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Natural Sciences Open Educational Resources

Betts JG, Desaix P, Johnson E, Johson JE, Korol O, Kruse D, Poe B, Wise JA, Womble M, Young KA. 2022. Anatomy and Physiology. 2nd ed. Houston (TX): OpenStax.

Anatomy and Physiology 2e is developed to meet the scope and sequence for a two-semester human anatomy and physiology course for life science and allied health majors. The book is organized by body systems. The revision focuses on inclusive and equitable instruction and includes new student support. Illustrations have been extensively revised to be clearer and more inclusive. The web-based version of Anatomy and Physiology 2e also features links to surgical videos, histology, and interactive diagrams. Please learn more about the changes by previewing the preface.

 

Shook S. 2022. Anatomy & Physiology 2: Laboratory Manual. Honolulu (HI): Kapi'olani Community College.

This manual is a guide for anatomy and physiology laboratory exercises. It includes dissection guidance with detailed images; instructions for physiology experiments including foundational content; and gross anatomy study guides for six body systems. Videos and tutorial links provide additional support.

 

 

Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Biodiversity Heritage Library improves research methodology by collaboratively making biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community. BHL is the world's largest open-access digital library dedicated to biodiversity literature, containing over 53 million pages of content that span the 15th to 21st centuries.

BHL also serves as the foundational literature component of the Encyclopedia of Life.

 

Ahern K, Rajagopal I, Tan T. 2018. Biochemistry: Free for All. Version 1.3. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University.

Kevin, Indira and Taralyn Tan's lastest (FREE) electronic book is aimed at helping students at all levels of biochemistry to learn in a fun and engaging format. The iBooks version can run on an iPad or a Mac running iBooks. The PDF version can be used on any computer.

 

 

Klymkowsky MW, Cooper MM. 2021. Biofundamentals: A Multi-semester Introduction to Core Concepts and Their Application in Evolutionary, Molecular, Cellular & Developing Systems. Version 1.3. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University.

Modern biology is a dauntingly complex subject, often taught more as a vocabulary lesson than as a conceptually coherent subject. We approach biology differently; we scaffold the materials presented around the three foundational theories in biology: the theory of evolution, the cell theory, and the physicochemical theory of life. Connecting these theories is the fact that that living systems are organized around, and based upon, interaction networks acting at various hierarchical levels from the molecular and cellular to the evolutionary and ecological.

As supported by recent science education research, the course is based on a Socratic, what is often termed "flipped", approach in which students are called on to work through various exercises before and in class, which mini-lectures presence as needed, based on the text book. The course emphasizes the roles of molecular machines in carrying out various biological behaviors.

 

Clark MA, Choi J, Douglas M. 2018. Biology. 2nd ed. Houston (TX): OpenStax.

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

 

Bergtrom, G. 2022. Cell and Molecular Biology: What We Know and How We Found Out, 5th ed. Milwaukee (WI): UWM Digital Commons.

CMB5e is the latest edition of an interactive Open Educational Resource (OER) electronic textbook (iText), available under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. Like earlier editions, CMB5e opens with a short history of the discipline and a discussion of scientific method. The book remains focused on the understanding of evolution that informs all of the life sciences and continues to provide experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology. Having a sense of how science is practiced and how investigators think about experimental results is essential to understanding the relationship of cell structure and function, not to mention the natural world around us.

 

Wong EV. 2009. Cells: Molecules and Mechanisms. Louisville (KY): Axolotl Academic Publishing.

Yet another cell and molecular biology book? At the very least, you would think that if I was going to write a textbook, I should write one in an area that really needs one instead of a subject that already has multiple excellent and definitive books. So, why write this book, then? First, it's a course that I have enjoyed teaching for many years, so I am very familiar with what a student really needs to take away from this class within the time constraints of a semester. Second, because it is a course that many students take, there is a greater opportunity to make an impact on more students' pocketbooks than if I were to start off writing a book for a highly specialized upper- level course. And finally, it was fun to research and write, and can be revised easily for inclusion as part of our next textbook, High School Biology.

