Science of Life: Projects and Principles for Beginning Biologists
Contents Acknowledgments vi Safety First vii ix Introduction 䉴 What Is Biology ix 䉴 Understanding the Scientific Method xi 䉴 Iron in Your Food xiv 1 Bacteria Are Everywhere Kingdom Prokaryotae 1 䉴 Growing Bacteria 3 䉴 Hand Washing 7 䉴 Antiseptics and Disinfectants 9 䉴 Bacteria and Antibiotics 13 2 Plants Grow Move and Respond to the Environment 19 Kingdom Plantae 䉴 Transpiration 20 䉴 Germinating Seeds 24 䉴 Growing Grass 29
䉴 Gravitropism 33 䉴 Test Foods for Starch 37 䉴 Saliva Test 40 䉴 Carnivorous Plants 42 䉴 Species 47 3 Animals That Fly Walk and Wiggle Kingdom Animalia 53 䉴 Ant Food 54 䉴 Living Garbage Disposal 58 䉴 Trapping Flying Insects 62 䉴 Trapping Grasshoppers and Crickets 65 䉴 Spider Webs 68 4 There Is a Fungus Among Us Kingdom Fungi 73 䉴 Yeast Metabolism 75 䉴 Bread Mold 80 䉴 Mushroom Spores 84 䉴 Growing Fungi 88 䉴 Cloning 93 5 Last but Not Least The Protozoans Kingdom Protoctista 95 䉴 Growing Protozoans 96 䉴 Protozoan Succession 101 Conclusion 107 Resources 109 Glossary 117 Bibliography 121 Index 123
Acknowledgments MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE goes out to everyone who had an influenc on the final outcome of this book I especially want to thank Stacy Kimberley Monica Bottone Jane Katergis Mair Downing Kathleen Veness-Meehan M D and of course my parents for all of their kind words encouragement and insightful criticisms A special thanks goes out to Dr Paul M Resslar professor of biology Virginia Wesleyan College for his critical reviews of the manuscript and the inspiration he and Dr James F Harris continue to provide to so many students such as myself who spent time in the laboratories of Virginia Wesleyan College vi
Safety First THE FIRST LESSON that every beginning biologist should learn is that safety must always come fi st Whether you are planning to perform the exercises in this book at home or at school the fi st step you should take is to become aware of your surroundings Begin by making sure there is an adult nearby at all times in the event of an emergency or just to assist you with a procedure Next locate a sink with running water in case you get something in your eyes or on your skin and need to rinse the affected area Finally look for tripping hazards such as clutter on the flo r of your pri mary walkways and remove them If you are working with a stove or burner make sure that you have access to water or a fire extin guisher in case of fir Here are a few more safety tips 䉴 Never eat or drink anything while you are working on an experiment Never eat the Jell-O or SlimFast used in this book The bacteria that you grow on these foods could make you sick 䉴 Never eat fruit from the wild 䉴 Always throw away items such as disposable cups leaves sugar solutions soil seeds or any food items as soon as you are fin vii
