Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Quantitative Problem Solving in Natural Resources
Pete Moore · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2025
This book is a collection of resources focused on solving quantitative problems that non-mathematicians interested in biology and environmental sciences may find compelling. It is not intended as a guide to be followed through a series of skills, but rather as a resource to support the problem-solving process and help lower conceptual and computational barriers along the way.
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Informal Calculus with Applications to Biological and Environmental Sciences
Tyler Seacrest; Debbie Seacrest; Rebekah Levine; Michele Anderson · TRAILS · 2021
This book is an approachable introduction to calculus with applications to biology and environmental science. For example, one application in the book is determining the volume of earth moved in the 1959 earthquake that created Quake Lake. Another application uses differential equations to model various biological examples, including moose and wolf populations at Isle Royale National Park, ranavirus in amphibians, and competing species of protozoa. The text focuses on intuitive understanding of concepts, but still covers most of the algebra and calculations common in a survey of calculus course.
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Technical Writing and Simple Statistics : For laboratory classes
Stephanie Wettstein · TRAILS · 2022
This upper division resource focuses on how to communicate results through technical writing, use Excel to perform simple statistics, and create professional charts/documents. Excel tutorials are provided for performing descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regression as well as using text boxes, formatting figures and captions, and using Equation Editor to insert equations. Additionally, guidance and examples of different communication components are provided along with team writing strategies and guidelines on how to hold efficient meetings. This textbook was designed for Biology and Chemistry majors for a 400 level course.
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Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics
George Matthews; Christina Hendricks · Rebus Community · 2019
We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others’ behavior and choices. This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. It considers basic questions about moral and ethical judgment: Is there such a thing as something that is really right or really wrong independent of time, place and perspective? What is the relationship between religion and ethics? How can we reconcile self-interest and ethics? Is it ever acceptable to harm one person in order to help others? What do recent discussions in evolutionary biology or have to say about human moral systems? What is the relation between gender and ethics? The authors invite you to participate in their exploration of these and many other questions in philosophical ethics.
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Bioethics: A Coursebook
Daan Kenis; Mayli Mertens; Franlu Vulliermet; Varsha Paleri · Open Book Publishers · 2025
This coursebook offers an expansive exploration of bioethics, an interdisciplinary field examining ethical, social, and legal dilemmas in medicine, life sciences, and beyond. It challenges conventional boundaries, embracing Van Rensselaer Potter’s vision of bioethics as a global, holistic ethics of life—integrating human health, environmental considerations, and transdisciplinary insights. Through engaging discussions, thought experiments, and case studies, the book empowers students to critically reflect on ethical questions without dictating rigid answers. Topics range from the historical roots of ethical thought to cutting-edge debates in molecular biology, such as epigenetics and exposomics, demonstrating how interconnected human, animal, and environmental health truly are. Central themes include the limits of scientific knowledge, the biases shaping research, and the evolving interplay between moral philosophy and empirical science. Students will encounter key philosophical frameworks—ontology, epistemology, and ethics—woven into practical bioethical applications. Feminist philosophy, experimental bioethics, and embedded ethics enrich this perspective, urging readers to question assumptions, embrace diverse viewpoints, and connect ethical principles with real-world science. Targeted at students in philosophy, biology, biomedical sciences, and bioengineering, this book is a toolkit for future thinkers, fostering a nuanced understanding of how ethical science advances humanity in a complex, ever-changing world.
