VIP Handy Biology Answer Book (Hardcover)

Life itself and today's hottest science are examined in "The Handy Biology Answer Book. From the newsworthy (What are stem cells? What is genetically modified food and why is it so controversial?) to the practical (Does antibiotic soap really help reduce infection? How does caffeine affect cells? How many kinds of mushrooms are edible?) and the curious (What is the most dangerous poison produced by a plant?), "Handy Biology answers 1,600 questions about human, animal, and plant biology. Easy to use and a friendly reference source for general science readers and students, "Handy Biology is organized in sixteen chapters with 110 illustrations plus dozens of charts and tables. "Handy Biology explains the workings of cell structure and function, bacteria, viruses, plan diversity, animal diversity, DNA and chromosomes, genetics, biotechnology and genetic engineering, evolution and adaptation, the environment, laboratory techniques, and more. You'll find answers to such intriguing questions as: What is cell cloning? What is DNA and RNA? When and how did cells first evolve? Can two blue-eyed people have a brown-eyed child? How serious a disease is influenza? Do overweight children have a greater risk of being overweight adults? What is an atom? Why are some fats "good" and others "bad"? Why do humans need cholesterol? How do birds know to fly south in winter? Can the environment determine the sex of an animal? When was the first microscope developed? A special appendix on milestones describes notable advancements in biological research, and a resources section leads readers to books, periodicals, and websites where they can explore each subject in greater depth. Which children's author studiedand drew illustrations of fungi? In 1888 Beatrix Potter, perhaps best-known for having written "Peter Rabbit, began drawing fungi. In 1897 she presented a scientific paper on the germination of spores to the Linnean Society of London. Although her findings were originally rejected, experts now consider her ideas correct.