Faculty of Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences
Biodiversity Heritage Library
This resource improves research methodology by collaboratively making biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community.
Licence: Please refer to the licensing applied to individual items on the website for reuse.
Biology 2e (OpenStax)
Biology 2e is a peer-reviewed textbook with all of the concepts covered in two terms of first year biology. It was written by biology professors from several institutions.
Includes: Instructor resources, slides, simulations, applications, summaries, exercises, solutions.
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Biology for AP® Courses (OpenStax) [New]
Biology for AP® Courses covers the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester Advanced Placement® biology course. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology for AP® Courses was designed to meet and exceed the requirements of the College Board’s AP® Biology framework while allowing significant flexibility for instructors. Each section of the book includes an introduction based on the AP® curriculum and includes rich features that engage students in scientific practice and AP® test preparation; it also highlights careers and research opportunities in biological sciences [Description from resource].
Includes: Instructor resources, review questions, solution manual
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Biology for Majors I (Lumen Learning)
This text was created through Lumen Learning to provide an expansive overview of introductory biology for science students. It is book one of two on biology for majors.
Includes: Instructor resources, exercises, assignments, solutions
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Biology for Majors II (Lumen Learning)
This text was created through Lumen Learning to provide an expansive overview of introductory biology for science students. It is book two of two on biology for majors.
Includes: Instructor resources, exercises, assignments, solutions
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Biology for Non-Majors I (Lumen Learning)
This text was developed through Lumen Learning to provide a solid biological foundation for non-science students. It is book one of two on biology for non-majors.
Includes: Instructor resources, student resources, applications, summaries
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Biology for Non-Majors II (Lumen Learning)
This text was developed through Lumen Learning to provide a solid biological foundation for non-science students. It is book two of two on biology for non-majors.
Includes: Instructor resources, student resources, applications, summaries
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Concepts of Biology, 1st Canadian Edition
This textbook was adapted for a Canadian audience from an OpenStax textbook. It was designed for students not majoring in Biology. Interactive activities were included for students to check their understanding.
Includes: Instructor resources, student resources, simulations, summaries, exercises, solutions
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Crop Improvement [New]
This book covers basic principles in the genetic improvement of crop plants. Emphasis is on methods of cultivar development in self-pollinating, cross-pollinating and asexually propagating crops. Relevant examples of crop improvement research in Africa are utilized to cover factors affecting cultivar release, multiplication, and distribution of high-quality seed. [Description from resource].
Includes: Applied learning activities and downloadable worksheets.
Licence: CC BY-NC
iBiology
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Note: This is an open access text which restricts remixing and adapting).
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2nd Edition
This interactive textbook begins by orienting students to the nature of science, and then proceeds with units on organismal biology and molecular biology.
Includes: Interactive activities, simulations, videos
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Molecular Plant Breeding [New]
Originally developed as part of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Crop Genetics is the second in a series of books originally published under the title “Plant Breeding E-learning in Africa.” The book, adapted and updated for a broader audience, focuses on genomics and plant biotechnology approaches used in plant breeding, the analysis of genomic data, and their application in quality control measures.
Includes: Applied Learning Activities, downloadable handouts.
Licence: CC BY-NC
Reviews: Available through Open Textbook Library
A Primer for Computational Biology
Published by Oregon State University, this book aims to provide life scientists and students the skills necessary for research in a data-rich world.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods
This book was written by Luke J. Harmon at the University of Idaho, and covers phylogenetic comparative methods using R.
Includes: Summaries, sample R code
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Unfolding the Mystery of Life, Biology Lab Manual for Non-Science Majors
This laboratory manual is intended for use in a biology laboratory course taken by non-science majors, pre-biology, and pre-allied health majors.
Licence: CC BY
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Biochemistry
The Basics of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
This peer-reviewed open textbook was developed to suit a one-semester General, Organic and Biological Chemistry course.
Includes: Test questions following examples, end-of-chapter exercises.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Biochemistry Online (Jakubowski) (LibreTexts)
This is a comprehensive text from LibreTexts meant for university-level biochemistry courses covering topics such as cellular structure, lipid structure, carbohydrate, DNA, binding, transport, kinetics, metabolism, catalysis, oxidation, and signal transduction. There are links and references for further investigation and chapter-based questions. This largely imitates commercial biochemistry textbooks.
Includes: simulations, exercises, solutions, and critical thinking questions.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Evolution and Ecology
This textbook has been successfully adopted. It should be noted that it was written in the context of Indian universities and has a dedicated section to Indian ecology; however, it is a high-quality resource that covers all of the necessary concepts.
Includes: exercises.
Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology
Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Evolution and Ecology
This textbook has been successfully adopted. It should be noted that it was written in the context of Indian universities and has a dedicated section to Indian ecology; however, it is a high-quality resource that covers all of the necessary concepts.
Includes: exercises.
General Microbiology
In this textbook the focus will be on the bacteria and archaea (traditionally known as the “prokaryotes,”) and the viruses and other acellular agents.
Includes: Key words, study questions, exploratory questions
Licence: CC BY-NC
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology, 2nd Edition
This interactive textbook begins by orienting students to the nature of science, and then proceeds with units on organismal biology and molecular biology.