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Greek and Latin Roots: Part II - Greek
Peter Smith · BCcampus · 2016
Greek and Latin Roots: Part II - Greek is part two of a two part series. This series examines the systematic principles by which a large portion of English vocabulary has evolved from Latin and (to a lesser degree) from Greek. This book focuses on Greek roots. A link to the first part focusing on the Latin roots can be found below. Part II will try to impart some skill in the recognition and proper use of words derived from Greek. There is a stress on principles: although students will be continually looking at interesting individual words, their constant aim will be to discover predictable general patterns of historical development, so that they may be able to cope with new and unfamiliar words of any type that they have studied. They will be shown how to approach the problem by a procedure known as “word analysis,” which is roughly comparable to the dissection of an interesting specimen in the biology laboratory. The text assumes no previous knowledge of Greek, and does not involve the grammatical study of this language—except for a few basic features of noun and verb formation that will help students to understand the Greek legacy in English. All students will be asked to learn the Greek alphabet. This skill is not absolutely essential for a general knowledge of Greek roots in English. However, it will help students understand a number of otherwise puzzling features of spelling and usage. Although there will be some attention paid to the historical interaction of Greek with English, this text is definitely not a systematic history of the English language. It focuses on only those elements within English that have been directly or indirectly affected by this classical language. In order to provide the broadest possible service to students, the text emphasizes standard English vocabulary in current use. The more exotic technical vocabulary of science and medicine can be extremely interesting, but is explored in only summary fashion. Nevertheless, this text should b
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Greek and Latin Roots: Part I - Latin
Peter Smith · BCcampus · 2016
Greek and Latin Roots: Part I - Latin is part one of a two part series. This series examines the systematic principles by which a large portion of English vocabulary has evolved from Latin and (to a lesser degree) from Greek. This book focuses on Latin roots. A link to the second part focusing on the Greek roots can be found below. Part I will try to impart some skill in the recognition and proper use of words derived from Latin. There is a stress on principles: although students will be continually looking at interesting individual words, their constant aim will be to discover predictable general patterns of historical development, so that they may be able to cope with new and unfamiliar words of any type that they have studied. They will be shown how to approach the problem by a procedure known as “word analysis,” which is roughly comparable to the dissection of an interesting specimen in the biology laboratory. The text assumes no previous knowledge of Latin, and does not involve the grammatical study of this language—except for a few basic features of noun and verb formation that will help students to understand the Latin legacy in English. Although there will be some attention paid to the historical interaction of Latin with English, this text is definitely not a systematic history of the English language. It focuses on only those elements within English that have been directly or indirectly affected by this classical language. In order to provide the broadest possible service to students, the text emphasizes standard English vocabulary in current use. The more exotic technical vocabulary of science and medicine can be extremely interesting, but is explored in only summary fashion. Nevertheless, this text should be of considerable value, say, to a would-be botanist or medical doctor, if only by providing the foundation for further specialized enquiry.
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Biomedical Engineering for Africa
Tania Douglas · University of Cape Town Libraries · 2019
Health technology innovation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including countries in Africa, falls far short of meeting the healthcare needs of these settings. The result is a heavy reliance on products and technologies imported from industrialised countries that are often not suited to, or sustainable for, LMICs. Appropriate healthcare products for LMICs are best developed in these countries, where local knowledge and understanding of needs, context and available resources may be incorporated into designs and implementation plans. The objectives for enabling health technology development in LMICs include: 1) expanding the base of expertise through research training programmes with a problem-solving focus; 2) stimulating new knowledge, approaches and solutions by enabling innovation; and 3) integrating research communities within and across institutions to build critical mass. The field of biomedical engineering is central to health technology innovation. This book is a response to the need for biomedical engineering capacity in Africa. It is grounded in the African context. It serves as a resource for academics and students in biomedical engineering, for those interested in entering the field in any capacity and for practitioners at every stage of product development. University leaders intent on establishing new biomedical engineering programmes or departments, may draw on the content for guidance on structuring their offerings. The book reaches beyond Africa, as it is relevant to other LMIC settings, and provides insights to guide global health initiatives focused on technology innovation.
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Introduction to Biosystems Engineering
Nicholas M. Holden; Mary Leigh Wolfe; Jactone A. Ogejo; Enda J. Cummins · American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Virginia Tech Publishing · 2021
The discipline of Biosystems Engineering emerged in the 1990s from the traditional strongholds of agricultural engineering and food engineering. Biosystems engineering integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental, and agricultural sciences. Introduction to Biosystems Engineering is targeted at 1st and 2nd year university-level students with an interest in biosystems engineering but who are not yet familiar with the breadth and depth of the subject. It is designed as a coherent educational resource, also available for download as individual digital chapters. The book can be used as a localized, customizable text for introductory courses in Biosystems Engineering globally. It is written as a series of stand-alone chapters organized under six major topics: Food and Bioprocessing; Environment; Buildings and Infrastructure; Information and Communications Technology and Data; Machinery Systems; and Energy. Each chapter is organized around stated learning outcomes and describes key concepts, applications of the concepts, and worked examples. Instructors adopting or reviewing this text are encouraged to register with the publisher using this form.
