Life Processes, Ecology and Evolution has been written specifically to cover the aims of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), including:
- the Nature of Science objectives
- key competencies
- Level 2 achievement standards for Biology
Our understanding of biological systems is set to grow exponentially in the coming decades and a good knowledge of the principles of biology and the nature of science will be essential for all members of our society if they are to be able to make balanced decisions on major issues that will inevitably arise. These range from genetic engineering through to the use of stem cells and there will be many more such issues in the future.
Further, biology underpins many of the industries that are vital to the New Zealand economy and a good knowledge of basic principles is very important to all of us. The aim of Life Processes, Ecology and Evolution is to present material in a way that meets the needs of all groups of students and will allow all students to understand the important principles of biology, to understand how the scientific process works and to be confident enough to embrace the potential biology offers our society.
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Life Processes, Ecology and Evolution is supported by the Life Processes, Ecology and Evolution Workbook - ISBN: 9781442549562
About this book
Introduction: Scientific literacy, by Associate Professor of Education, Dr Bev France
How to get ahead
1 Practical investigations
The scientific method
How to carry out an investigation
Putting scientific investigation to work
2 Biology in the public domain
The nature of science and the scientific process
The scientific system
Assessing the validity of biology in the public domain
Look carefully into what you read about nutrition
Putting the nature of science into action
3 Adaptation
Introduction to adaptation
Life processes
The scientific system
Excretion: life process no. 2
Internal transport: life process no.3
Reproduction: life process no.4
Support and movement: life process no.5
Sensitivity and co-ordination: life process no.6
Nutrition: life process no.7
Transpiration: life process no.8
Putting the science of adaptations to work
4 Cells
Introduction to cells
The substances that make up cells
Structures in the cell
Cell processes – movement of molecules across membranes
Cell processes – photosynthesis and respiration
How cells divide
Cell signalling
Putting the science of cells to work
5 Genetic variation and change
The gene pool
Sources of variation in a gene pool
Population genetics
Natural selection
Putting the study of genetic variation to work
6 Patterns in ecological communities
Populations
Communities and their relationships
Niches and adaptations
Patterns of species distribution
Fieldwork
Putting the study of ecology to work
7 Gene expression
We have come a long way in 100 years
What are DNA and RNA?
Protein translation
Genetic mutations and polymorphisms
Examples of gene mutations that cause diseases in humans
Epigenetics: another level of regulation in genes
Putting the study of gene expression to work
8 Investigating at the microscopic level
The history of microscopes
Important things to know in microscopy
Using microscopes
Biological drawings
Who can benefit from the skills learned in this chapter?
Putting the power of microscopes to work
How much have you learned: Answers
Index
Glossary
Rachel Heeney has been teaching for 20 years and loves it more each year. She thrives on discussing everyday biology with her students and finds it extremely satisfying to see each student gain knowledge from biology and a willingness to keep learning and being inquisitive. Over the years she has been involved in almost every aspect of teaching and learning from writing, marking, moderating, tutoring students and college trainees to teachers coming back into the classroom. She is Head of Biology at Epsom Girls Grammar and enjoys work every day with the wonderful friends she teaches with and the terrific students she works with.
Peter Shepherd was educated at Kaitaia College and Massey University before undertaking three years postdoctoral research training at Harvard University in Boston and a three-year fellowship at Cambridge University in England. He took up a position as a lecturer at University College in London in 1993 and was promoted to Professor there in 2002. He returned to a professorship at the University of Auckland in 2004 where his research group focuses on understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of cancer, diabetes and schizophrenia. He is a principal investigator at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, which enables his group’s work to discover new drugs targeting cancer. He has also been involved in establishing and running three biotechnology companies that have arisen from research in his group.