 

Fowler S, Roush R, Wise J. 2017. Concepts of Biology. Houston (TX): OpenStax.

Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.

 

 

Molnar C, Gair J. 2015. Concepts of Biology, 1st Canadian ed. BCampus.

In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that are all of us are entwined in, life itself. This text also includes 80 interactive H5P activities that you can use to evaluate your understanding as you go.

 

 

Fisher MR. 2018. Environmental Biology, Rev. ed. Salem (OR): Open Oregon Educational Resources.

This open textbook covers the most salient environmental issues, from a biological perspective. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution,  climate change, food production, and human population growth.

 

 

Gessler TB. 2024. Experiences in Biodiversity: A Field Guide. Ames (IA): Iowa State University Digital Press.

This handbook was developed to support the course, Experiences in Biodiversity Research. This course is intended to provide early undergraduates with experience in the practice of biodiversity research and to demystify the path to careers in this field.

 

 

Hacisalihoglu G. 2021. From Growing to Biology: Plants. 1st ed. Tallahassee (FL): Florida State University Libraries.

Ready to find out how plants are grown and function? Take a fantastic voyage through plants. From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e brings the latest information for understanding of traditional and modern plant growing, form, and production. Topics covered in 30 chapters include concise and up-to-date ‘big picture’ infographics, student learning outcomes (SLOs), key vocabulary, assessment, as well as identification of 120 species, and more. Moreover, author Dr. G. Hacisalihoglu emphasizes on learning concepts, binding those concepts together with a visual approach to make learning faster and more memorable.

From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e is packed full of horticultural information that is ideal for both academia and industry growers. It is basic enough that if you are just getting started learning plants, you will be able to catch up. Always remember that practice makes permanent and keep going to take your learning plant bio to new levels.

 

2013. General Biology. San Francisco (CA): Wikibooks.

 

 

 

 

 

Bartee L, Anderson C. 2018. General Biology I: Survey of Cellular Biology. Salem (OR): Open Oregon Educational Resources.

BI101: Survey of Cellular Biology is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of cellular biology, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including parts of a cell, metabolism, and homeostasis.

This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning.

 

Anderson C, Bartee L. 2018. General Biology II: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics. Salem (OR): Open Oregon Educational Resources.

BI102: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of genetics, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including the principles of inheritance, genetics, and gene regulation.

This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning.

 

Sanver-Wang D. n.d. General Biology: BioSci 100 Laboratory Manual — Building Knowledge Through Experiments, 4th ed. Santa Clarita (CA): College of the Canyons.

The purpose of creating this custom lab manual for BioSci 100 was to provide our students with a high quality, low cost learning resource.

 

 

Bruslind L. 2020. General Microbiology. Salem (OR): Open Oregon Educational Resources.

Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology! Yay! So. What is microbiology? If we break the word down it translates to “the study of small life,” where the small life refers to microorganisms or microbes. But who are the microbes? And how small are they?

 

 

Wilk-Blaszczak. 2018. Human Anatomy Lab Manual. Arlington (TX): Mavs Open Press.

This is a lab manual for a college-level human anatomy course. Mastery of anatomy requires a fair amount of memorization and recall skills. The activities in this manual encourage students to engage with new vocabulary in many ways, including grouping key terms, matching terms to structures, recalling definitions, and written exercises. Most of the activities in this manual utilize anatomical models, and several dissections of animal tissues and histological examinations are also included. Each unit includes both pre- and post-lab questions and six lab exercises designed for a classroom where students move from station to station. The vocabulary terms used in each unit are listed at the end of the manual and serve as a checklist for practicals.

 

Briggs GM. 2022. Inanimate Life. Geneseo (NY): Milne Open Textbooks.

