Practical Skills in Biology (7^th Ed.)

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 

Preface 

List of abbreviations 

Study strategies  

1. Developing your skills
2. Self-management 
3. Learning effectively 
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  

Index 

Allan Jones, Chancellor's Award Fellow in Ecology, Environmental Science and Zoology at the University of Dundee, UK. 

Rob Reed, Emeritus Professor (Education and Science) at Central Queensland University, Australia. 

Jonathan Weyers, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, U

• Provides a one-stop guide to the key practical skills needed in biology, including comprehensive coverage of: study and examination skills; fundamental laboratory and field methods; investigative and analytical techniques; analysis and presentation of data. 
• Contains numerous margin tips and hints, ‘how to' boxes, checklists and examples. 
• Key points highlight critical features of methodology. 
• Gives theoretical background to methods to enhance understanding. 
• Includes numerous end-of-chapter study exercises to support student self-evaluation, with answers available on the companion website. The website also includes PowerPoint slides of key illustrations to enhance lecturer presentations.