Includes: Interactive activities, simulations, videos
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Laboratory Exercises in Microbiology: Discovering the Unseen World Through Hands-On Investigation
The exercises in this laboratory manual are designed to engage students in hand-on activities that reinforce their understanding of the microbial world. Topics covered include: staining and microscopy, metabolic testing, physical and chemical control of microorganisms, and immunology. The target audience is primarily students preparing for a career in the health sciences.
Includes: Key terms, case studies
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Microbiology
Microbiology by OpenStax covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester introductory microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health.
Includes: Summaries, review questions, clinical focus, D2L course cartridge, slides, test bank, practice problem widget
Licence: CC BY
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience
Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Microbiology for Allied Health Students
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.
Includes: Check your understanding questions, clinical focus, glossary
Licence: CC BY
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
Ecology
Ecology: Population Growth
Ecology: Population Growth is a Canadian adaptation of Connecting Concepts: Interactive Lessons in Biology by Robert Jeanne and Jan Cheetham (University of Wisconsin). It includes interactive lessons on exponential growth focusing on the zebra mussel population, logistic growth using fish as an example, and elephant population growth.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Plant Biology
Botany – LibreTexts Bookshelves
Botany is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. Traditionally, botany includes the study of fungi and algae by mycologists and phycologists respectively. This page lists texts available within LibreTexts under the subject of botany.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Buds, Branches and Bark: A Guide to Winter ID in the Pacific Northwest
This project was made possible by funding through the Open Education Resource Grant at BCIT.
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA
History and Science of Cultivated Plants
This textbook narrates how humans transitioned from foragers to farmers and have arrived at present-day industrial agriculture-based civilization. It entails myths, historical accounts, and scientific concepts to describe how human efforts have shaped and produced easier to grow, larger, tastier, and more nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains from wild plants. Using examples of various economically and socially important crops central to human civilization, the book describes the origin of crop plants, the evolution of agricultural practices, fundamental concepts of natural selection vs. domestication, experimental and methodical plant breeding, and plant biotechnology.
Licence: CC BY-NC
Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio
This identification guide provides technical descriptions and photos for Ohio’s 21 invasive and noxious weed species. These descriptions include information on habitat, life cycle, key plant characteristics, and a summary of problematic features. Photos included in this guide present the weed species at different stages of maturity for optimal identification aid. This book also provides information on Ohio’s noxious seed law, extension guides to weed control, and a quick guide to weed regulations in Ohio law.
Licence: CC BY
Plant Anatomy and Physiology
This book was created to support teaching of an introductory unit on plant environmental physiology at Charles Darwin University in Australia. It makes use of various images of cells and tissues to introduce and illustrate the range of plant organelles, cells, tissues and organs.
Licence: CC BY-SA
Primary Botany – OER Commons Curated Collection
These resources are appropriate for Applied Science, Education, Life Science, and Physical Science programs.
Licence: Various CC licences
Virginia Cooperative Extension Gardener Handbook [New]
Virginia Cooperative Extension Gardener Handbook is a guide for all gardeners in Virginia. It covers a variety of topics important for beginning and experienced gardeners, including soil health, native plants, and integrated pest management. This manual provides an understanding of the basics of gardening in Virginia and helps to build a strong foundation of gardening knowledge. Resources for additional reading can be found at the end of each chapter. We encourage readers to take a deeper dive into the topics that interest them and continue their learning journey [Description from resource]. Note: while intended for gardeners, content may also be useful for botany and plant biology topics.
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Zoology
Entomology 311 Lab Manual
This book is organized into 9 chapters, each representing a week of study.
Includes: Reading, pre-labs, lab assignments
Licence: CC BY-NC
Reviews: Available through the Open Textbook Library
A Guide to the Principles of Animal Nutrition
In this introductory textbook six fundamental nutrients, including their structure, digestion, and metabolism, are covered. A brief introduction to bioenergetics, feed additives, nutrient analysis, digestive organs and processes in monogastric and ruminant animals, and methods for assessing nutrient utilization are also included.
Includes: New terms, key points, review questions
Licence: CC BY-NC
Introductory Animal Physiology, 2nd Edition
This resource was adapted from other open textbooks with additional resources from faculty and invited students at the University of Toronto Mississauga. This book is an introduction to the diversity of structure and function in animals at the tissue and organ system level. The focus of this book is on principles and mechanisms that sustain life and maintain homeostasis, including water balance, gas exchange, acquisition and transport of oxygen and nutrients, temperature regulation, electrical and chemical signal transmission, sensory processing, and locomotion.
Includes: Practice questions, online resources, images
Licence: CC BY
Introductory Animal Physiology
This book is an introduction to the diversity of structure and function in animals at the tissue and organ system level. The focus of this book is on principles and mechanisms that sustain life and maintain homeostasis, including water balance, gas exchange, acquisition and transport of oxygen and nutrients, temperature regulation, electrical and chemical signal transmission, sensory processing, and locomotion. The content in this open textbook was adapted from other open textbooks (CC-BY-4.0) resources or created/written by Sanja Hinic-Frlog and collaborators. Collaborators include: Jessica Hanley, Simone Laughton, and invited undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Licence: CC BY 4.0
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