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The Whole Child: Development in the Early Years
Deirdre Budzyna; Doris Buckley · ROTEL · 2023
The Whole Child is a textbook that gives an overview of development, beginning in the mother’s womb through the age of eight. It starts with a look at perspectives of early childhood, including how children have been viewed historically as well as cross-culturally. There is a complete overview of the important theorists that have helped to deepen and bring clarity to how children develop. These theories include psychodynamic, behavioral, social cognitive theory, cognitive theory, humanistic, multiple intelligence, growth mindset, and Bloom’s taxonomy. Understanding the implications of each theory is important foundational knowledge for the study of development. Developmental domains at each stage is examined alongside important milestones. The biology of the brain is given important consideration. Some of the many factors that influence a young child’s development are also included in this text.
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Think Complexity: Exploring Complexity Science with Python
Allen Downey · Green Tea Press · 2018
Complexity science uses computation to explore the physical and social sciences. In Think Complexity, you'll use graphs, cellular automata, and agent-based models to study topics in physics, biology, and economics. Whether you're an intermediate-level Python programmer or a student of computational modeling, you'll delve into examples of complex systems through a series of worked examples, exercises, case studies, and easy-to-understand explanations. In this updated second edition, you will: Work with NumPy arrays and SciPy methods, including basic signal processing and Fast Fourier Transform Study abstract models of complex physical systems, including power laws, fractals and pink noise, and Turing machines Get Jupyter notebooks filled with starter code and solutions to help you re-implement and extend original experiments in complexity; and models of computation like Turmites, Turing machines, and cellular automata Explore the philosophy of science, including the nature of scientific laws, theory choice, and realism and instrumentalism Ideal as a text for a course on computational modeling in Python, Think Complexity also helps self-learners gain valuable experience with topics and ideas they might not encounter otherwise.
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Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
Elizabeth D. Kirby; Melissa J. Glenn; Noah J. Sandstrom; Christina L. Williams · OpenStax, Rice University
Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience aligns to the topics and objectives of introductory behavioral neuroscience courses taught in psychology, biology, neuroscience, and similar departments. This offering is intended for undergraduates with no presumed college-level science coursework, and presents the foundational principles of brain-behavior-environment interactions. In Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience, students will begin to understand how the physiology of the nervous system and the environment dictate our movements, thoughts and feelings. Students will be challenged to think about real neuroscience experiments, appreciate how neuroscience knowledge evolves over time, and consider open questions in the field. They will also be invited to learn about the people behind the science, such as through interview videos and researcher profiles. The development of this material was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under IOS-2035041 to Elizabeth Kirby. The opinions, descriptions, recommendations, and findings are those of the contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. An Affordable Learning Exchange grant to Elizabeth Kirby from the Ohio State University also supported development of this material.
