All resources in OpenWA Biology

Human Biology

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Human biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, anatomy, epidemiology, anthropology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics, and sociocultural influences; it is closely related to physical anthropology.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Mandeep Grewal, Suzanne Wakim

Human Anatomy Lab

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Human biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, anatomy, epidemiology, anthropology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics, and sociocultural influences.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Mandeep Grewal, Suzanne Wakim

Anatomy & Physiology

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You probably have a general understanding of how your body works. But do you fully comprehend how all of the intricate functions and systems of the human body work together to keep you healthy? This course will provide that insight. By approaching the study of the body in an organized way, you will be able to connect what you learn about anatomy and physiology to what you already know about your own body. By taking this course, you will begin to think and speak in the language of the domain while integrating the knowledge you gain about anatomy to support explanations of physiological phenomenon. The course focuses on a few themes that, when taken together, provide a full view of what the human body is capable of and of the exciting processes going on inside of it. To access this course, click "Enter Open & Free Course," then "Enter course" under "Enter without an account."

Material Type: Full Course

Anatomy and Physiology of Animals

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Veterinary nurses need to have a firm grasp of the normal structure of an animal’s body and how it functions before they can understand the effect diseases and injuries have and the best ways to treat them. This book describes the structure of the animal body and the way in which it works. Animals encountered in normal veterinary practice are used as examples where possible.

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Ruth Lawson

A Student's Guide to Tropical Marine Biology

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A Student’s Guide to Tropical Marine Biology is written entirely by students enrolled in the Keene State College Tropical Marine Biology course taught by Dr. Karen Cangialosi. Our goal was to investigate three main aspects of tropical marine biology: understanding the system, identifying problems, and evaluating solutions. Each of the sections contains chapters that utilize openly licensed material and images, and are rich with hyperlinks to other sources. Some of the most pressing tropical marine ecosystem issues are broken up into five sections: Coral Reefs and Diversity, Common Fishes to the Coral Reef, Environmental Threats, Reef Conservation, and Major Marine Phyla. These sections are not mutually exclusive; repetition in some content between chapters is intentional as we expect that users may not read the whole book. This work represents a unique collaborative process with many students across semesters authoring and editing, and therefore reflects the interests and intentions of a broad range of students, not one person’s ideas. This collaboration began with contributions from KSC students in the 2017 semester and includes work from the 2019 class, as well as new content and editorial work from 2017 & 2019 alumni. We look forward to future editions of this book. Enjoy exploring the rainforests of the sea through our collaborative project and please share with those who care!

Material Type: Full Course

Authors: Alana Olendorf, Allie Tolles, Andrew Fuhs, Audrey Boraski, Bryce Chounard, Christian Paparazzo, Devon Audibert, Emily Michaeles, Emma Verville, Haley Fantasia, Haley Zanga, Jaime Marsh, Jason Charbonneau, Jennifer Rosado, Jessica Comeau, Maddi Ouellette, Malisa Rai, Marisa Benjamin, Mary Swain, Melissa Wydra, Morgan Tupper, Sarah Larsen, Simone McEwan, Suki Graham, Tim Brodeur, Will Trautmann

Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa comprehensively explores the challenges and potential solutions to key conservation issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Easy to read, this lucid and accessible textbook includes fifteen chapters that cover a full range of conservation topics, including threats to biodiversity, environmental laws, and protected areas management, as well as related topics such as sustainability, poverty, and human-wildlife conflict. This rich resource also includes a background discussion of what conservation biology is, a wide range of theoretical approaches to the subject, and concrete examples of conservation practice in specific African contexts. Strategies are outlined to protect biodiversity whilst promoting economic development in the region.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: John W. Wilson, Richard B. Primack

Central Nervous System - Histology

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The Central Nervous System (CNS) is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. This page is specifically focussed on the histologic appearance, for anatomy see Forebrain, Midbrain, Hindbrain, Cranial Nerves, Spinal Cord and CNS Development.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Peripheral Nervous System - Histology

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Nerves of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are composed of numerous bundles of nerve fibers that are surrounded by connective tissue. This connective tissue also contains a specific layer that is specialised to neurons; the peri-neurium. The outer layer of this connective tissue is called the epineurium and it surrounds both the perineurium and the nerve itself. Individual neurons found within each bundle are surrounded by the endoneurium.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Kidney and Urinary Tract Development - Anatomy & Physiology

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The kidneys are formed from the intermediate mesoderm. Firstly it begins to thicken longitudinally in its caudal domain. This is called the nephrogenic thickening. From this thickening three so called attempts at producing excretory origins arise. All the attempts have at the histological level a series of excretory tubules however only one of these attempts forms the kidney in adult life.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Reading

Cell and Molecular Biology: What We Know & How We Found Out

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Like most introductory science textbooks, this one opens with a discussion of scientific method. A key feature is its focus on experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology. Understanding 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 our relationship to the natural world. This is a free Open Education Resource (OER), covered by a Creative Commons CCBY license (check out the Preface!). Every chapter begins with learning objectives and links to relevant recorded lectures. As used by the author, the iText engages students with embedded “just-in-time” learning tools. These include instructor’s annotations (comments) directing students to animations or text of interest, as well as links to writing assignments and quizzes. These interactive features aim to strengthen critical thinking and writing skills necessary to understand cell and molecular biology, not to mention science as a way of thinking in general. Please excuse the marketing terms, but you can choose between Bronze, Silver, or Gold versions, reflecting increasing potential for student interaction with the iText. Download your choice of the iText or the sample chapter at one of the links below.

