An essential companion for biology students throughout your entire degree programme, this seventh edition of Practical Skills in Biology, has been updated and expanded to provide you with a complete and easy-to-read guide. It’s an all-in-one solution for the key practical skills needed for biology and all biosciences, including: comprehensive coverage of study and examination skills; fundamental laboratory and field methods; investigative and analytical techniques and analysis and presentation of data.
This new edition comes with increased coverage on laboratory skills, new chapters on working with bacteria, eukaryotic microbes and viruses, and on assaying biomolecules, as well as new sections on online learning in a post-COVID world. In addition, 300 new and updated illustrations, tables, and tips – including 25 new ‘how to’ boxes – have been added, along with numerous end-of-chapter study exercises (with answers provided on the companion website) to support self-evaluation.
“A comprehensive and useful text on the practical techniques used in the biological sciences.”
- Dr Zenobia Lewis, University of Liverpool
Author(s): Allan Jones, Rob Reed, Jonathan Weyers
Edition: 7
Publisher: Pearson
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 657
City: Harlow
Front Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface to the 7th edition
List of abbreviations
Study strategies
1. Developing your skills
2. Self-management
3. Learning e_ectively
4. Making the most of learning resources
5. Locating and citing published information
6. Evaluating information
7. Working with others
8. Mapping your personal development
Assessment skills
9. Succeeding in assessments
10. Scientific writing
11. Writing essays
12. Reporting practical and project work
13. Tackling literature surveys and reviews
14. Presenting written assignments
15. Preparing a poster
16. Giving a spoken presentation
17. Revision strategies
18. Improving your performance in exams
Fundamental laboratory techniques
19. Preparing for practical work
20. Working safely in the lab and field
21. Basic laboratory skills
22. Measuring and dispensing liquids
23. Preparing solutions – principles and practice
24. Measuring and maintaining pH
The investigative approach
25. Making measurements
26. Understanding SI units and their use
27. Observational skills
28. Recording data in the laboratory and field
29. Drawing diagrams
30. Taking samples
31. Designing experiments
32. Understanding bioethics
33. Tackling project work and placements
Obtaining and identifying specimens
34. Collecting animals and plants
35. Collecting and isolating microbes
36. Fixing and preserving specimens
37. Naming and classifying organisms
38. Identifying plants and animals
39. Identifying microbes
Examining specimens and samples
40. Understanding microscopy
41. Preparing specimens for light microscopy
42. Setting up and using a light microscope
43. Interpreting microscope images
44. Recording and processing photographic images
45. Measuring growth and responses
46. Dissection techniques
Working with microbes, cells and tissues
47. Learning sterile technique
48. Culturing cells
49. Working with bacteria
50. Working with eukaryotic microbes: fungi and protists
51. Working with viruses
52. Working with animal and plant tissues and cells
Environmental investigations
53. Developing fieldwork skills
54. Describing ecosystems
55. Analysing aquatic environments
56. Analysing soils and sediments
57. Measuring atmospheric variables
58. Measuring light
Analytical techniques
59. Understanding chemical analysis
60. Understanding calibration and quantitative analysis
61. Assaying biomolecules
62. Centrifugation techniques
63. Using spectroscopic methods
64. Using chromatographic systems
65. Methods of electrophoresis
66. Studying Mendelian and population genetics
67. Investigating molecular genetics
68. Using immunological methods
69. Studying enzymes
70. Measuring oxygen content
71. Quantifying photosynthesis and respiration
72. Using radioisotopes
73. Analysing stable isotopes
Analysing and presenting data
74. Manipulating and transforming raw data
75. Analysing data with spreadsheets
76. Summarising data in tables
77. Illustrating data in graphs
78. Solving numerical problems
79. Using descriptive statistics
80. Selecting and interpreting statistical tests
Appendix 1
Publisher's acknowledgements
Index
Back Cover
