Biology: The Science of Life: Parts 1-6 (The Teaching Company: The Great Courses)

"The 21st century will be the century of biological science, just as the 20th century was the century of physical science," predicts Professor Stephen Nowicki, an award-winning teacher at Duke University. Dr. Nowicki has adapted his acclaimed introductory biology course for The Teaching Company to bring you up to date on one of the most important fields of knowledge of our time and help you appreciate the marvelous diversity and complexity of life. You will obtain the background and guidance to explore in depth the fundamental principles of how living things work-principles such as evolution by natural selection, the cellular structure of organisms, the DNA theory of inheritance, and much more. This challenging course is organized around three major themes: "Information and Evolution," "Development and Homeostasis," and "Energy and Resources." You will explore living systems at all levels, from biological molecules to global ecosystems. You will gain insight into pressing issues facing society, including genetic modification and cloning, stem-cell research, AIDS, the depletion of the rainforests, and global warming. You will discover mechanisms behind such intriguing phenomena as why children resemble their parents, why plants bend toward light, how memories are stored, why some birds have very long tails, and how life itself began on Earth. Above all, you will learn how to think about biology, so that in your day-to-day life you will understand the significance and complexities of news stories, medical issues, and public debates, not to mention what is going on in your own garden and in nature all around you.Nowicki, Stephen is the author of 'Biology: The Science of Life: Parts 1-6 (The Teaching Company: The Great Courses)' with ISBN 9781565859272 and ISBN 1565859278.