Inanimate Life is an open textbook covering a very traditional biological topic, botany, in a non-traditional way. Rather than a phylogenetic approach, going group by group, the book considers what defines organisms and examines four general areas of their biology: structure (size, shape, composition and how it comes to be); reproduction (including sex when present); energy and material needs, acquisition and manipulations; and finally their interactions with conditions and with other organisms including agricultural interactions between plants and people.  Although much of the text is devoted to vascular plants, the book comparatively considers ‘EBA = everything but animals’ (hence the title): plants, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants (‘algae’, as well as some bacteria and archaebacteria), fungi, and ‘fungal-like’ organisms. The book includes brief ‘fact sheets’ of  fifty-nine organisms/groups that biologists should be aware of, ranging from the very familiar (corn, yeast, pines) to the unfamiliar  (cryptophytes, diatoms, late-blight of potato).  These groups reflect the diversity of inanimate life.

This updated edition was published in July 2022 and includes corrections, revisions, additional figures, and fact-sheets for several more groups.

 

Bierema A., Miller S. 2021. An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2nd ed. East Lansing (MI): Michigan State University Libraries.

This "textbook" is interactive, meaning that although each chapter has text, they also have interactive HTML5 content, such as quizzes, simulations, interactive videos, and images with clickable hotspots. Students receive instant feedback when they complete the interactive content, and therefore, can learn and check their understanding all in one place. The first unit introduces students to the nature of science, including scientific controversies, and information literacy, including how to analyze literature and identify stakeholders. Unit 2 is organismal biology, including carbon cycling and population growth, and unit 3 is molecular biology with a focus on gene expression.

 

Singh NR. 2023. Introduction to Genetics. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Covering the pioneering work of Gregor Mendel, this textbook investigates the interactions between and amongst genes, and how these interactions can be used to map biochemical pathways and the order of genes on chromosomes.

 

 

Sauter T, Albrecht M. 2023. Introduction to Systems Biology: Workbook for Flipped-classroom Teaching. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

This book is an introduction to the language of systems biology, which is spoken among many disciplines, from biology to engineering. Authors Thomas Sauter and Marco Albrecht draw on a multidisciplinary background and evidence-based learning to facilitate the understanding of biochemical networks, metabolic modeling and system dynamics.

Their pedagogic approach briefly highlights core ideas of concepts in a broader interdisciplinary framework to guide a more effective deep dive thereafter. The learning journey starts with the purity of mathematical concepts, reveals its power to connect biological entities in structure and time, and finally introduces physics concepts to tightly align abstraction with reality.

This workbook is all about self-paced learning, supports the flipped-classroom concept, and kick-starts with scientific evidence on studying. Each chapter comes with links to external YouTube videos, learning checklists, and Integrated real-world examples to gain confidence in thinking across scientific perspectives. The result is an integrated approach that opens a line of communication between theory and application, enabling readers to actively learn as they read.

This overview of capturing and analyzing the behavior of biological systems will interest adherers of systems biology and network analysis, as well as related fields such as bioinformatics, biology, cybernetics, and data science.

 

Peterson J, McLaughlin S. 2016. Laboratory Exercises in Microbiology: Discovering the Unseen World Through Hands-On Investigation. New York (NY): CUNY Academic Works.

he exercises in this laboratory manual are designed to engage students in hand-on activities that reinforce their understanding of the microbial world. Topics covered include: staining and microscopy, metabolic testing, physical and chemical control of microorganisms, and immunology. The target audience is primarily students preparing for a career in the health sciences, however many of the topics would be appropriate for a general microbiology course as well.

 

Parker N, Schneegurt M, Tu A-H T, Lister P, Forster BM. 2021. Microbiology. Houston (TX): OpenStax.

Ready to find out how plants are grown and function? Take a fantastic voyage through plants. From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e brings the latest information for understanding of traditional and modern plant growing, form, and production. Topics covered in 30 chapters include concise and up-to-date ‘big picture’ infographics, student learning outcomes (SLOs), key vocabulary, assessment, as well as identification of 120 species, and more. Moreover, author Dr. G. Hacisalihoglu emphasizes on learning concepts, binding those concepts together with a visual approach to make learning faster and more memorable.

