Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain why and how passive transport occursUnderstand the processes of osmosis and diffusionDefine tonicity and describe its relevance to passive transport

Dr. O discusses the various types of muscle contractions, emphasizing that not all contractions result in visible movement. The main types of muscle contractions mentioned are isometric, isotonic (which can be further divided into concentric and eccentric), and isokinetic (though he briefly touches on this, noting it requires specialized equipment). Isometric contractions involve no change in muscle length and no movement; for example, the postural muscles we use to stand or sit. Isotonic contractions result in a change in muscle length and include concentric contractions (muscles contract and get shorter, like when lifting a weight) and eccentric contractions (muscles contract and get longer, like when lowering a weight). Dr. O also mentions that eccentric contractions, while useful in muscle development, can cause muscle damage due to the nature of the contraction.