Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections (9th Edition)

Book Preface

Inspired by the thousands of students in our own classes over the years and by enthusiastic feedback from the many instructors who have used or reviewed our book, we are delighted to present this new, Ninth Edition. We authors have worked together closely to ensure that both the book and the supplementary material online reflect the changing needs of today’s courses and students, as well as current progress in biology. Titled Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections to honor Neil Campbell’s founding role and his many contributions to biology education, this book continues to have a dual purpose: to engage students from a wide variety of majors in the wonders of the living world and to show them how biology relates to their own existence and the world they inhabit. Most of these students will not become biologists themselves, but their lives will be touched by biology every day. Understanding the concepts of biology and their connections to our lives is more important than ever. Whether we’re concerned with our own health or the health of our planet, a familiarity with biology is essential. This basic knowledge and an appreciation for how science works have become elements of good citizenship in an era when informed evaluations of health issues, environmental problems, and applications of new technology are critical.

Concepts and Connections

Concepts Biology is a vast subject that gets bigger every year, but an introductory biology course is still only one or two semesters long. This book was the first introductory biology textbook to use concept modules to help students recognize and focus on the main ideas of each chapter. The heading of each module is a carefully crafted statement of a key concept. For example, “Helper T cells stimulate the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses” announces a key concept about the role of helper T cells in adaptive immunity (Module 24.12). Such a concept heading serves as a focal point, and the module’s text and illustrations converge on that concept with explanation and, often, analogies. The module text walks the student through the illustrations, just as an instructor might do in class. And in teaching a sequential process, such as the one diagrammed in Figure 24.12A, we number the steps in the text to correspond to numbered steps in the figure. The synergy between a module’s narrative and graphic components transforms the concept heading into an idea with meaning to the student. The checkpoint question at the end of each module encourages students to test their understanding as they proceed through a chapter. Finally, in the Chapter Review, all the key concept statements are listed and briefly summarized under the overarching section titles, explicitly reminding students of what they’ve learned.

Connections Students are more motivated to study biology when they can connect it to their own lives and interests—for example, when they are able to relate science to health issues, economic problems, environmental quality, ethical controversies, and social responsibility. In this edition, purple Connection icons mark the numerous application modules that go beyond the core biological concepts. For example, the new Connection Module 32.6 describes how humans tap into plant transport mechanisms for harvesting such materials as maple syrup and latex. In addition, our Evolution Connection modules, identified by green icons, connect the content of each chapter to the grand unifying theme of evolution, without which the study of life has no coherence. For example, a new Evolution Connection in Chapter 14 uses data from studies by Rosemary and Peter Grant and their students to demonstrate the continuing effects of natural selection on Darwin’s finches. Explicit connections are also made between the chapter introduction and either the Evolution Connection module or the Scientific Thinking module in each chapter; high-interest questions introduce each chapter, drawing students into the topic and encouraging a curiosity to explore the question further when it appears again later in the chapter. And, connections are made in every chapter between key concepts and the core concepts of biology.