Biology - Science for Life 2nd ed. - C. Belk, V. Borden [low-qual] (Pearson, 2007) WW.pdf

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Preface
To the Student
As you worked your way through high school, or otherwise worked to pre-
pare yourself for college, you were probably unaware that an information
explosion was taking place in the field of biology. This explosion, brought on
by advances in biotechnology and communicated by faster, more powerful
computers, has allowed scientists to gather data more quickly and dissemi-
nate data to colleagues in the global scientific community with the click of a
mouse. Every discipline of biology has benefited from these advances, and
today's scientists collectively know more than any individual could ever hope
to understand.
Paradoxically, as it becomes more and more difficult to synthesize huge
amounts of information from disparate disciplines within the broad field
of biology, it becomes more vital that we do so. The very same technolo-
gies that led to the information boom, coupled with expanding human
populations, present us with complex ethical questions. These questions
include whether or not it is acceptable to clone humans, when human life
begins and ends, who owns living organisms, what our responsibilities
toward endangered species are, and many more. No amount of knowledge
alone will provide satisfactory answers to these questions. Addressing
these kinds of questions requires the development of a scientific literacy
that surpasses the rote memorization of facts. To make decisions that are
individually, socially, and ecologically responsible, you must not only
understand some fundamental principles of biology but also be able to use
this knowledge as a tool to help you analyze ethical and moral issues
involving biology.
To help you understand biology and apply your knowledge to an ever-
expanding suite of issues, we have structured each chapter of
Biology:
Science for Life
around a compelling story in which biology plays an inte-
gral role. Through the story you will not only learn the relevant bio-
logical principles, but you will also see how science can be used to
help answer complex questions. As you learn to apply the strategies
modeled by the text, you will begin developing your critical thinking
skills.
By the time you finish this book, you should have a clear understanding of
many important biological principles. You will also be able to critically evalu-
ate which information is most reliable instead of simply accepting all the
information you hear or read about. Even though you may not be planning to
be a practicing biologist, well-developed critical thinking skills will enable
you to make decisions that affect your own life, such as whether or not to take
nutritional supplements, and decisions that affect the lives of others, such as
whether or not to believe the DNA evidence presented to you as a juror in a
criminal case.
It is our sincere hope that understanding how biology applies to
important personal, social, and ecological issues will convince you to stay
informed about such issues. On the job, in your community, at the doc-
tor's office, in the voting booth, and at home reading the paper or surf-
ing the web, your knowledge of the basic biology underlying so many of
the challenges that we as individuals and as a society face will enable you
to make well-informed decisions for your home, your nation, and your
world.

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