Practical skills in biology

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
List of boxes......Page 9
Preface to the sixth edition......Page 12
For the student......Page 13
Acknowledgements......Page 14
List of abbreviations......Page 15
Study and examination skills......Page 18
 Chapter 1: The importance of transferable skills......Page 20
 Chapter 2: Managing your time......Page 26
 Chapter 3: Working with others......Page 30
 Chapter 4: Taking notes from lectures and texts......Page 35
 Chapter 5: Learning effectively......Page 40
 Chapter 6: Revision strategies......Page 47
 Chapter 7: Assignments and exams......Page 52
 Chapter 8: Preparing your curriculum vitae......Page 62
Information technology and learning resources......Page 68
 Chapter 9: Finding and citing published information......Page 70
 Chapter 10: Evaluating information......Page 77
 Chapter 11: Using online resources......Page 85
 Chapter 12: Using word processors, databases and other packages......Page 95
 Chapter 13: Using spreadsheets......Page 102
Communicating information......Page 108
 Chapter 14: Organising a poster display......Page 110
 Chapter 15: Giving a spoken presentation......Page 115
 Chapter 16: General aspects of scientific writing......Page 121
 Chapter 17: Writing essays......Page 128
 Chapter 18: Reporting practical and project work......Page 131
 Chapter 19: Writing literature surveys and reviews......Page 136
Fundamental laboratory techniques......Page 140
 Chapter 20: Essentials of practical work......Page 142
 Chapter 21: Bioethics......Page 145
 Chapter 22: Health and safety......Page 153
 Chapter 23: Working with liquids......Page 156
 Chapter 24: Basic laboratory procedures......Page 162
 Chapter 25: Principles of solution chemistry......Page 172
 Chapter 26: pH and buffer solutions......Page 180
The investigative approach......Page 188
 Chapter 27: The principles of measurement......Page 190
 Chapter 28: SI units and their use......Page 194
 Chapter 29: Making observations......Page 199
 Chapter 30: Drawings and diagrams......Page 202
 Chapter 31: Basic fieldwork procedures......Page 209
 Chapter 32: Samples and sampling......Page 213
 Chapter 33: Scientific method and design of experiments......Page 218
 Chapter 34: Making notes of practical work......Page 226
 Chapter 35: Project work......Page 231
Obtaining and identifying specimens......Page 236
 Chapter 36: Collecting animals and plants......Page 238
 Chapter 37: Fixing and preserving animals and plants......Page 242
 Chapter 38: Collecting and isolating microbes......Page 247
 Chapter 39: Naming and classifying organisms......Page 252
 Chapter 40: Identifying plants and animals......Page 257
 Chapter 41: Identifying microbes......Page 264
Examining specimens and samples......Page 270
 Chapter 42: The purpose and practice of dissection......Page 272
 Chapter 43: Introduction to microscopy......Page 278
 Chapter 44: Preparing specimens for light microscopy......Page 282
 Chapter 45: Setting up and using a light microscope......Page 288
 Chapter 46: Interpreting microscope images......Page 294
 Chapter 47: Sterile technique......Page 300
 Chapter 48: Cell culture......Page 307
 Chapter 49: Working with animal and plant tissues and cells......Page 315
 Chapter 50: Photography and imaging......Page 323
 Chapter 51: Measuring growth and responses......Page 330
 Chapter 52: Fundamentals of chemical analysis......Page 337
 Chapter 53: Calibration and quantitative analysis......Page 343
Environmental investigations......Page 350
 Chapter 54: Ecological analyses......Page 352
 Chapter 55: Analysis of aquatic environments......Page 362
 Chapter 56: Analysis of soils and sediments......Page 371
 Chapter 57: Measuring atmospheric variables......Page 381
 Chapter 58: Measuring light......Page 388
Advanced analytical techniques......Page 392
 Chapter 59: Immunological methods......Page 394
 Chapter 60: Enzyme studies......Page 403
 Chapter 61: Mendelian genetics......Page 411
 Chapter 62: Fundamental molecular biology techniques......Page 418
 Chapter 63: Using stable isotopes......Page 427
 Chapter 64: Using radioisotopes......Page 433
 Chapter 65: Measuring oxygen content......Page 442
 Chapter 66: Photosynthesis and respiration......Page 448
 Chapter 67: Centrifugation......Page 458
 Chapter 68: Spectroscopic techniques......Page 464
 Chapter 69: Chromatography......Page 471
 Chapter 70: Electrophoresis......Page 479
Analysis and presentation of data......Page 486
 Chapter 71: Manipulating and transforming raw data......Page 488
 Chapter 72: Using graphs......Page 492
 Chapter 73: Presenting data in tables......Page 505
 Chapter 74: Hints for solving numerical problems......Page 510
 Chapter 75: Descriptive statistics......Page 521
 Chapter 76: Choosing and using statistical tests......Page 532
Index......Page 545