The biology of us : the living world all around and in us / Gary C. Howard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Howard, Gary C., author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human biology.

Human evolution.

Biology.

Botany.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (329 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2024]

Summary:

'The Biology of Us' describes the common but fascinating examples of biology and nature that are hidden in plain sight in our daily lives. It focuses on human biology, but describes animals and plants all around, on, and in us to put human features into an evolutionary context. Many aspects of ourselves and our normal activities are examples of evolution: breathing, eating, standing up, communicating, telling time, and more. This book illustrates evolutionary strategies used successfully by common organisms for hundreds of millions of years. Howard shows that the organisms in our daily lives are not trivial neighbors or even pests but are just as amazing as those in the Serengeti or the Galapagos Islands.

Contents:

Cover

The Biology of Us

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

"Tides of the Body" by Anne Whitehouse

Preface

1. Looking for Sowbugs

2. Life around Us

Building the Family Tree

Animals

What Distinguishes Humans from Other Animals

Plants

Lichens

Fungi and Bacteria

Life Is Everywhere

3. Life beneath Our Feet

Earth under Our Feet

Life Underground

Key Processes Underground

Think about What's Underground

4. Supermarket Systematics

Animal Products

Plant Products

Mushrooms and Fungi

Thanksgiving Dinner

Supermarket Systematics

5. Fellow Travelers

Visitors That Drop in for a Bite

Visitors That Stay for a While

Internal Parasites

Fungi

Bacteria

Microbiome

Viruses

Viral Fossils

Endosymbiosis

In the End

6. Inside and Outside

Water

Oils and Lipids

Proteins

Membrane Structure

Crossing Membranes

Other Lipids

Inside and Outside of Us

The Ultimate Inside

7. Inside and Outside of Us

Outside: Skin

The Other Outside: The Digestive Tract

The True Inside

8. Food and Eating

The Evolution of Eating

Cooking

Digestion

When Things Go Wrong

Diseases of Affluence

9. Standing Up

Standing on Two Feet

Cells and Cellular Structures

Humans

Moving Plants

Putting It All Together

10. The Heart of the Matter

Blood

Heart

Lungs

Kidneys

Internal Sea

11. Frogs and Fingers

Programmed Cell Death

Butterflies and Frogs

Falling Leaves and Fruit

Human Development and Maintenance

Diseases and Aging

Quorum Sensing in Bacteria

Cell Death Supports Cell Life

12. Laughing and Crying

Crying and Tears

Laughing

Anatomy of Speech

Vocalizations and Language

Evolution of Speech

Chemical Communication

Conclusions.

13. Sleep and Consciousness

What Is Sleep?

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Sleep Disorders

Do All Animals Sleep?

Do Plants Sleep?

How the Brain Works

What Are Dreams?

Consciousness

Conclusion

14. Telling Time

Circadian Rhythms

Confusing Our Internal Clocks

Beyond Waking and Sleeping

Development and Aging

Time

15. What's Next?

Glossary

References

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on September 2, 2024).

ISBN:

0-19-766482-2

0-19-766480-6

OCLC:

1454051956