Material Type: Lecture, Textbook

Author: Gerald Bergtrom

Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students

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Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students (2021) is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts. The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Available Formats 978-1-949373-42-4 (PDF) 978-1-949373-43-1 (ePub) [coming soon] 978-1-949373-41-7 (Pressbooks) https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/cellbio Also available via LibreTexts: https://med.libretexts.org/@go/page/37584 How to Adopt this Book Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133. Features of this Book 1. Detailed learning objectives are provided at the beginning of each subsection 2. High resolution, color contrasting figures illustrate concepts, relationships, and processes throughout 3. Summary tables display detailed information 4. End of chapter lists provide additional sources of information 5. Accessibility features including structured heads and alternative-text provide access for readers accessing the work via a screen-reader Table of Contents 1. Biochemistry basics 2. Basic laboratory measurements 3. Fed and fasted state 4. Fuel for now 5. Fuel for later 6. Lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol synthesis 7. Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), purine and pyrimidine metabolism 8. Amino acid metabolism and heritable disorders of degradation 9. Disorders of monosaccharide metabolism and other metabolic conditions 10. Genes, genomes, and DNA 11. Transcription and translation 12. Gene regulation and the cell cycle 13. Human genetics 14. Linkage studies, pedigrees, and population genetics 15. Cellular signaling 16. Plasma membrane 17. Cytoplasmic membranes 18. Cytoskeleton 19. Extracellular matrix Suggested Citation LeClair, Renée J., (2021). Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech Publishing. https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio. Licensed with CC BY NC-SA 4.0. About the Author Renée J. LeClair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Science Education at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where her role is to engage activities that support the departmental mission of developing an integrated medical experience using evidence-based delivery grounded in the science of learning. She received a Ph.D. at Rice University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in vascular biology. She became involved in medical education, curricular renovation, and implementation of innovative teaching methods during her first faculty appointment, at the University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2013, she moved to a new medical school, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Greenville. The opportunities afforded by joining a new program and serving as the Chair of the Curriculum committee provided a blank slate for creative curricular development and close involvement with the accreditation process. During her tenure she developed and directed a team-taught student-centered undergraduate medical course that integrated the scientific and clinical sciences to assess all six-core competencies of medical education. Accessibility Note The University Libraries at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Publishing are committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The HTML (Pressbooks) and ePub versions of this book utilize header structures and include alternative text which allow for machine-readability. Please report any errors at https://bit.ly/feedback-preclinical

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Renee LeClair

Majors Animal [or Cellular or Plant] (BIOL 212)

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This is the second in a series of majoręs biology classes covering the principles of biology. The course is an integrated study of basic concepts concerning animal biology emphasizing animal evolution, diversity, phylogeny and a comparative look at general principles of animal form and function. This course is a lab science class and students will be required to participate in weekly lab activities and document their lab work for successful course completion.

Material Type: Assessment, Full Course, Reading, Syllabus

Cell and Molecular Biology 3e: What We Know and How We Found Out

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A grasp of the logic and practice of science is essential to understand the rest of the world around us. To that end, the CMB3e iText (like earlier editions) remains focused on experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology, and on showing students the relationship of cell structure and function. Rather than trying to be a comprehensive reference book, CMB3e selectively details investigative questions, methods and experiments that lead to our understanding of cell biology. This focus is nowhere more obvious than in the chapter learning objectives and in external links to supplementary material. In the freely available Basic CMB3e, the latter include the author’s short just-in-time YouTube VOPs, embedded near relevant text.

Material Type: Reading

Author: Gerald Bergtrom

Investigations in Molecular Cell Biology

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The text introduces students to molecular cell biology within the context of a semester-long research project in functional genomics. In the Pathways over Time project, students study the evolutionary conservation of genes in methionine synthesis. Each chapter includes both theoretical background material as well as detailed experimental procedures. Chapters can be used alone or in combination, depending on the course.

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Clare M. O'Connor

Microbiology for Allied Health Students

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Microbiology for Allied Health Students is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements for the single semester Microbiology course for non-majors and allied health students. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of Microbiology for Allied Health Students make the material interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. The scope and sequence of Microbiology for Allied Health Students has been developed and vetted with input from numerous instructors at institutions across the U.S. It is designed to meet the needs of most microbiology courses allied health students. With these objectives in mind, the content of this textbook has been arranged in a logical progression from fundamental to more advanced concepts. The opening chapters present an overview of the discipline, with individual chapters focusing on cellular biology as well as each of the different types of microorganisms and the various means by which we can control and combat microbial growth. The focus turns to microbial pathogenicity, emphasizing how interactions between microbes and the human immune system contribute to human health and disease. The last several chapters of the text provide a survey of medical microbiology, presenting the characteristics of microbial diseases organized by body system.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Molly Smith, Sara Selby