About the Author Peter H. Raven, Ph.D., is director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and Engelmann professor of botany at Washington University at St. Louis. He oversees the garden's internationally recognized research program in tropical botany--one of the world's most active in the study and conservation of imperiled tropical habitats. Raven's botanical research and work in the area of tropical conservation have earned him numerous honors and awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship. He has written 17 textbooks and more than 400 articles, and he is a member of th National Academy of Science and the National Research Council. Susan Singer is the Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of the Natural Sciences in teh dpartment of biology at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she has taught introductory biology, plant biology, genetics, plant development, and developmental genetics for 20 years. Her research interests are focused on the development and evolution of flowering plants. Singer has authored numberous scientific publications on plant development, contributed chapters to developmental biology texts, and is actively involved with teh education efforts of several professional societies. She received the American Society of Plant Biology's Excellence in Teaching Award, serves on teh National Academies Board on Science Education, and … Continue reading →

31 Aug 2015 Porkers rendezvous with wild boar could overturn long-held theories about domestication 28 Aug 2015 Changes in temperature between day and night ventilates towering structures 27 Aug 2015 Multiple groups reveal that stutter mutation kills nerve cells by clogging channels into the nucleus. 26 Aug 2015 Patterns of resistance reflect those in local human populations 26 Aug 2015 Superior in size and egg production, this popular pet threatens natives 25 Aug 2015 Bacteria on door jambs can reveal gender of residents, types of pets, and more 25 Aug 2015 New family tree shows that a series of innovations accelerated speciation 24 Aug 2015 Two teams develop new methods that protect against H5N1 19 Aug 2015 Study of obesity gene uncovers control switch for storing or burning energy 18 Aug 2015 Bacterial proteins that mimic eye molecules may trigger autoimmune attacks 17 Aug 2015 Coalition also bids to move research to NIH 14 Aug 2015 Life satisfaction more closely linked to health at ages 30, 40, and 50 13 Aug 2015 Modified yeast produce key morphine precursor from sugar 13 Aug 2015 New evidence offered as proof that potentially beneficial protein fragment exists in human blood 13 Aug 2015 … Continue reading →

Biology is the study of living organisms, at the cellular, molecular, and group levels. Students exploring this field will get a comprehensive look at life cycles, from food-to-energy conversions, reproduction, and death. Biology students also examine interactions between different classes of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, animals, and humans. Some biologists will focus on population patterns, examining trends within ecosystems that cause species levels to drop or explode. Biology majors can work as lab technicians or scientists in a variety of settings once they graduate. Governments need biologists to study organisms that affect agriculture and human disease control. Physician offices rely on biology and health sciences labs to test blood and tissue samples from patients. And food companies need biologists to test and develop their products to ensure the safest and healthiest food possible. These opportunities make biology a very interesting field to work in, since scientists skills can be put to use across multiple disciplines. Students diving into biology courses as undergraduates will start by examining organisms at the cellular and molecular levels, learning about some of the smaller components of life. From here, students will usually move on to biological classification systems, evolution theory, species histories, and the biology … Continue reading →