Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution: Life on Earth [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution [2 volumes]

Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution tackles the critical issue for humanity in the 21st century—our ever more menacing impact on the environment. This two-volume, illustrated set, edited by American Museum of Natural History curator Niles Eldredge, begins with biodiversity, the complex planetary web of life that has emerged through three billion years of evolution. How does it work? And why is its continued health critical to the planet and to ourselves? More than 50 top scholars examine every form of life from amoebae to elephants, from plankton to whales. But Life on Earth is more than a catalog of species. An A–Z survey explores the myriad ways humanity is diminishing that biodiversity, from industrialization to natural habitat destruction, from overpopulation in the developing world to an unsustainable consumer lifestyle in the West. Life on Earth is the essential reference work for anyone curious about our planet's extraordinary diversity of life and the unprecedented threats it faces.
The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides a comprehensive survey of current biochemistry and molecular biology. Over the last few years, the language of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has expanded enormously to the extent that few scientists can expect to be familiar with all aspects of it. This is partly due to the Genome projects and the successive -omics projects which have provided comprehensive information about genes, the functions of gene products, and cellular processes. At the same time, terms from other subject areas appear increasingly in the biochemical literature. The popular Dictionary has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to include many important new concepts and words. The entries are short but informative, providing up-to-date information on a broad range of topics, including definitions for selected terms from Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Systems Biology, and Toxicology. There are over 21,000 main entries, which give details of biochemical substances and the processes in which they are involved, define methods and concepts in molecular biology, and give definitions of biochemical symbols and abbreviations. It points out pitfalls where terms are often confused. It explains the precise syntax of biochemical terms, such as Greek letters and other formatting, which are lost when searching the Internet. In addition the dictionary is illustrated with over 900 chemical structures.

The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will serve as an invaluable reference for biochemists and molecular biologists seeking information outside their own fields, and for those wishing to revisit fundamental principles.

"The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides a comprehensive survey of current biochemistry and molecular biology. This dictionary has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to include many important new concepts and words. The entries are short but informative, providing up-to-date information on a broad range of topics, including definitions for selected terms from the fields of Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Systems Biology, and Toxicology. There are over 21000 main entries, which provide details of biochemical substances and the processes in which they are involved, define methods and concepts in molecular biology, and give definitions of biochemical symbols and abbreviations. They point out pitfalls where terms are often confused, and explain the precise syntax of biochemical terms such as Greek letters and other formatting, which are invariably lost when searching the Internet. In addition, the dictionary is generously illustrated with over 900 chemical structures." "The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will serve as an invaluable reference text for student and professional biochemists and molecular biologists seeking information both from within and outside their own fields. It will also be of relevance and use to a broader audience of life scientists seeking an authoritative overview of fundamental principles."--Jacket An examination of nature's extraordinary biological diversity and the human activities that threaten it.Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution tackles the critical issue for humanity in the 21st century—our ever more menacing impact on the environment. This two-volume, illustrated set, edited by American Museum of Natural History curator Niles Eldredge, begins with biodiversity, the complex planetary web of life that has emerged through three billion years of evolution. How does it work? And why is its continued health critical to the planet and to ourselves?More than 50 top scholars examine every form of life from amoebae to elephants, from plankton to whales. But Life on Earth is more than a catalog of species. An A–Z survey explores the myriad ways humanity is diminishing that biodiversity, from industrialization to natural habitat destruction, from overpopulation in the developing world to an unsustainable consumer lifestyle in the West. Life on Earth is the essential reference work for anyone curious about our planet's extraordinary diversity of life and the unprecedented threats it faces. Life on Earth......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 What Is Biodiversity?......Page 18 Why Is Biodiversity Important?......Page 48 Threats to Biodiversity......Page 66 Stemming the Tide of the Sixth Global Extinction Event: What We Can Do......Page 90 A......Page 104 B......Page 184 C......Page 224 D......Page 284 E......Page 298 F......Page 374 G......Page 390 H......Page 422 I......Page 450 L......Page 468 M......Page 500 N......Page 536 O......Page 544 P......Page 562 R......Page 642 S......Page 662 T......Page 706 U......Page 724 V......Page 728 W......Page 736 X......Page 740 Z......Page 744 Selected Bibliography......Page 746 Index......Page 766 About the Editor......Page 810 This two-volume set provides a guide for high school students and above to the planet's diverse life forms and the systems that support them. The 200 cross-referenced entries (about two-to-six pages in length) cover topics such as ecosystems, major groups of organisms, threats to biodiversity, ways to reduce or prevent further damage, and related academic disciplines. The book includes b & w photographs and drawings, many of which add to understanding of the text Provides a current assessment of the world's ecosystems, including coverage of all plant and animal life, analysis of species moving towards extinction, and data on human population growth.