Biology  5/e   Raven/Johnson
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Biology is the scientific study of life. This is a neat and simple definition, but it covers a fascinating and diverse world. This textbook is an introduction to the world of biology, and in it you will learn what living organisms are made of, how they function, and how they have evolved and continue to do so. Our study of life will be a scientific one, following the scientific method of asking questions, collecting data, making and testing hypotheses, and formulating theories. All the information, hypotheses, and theories presented in this textbook have been derived by countless scientists following such procedures. Biological knowledge has been steadily built up and refined over hundreds of years. Today our biological knowledge is increasing at a phenomenal rate, and biology has assumed an ever more important role in all of our lives. Only through understanding biology can we hope to address and solve vital medical and ecological problems, for example, and help improve the quality of life for all organisms on this planet. We begin our study of biology by examining the theory of evolution by natural selection – what it says, the evidence on which Darwin based his theory, and how the theory has withstood the test of time. We start with this theory because it forms the foundation of modern biology.

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