat age-related diseases like cancer and heart disease that now cause the majority of all deaths in the developed world. Because of major difficulties in experimentally determining causes of aging, the answer to the "why" question is critical to guiding research efforts directed toward identifyin...