A Note from the Authors

Biology inspires wonder. The image of the flock of starlings on our cover shows an astonishing behavior known as murmuration—mesmerizing patterns that emerge out of thousands of birds flying in unison. This fascinating behavior is an example of what motivates biologists to study the complexities of life.

Biology is dynamic. It is constantly changing as new insights lead to new ideas and new tools to test those ideas. Think of the use of drones and satellites to photograph penguin populations in Antarctica. Think of the developments in biological imaging and computation. Think of genome sequencing and its effect on our understanding of everything from human diseases to the tree of life. Think of the use of ice cores to understand past global climate.

Biology is a system. Biological systems are made up of different levels of organization—from molecules to ecosystems—that are interconnected and complex. Biologists are beginning to use integrated approaches to understand the complex properties of biological systems.

Biology is life. We face many challenges as humans including emerging diseases, feeding people in a sustainable way, population growth, degradation of natural systems, and climate change. We understand that humans are integrally connected to and dependent on all life on Earth.

Our goal—and challenge—in writing Life is to engage students in all these aspects of biology by motivating learning through active discovery. We focus on key concepts and contemporary examples that provide a foundation for further study. We have consulted and collaborated with faculty, students, and experts in the fields of biology and education. As you will see in the next several pages, in this, our Eleventh Edition, we engage students by explaining how biology affects their daily lives and how new knowledge is discovered. To help students master the concepts and principles, we introduce a number of new active learning activities.

Please read on.