Life Science Online Textbook
The Life Science online/digital textbook is an introduction to life science and biology written to support the Nitty Gritty Science Life Science Curriculum.
Students can access information online, or a pdf can be printed for each section. This online textbook is in no way intended to be a complete overview of Life Science or Biology.
The topics covered are grade-appropriate (Grades 6, 7, and 8) and support the Middle School Life Science Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) along with most state standards. As this is only one resource, it is always recommended that students also learn how to use other resources to fill in the gaps and provide more context for each subject.
Chapter 1: Nature of Science
Chapter 2: Intro to Life Science
Chapter 3: Principles of Ecology
- Section 1: Nutrition and Energy
- Section 2: Energy Flow in Ecosystems
- Section 3: Cycles in Nature
- Section 4: Organisms and their Environment
- Section 5: Ecological Succession
- Section 6: Biomes
Chapter 4: Population Dynamics
- Section 1: Characteristics of Populations
- Section 2: Human Populations
- Section 3: Renewable & Nonrenewable Resources
- Section 4: Biodiversity
Chapter 5: Cell Structure and Function
- Section 1: The Discovery of Cells
- Section 2: The Plasma Membrane
- Section 3: Eukaryotic Cell Structure
- Section 4: Prokaryotic Cell Structure
- Section 5: Cellular Transport
Chapter 6: Cell Processes and Energy
- Section 1: Photosynthesis
- Section 2: Cellular Respiration
- Section 3: Cell Cycle
- Section 4: Phases of Mitosis
- Section 5: DNA Structure and Replication
- Section 6: Control System of Cell Cycle
Chapter 7: Genetics – The Science of Heredity
- Section 1: The Work of Gregor Mendel
- Section 2: Mendel’s Laws of Heredity
- Section 3: Punnett Squares
- Section 4: Meiosis
Chapter 8: Modern Genetics
- Section 1: Complex Patterns of Inheritance
- Section 2: The Genetic Code
- Section 3: Human Genetic Disorders
- Section 4: Advances in Genetics
Chapter 9: Change Over Time & Classification
- Section 1: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
- Section 2: Evolution of Populations
- Section 3: The Fossil Record
- Section 4: Classification
- Section 5: Domains & Kingdoms
Chapter 10: The Microbial World
Chapter 11: Plants
- Section 1: The Plant Kingdom
- Section 2: Plants Without Seeds
- Section 3: Seed Plants
- Section 4: Flowering Plants
- Section 5: Roots, Stems, and Leaves
- Section 6: Plant Responses and Growth
Chapter 12: Animal Diversity – Invertebrates
- Section 1: Introduction to Animals
- Section 2: Animal Behavior
- Section 3: Sponges, Cnidarians, & Worms
- Section 4: Mollusks, Arthropods, & Echinoderms
- Section 5: Insects
Chapter 13: Animal Diversity – Vertebrates
Chapter 14: Human Body – Part 1
- Section 1: The Skin
- Section 2: The Muscular System
- Section 3: The Skeletal System
- Section 4: The Nervous System
- Section 5: The Digestive System