From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e is packed full of horticultural information that is ideal for both academia and industry growers. It is basic enough that if you are just getting started learning plants, you will be able to catch up. Always remember that practice makes permanent and keep going to take your learning plant bio to new levels.

 

Ahern H. 2018. Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience. Geneseo (NY): Open SUNY Textbooks, Milne Library.

As a group of organisms that are too small to see and best known for being agents of disease and death, microbes are not always appreciated for the numerous supportive and positive contributions they make to the living world. Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career.

This text provides a series of laboratory exercises compatible with a one-semester undergraduate microbiology or bacteriology course with a three- or four-hour lab period that meets once or twice a week. The design of the lab manual conforms to the American Society for Microbiology curriculum guidelines and takes a ground-up approach -- beginning with an introduction to biosafety and containment practices and how to work with biological hazards. From there the course moves to basic but essential microscopy skills, aseptic technique and culture methods, and builds to include more advanced lab techniques. The exercises incorporate a semester-long investigative laboratory project designed to promote the sense of discovery and encourage student engagement. The curriculum is rigorous but manageable for a single semester and incorporates best practices in biology education.

 

Whitmer KH. 2021. A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology. Ames (IA): Iowa State University Digital Press.

The Biology 256 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. In this course, 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.

 

McComb B, Zuckerberg B, Vesely D, Jordan C. 2020. Monitoring Animal Populations and their Habitats: A Practitioner's Guide. Corvallis (OR): Oregon State University.

In the face of so many unprecedented changes occurring in our lives, our ecosystems and our globe, society is more often expecting scientists to provide information that can help guide communities toward a more sustainable future. This book is our attempt to provide a framework that managers of natural resources can use to design monitoring programs that will benefit future generations by providing the information needed to make informed decisions. In addition we offer tools and approaches that engage individuals in our society in monitoring programs. We firmly believe that people and communities who are empowered in the design and implementation of monitoring programs are more likely to use the information that results from the program, and support it over time.

 

Bartee L, Shriner W, Creech C. 2017. Principles of Biology: Biology 211, 212, and 213. Salem (OR): Open Oregon Educational Resources.

The Principles of Biology sequence (BI 211, 212 and 213) introduces biology as a scientific discipline for students planning to major in biology and other science disciplines. Laboratories and classroom activities introduce techniques used to study biological processes and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to conduct research.

  • BI211 focuses on how structure defines function in organisms and the pathways and transformation of energy in living systems.
  • BI212 uses genetics as a model system to understand information flow in living organisms.
  • BI213 focuses on the interactions of living systems and the ecology and evolution of biodiversity.

 

 

Lehman C, Loberg S, Clark A. 2019. Quantitative Ecology: A New Unified Approach. Minneapolis (MN): University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing.

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.

 

 

Pakay J, Duivenvoorden H, Shafee T, Clarke K. 2023. Threshold Concepts in Biochemistry. Melbourne (VIC): La Trobe University.

This book is designed as a succinct and focused resource, specifically aimed to help students grasp key threshold concepts in Biochemistry. Due to their troublesome nature, understanding threshold concepts is a cognitively demanding task. By using a series of thematically linked case studies that accompany theory, the cognitive load will be reduced. This will free up students to focus on learning concepts rather than distracting them with unnecessary specifics. Please note this book is being published iteratively and the final four chapters will be available in the first half of 2024.

 

Genovesi E, Blinderman L, Natale P. 2019. Unfolding the Mystery of Life: Biology Lab Manual for Non-Science Majors. West Windsor (NJ): Mercer County Community College.

This laboratory manual is intended for use in a biology laboratory course taken by non-science majors, pre-biology, and pre-allied health majors.

Laboratory exercises provide students with experience in basic laboratory skills, gathering and organizing data, measuring and calculating, hypothesis testing, analysis of data, writing, and laboratory safety. The skill sets are designed to promote the development of critical thought and analysis. Students work with living and preserved specimens, and laboratory reagents and equipment.

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