Cutting edge biological concepts delivered with a greater emphasis on evolution and a logical use of analogies. George Johnson’s textbook, The Living World is often considered to be a student favorite. Dr. Johnson has written this non-majors textbook from the ground up to be an engaging and accessible learning tool with an emphasis on "how things work and why things happen the way they do". This authoritative textbook features a straightforward, clear writing style and a wide variety of media assets to enhance the content of the textbook. The strength of the fifth edition is the integration of many tools that are designed to inspire both students and instructors. The multi-media package for the new edition stretches students beyond the confines of the traditional textbook to include high interest video clips and animations of key biological concepts.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The Study of Life
Chapter 1 The Science of Biology
Chapter 2 Evolution and Ecology

Part 2 The Living Cell
Chapter 3 The Chemistry of Life
Chapter 4 Molecules of Life
Chapter 5 Cells
Chapter 6 Energy and Life
Chapter 7 Photosynthesis: Acquiring Energy from the Sun
Chapter 8 How Cells Harvest Energy from Food

Part 3 The Continuity of Life
Chapter 9 Mitosis
Chapter 10 Meiosis
Chapter 11 Foundations of Genetics
Chapter 12 DNA: The Genetic Material
Chapter 13 How Genes Work

Part 4 The New Biology
Chapter 14 Gene Technology
Chapter 15 Genomics
Chapter 16 The Revolution in Cell Technology

Part 5 The Evolution and Diversity of Life
Chapter 17 Evolution and Natural Selection
Chapter 18 How We Name Living Things
Chapter 19 The First Single-Celled Creatures
Chapter20 Advent of the Eukaryotes
Chapter 21 Fungi Invade the Land

Part 6 Plant Life
Chapter 22 Evolution of Plants
 Chapter 23 Plant Form and Function
Chapter 24 Plant Reproduction and Growth

Part 7 Evolution of Animal Life
Chapter 25 Evolution of the Animal Phyla
Chapter 26 History of the Vertebrates
Chapter 27 How Humans Evolved

Part 8 Animal Life
Chapter 28 The Animal Body and How It Moves
Chapter 29 Circulation
Chapter 30 Respiration
Chapter 31 The Path of Food Through the Animal Body
Chapter 32 Maintaining the Internal Environment
Chapter 33 How the Body Defends Itself
Chapter 34 The Nervous System
Chapter 35 Chemical Signaling Within the Animal Body
Chapter 36 Reproduction and Development

Part 9 The Living Environment
Chapter 37 Ecosystems
Chapter 38 Populations and Communities
Chapter 39 Behavior and the Environment
Chapter 40 Planet Under Stress

About the Author

George B. Johnson, Ph.D., is a professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis and a professor of genetics at the university's School of Medicine. He is a prolific author of life science texts and curriculum products in a variety of media. New to his list of works are the Explorations of Human Biology CD-ROM and the textbook Human Biology, both offered by Wm. C. Brown Publishers. Johnson is acknowledged as an authority on population genetics and evolution variability, and he has published more than 50 research papers dealing with these and related topics. Visitors to the St. Louis Zoo can appreciate Johnson's work in the Living World, the educational center of which he is the founding director.