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Principios Básicos de Bioquímica para Agroecología
Clara Isabel Ruiz-Sánchez; Robinson Jasmany Herrera-Feijoo; María de Lourdes Correa-Salgado; Luis Daniel Hidalgo-Hugo · Editorial Grupo AEA · 2023
El libro "Principios Básicos de Bioquímica para Agroecología" es una obra que busca proporcionar a los estudiantes de esta disciplina una base sólida en los fundamentos de la bioquímica, escrita por un equipo de docentes investigadores, se presenta como un recurso didáctico para aquellos estudiantes que buscan comprender la relación entre la química, la bioquímica y la agricultura, iniciando con la definición conceptual de bioquímica. A medida que avanza el texto, se profundiza en los conceptos de estructuras de la célula vegetal, sus características y funciones, así como también se describen las proteínas, lípidos, carbohidratos y ácidos nucleicos. Además, aborda temas importantes para la agroecología, como la fotosíntesis y la función de los nutrientes en las plantas. El enfoque en estos temas permite a los estudiantes de agroecología entender cómo los principios de la bioquímica son relevantes para el estudio de la agricultura y la producción de alimentos. Así también incluye una variedad de recursos de apoyo para el aprendizaje, como cuadros, tablas, diagramas y ejemplos. Estos recursos ayudan a los estudiantes a visualizar y comprender los conceptos difíciles de la bioquímica, y a aplicarlos a situaciones del mundo real. Una de las características más destacadas de este documento es su lenguaje accesible y fácil de entender. Los autores han evitado el uso excesivo de terminología técnica y han explicado los conceptos de manera clara y concisa. Esto hace que sea adecuado para estudiantes de diversos niveles y antecedentes académicos. En conclusión, es material bibliográfico valioso y esencial para cualquier estudiante que desee comprender los principios básicos de la bioquímica y su aplicación en el campo de la agroecología. Con una escritura clara, recursos de apoyo útiles y un enfoque en temas relevantes para la agricultura, representa una excelente herramienta para el aprendizaje y la comprensión de la bioquímica y su relación con la producción de alimentos.
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Biotecnología Ambiental, Aplicaciones y Tendencias
Cristhian Chicaiza-Ortiz; Virginia del Carmen Rivadeneira-Arias; Robinson Herrera-Feijoo; Jean Andrade · Editorial Grupo AEA · 2023
La Biotecnología Ambiental emplea el uso de organismos para la prevención, monitoreo y remediación de los ecosistemas, al mismo tiempo permite la generación de bioproductos y energía limpia. El libro consistió en tres capítulos, en el primero se establece los fundamentos de la Biotecnología Ambiental y sus aplicaciones en entornos terrestre, acuático y aéreo; además, se presentan herramientas aplicadas como los biosensores en el monitoreo ambiental, la fitorremediación en varios contextos de América Latina y el fortalecimiento de la agricultura sustentable. En el segundo capítulo se describe la importancia de un estudio bibliométrico y el enfoque para las diversas investigaciones, se detalla un manual de uso, que permite su replicabilidad en otros contextos. Además de presentar un caso de estudio aplicado al tema central de este libro, que sistematiza los temas más estudiados, las tendencias, revistas y países con mayores contribuciones. En el tercer capítulo se presentan varias prácticas de laboratorio y una sección de preguntas, que pueden ser empleadas en otras instituciones educativas o de manera autónoma. En conclusión, los capítulos son complementarios entre sí, facilitando la comprensión e interés del lector. El área de mayor relevancia corresponde a la biorremediación en suelos contaminados por hidrocarburos y metales pesados, los grupos más frecuentes en la revisión fueron hongos, cianobacterias y organismos genéticamente modificados. Finalmente, existe una oportunidad del uso y la potencial combinación de las técnicas basadas en metagenómica, ADN ambiental, inteligencia artificial para el desarrollo de las nuevas tendencias de la Biotecnología Ambiental
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Histology and Embryology for Dental Hygiene
Laird C. Sheldahl · Mt. Hood Community College
In the contents: 1.01: cell biology review
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Biochemistry Experiment Manual
吳繡賢 李惠春 · Tzu Chi University 慈濟大學
LibreTexts
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ENVS C100: Environmental Science
Tanya Hoerer · Coastline College
In the contents: 2.2.2.07: Water Biology · 2.6.4.05: Technologies Used In Systems Biology Toxicology
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Manchester Community College: Introduction to Nutrition
Andrea Ackerson · Manchester Community College
In the contents: 3.01: Basic Biology Anatomy and Physiology
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Calculus - Early Transcendentals
LibreTexts · LibreTexts
In the contents: 8.04: Applications to Economics and Biology
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BCHM 355/455: Biochemistry
Neil Voss · Roosevelt University
Biochemical processes sustain life by driving molecular interactions, enzyme activity, and metabolic pathways. Water chemistry, amino acids, and protein structure determine biological function, while enzyme catalysis and thermodynamics regulate energy flow. Metabolic pathways and allosteric control maintain cellular balance.