Campbell Biology is divided into eight units and 56 chapters. The organization and size of this book are appropriate and easy for first-year university students and help them to learn and digest the content. Campbell Biology is currently among the best biology books and it is listed with the best shelling textbooks. Campbell Biology is mainly for first-year university students, but it is also an important book for postgraduate medical examinations. Moreover, some high school students may use it as an essential reference book. In its current edition, the latest information in various fields has been added, such as the basal body, which was previously called the 9*3 type microtube arrangement but now has been renamed as the 9 + 0 type in Chapter 6. The updates in molecular biology are closer to the current situation, such as the addition of information on next-generation sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 in Chapter 20. This content can enable readers to acquire the latest knowledge. Reading this book and understanding the information presented in its pages is very helpful for the future life science professionals. Thus, Campbell Biology is very valuable textbook in the field of biology.

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Shen J of Biol Res-Thessaloniki (2020) 27:19

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-020-00127-0

BOOK REVIEW

Campbell biology (edited byLisa Urry,

Michael Cain, Steven Wasserman, Peter

Minorsky andJane Reece)

Gangxu Shen1,2*

Abstract

Campbell Biology is divided into eight units and 56 chapters. The organization and size of this book are appropriate

and easy for first-year university students and help them to learn and digest the content. Campbell Biology is currently

among the best biology books and it is listed with the best shelling textbooks. Campbell Biology is mainly for first-year

university students, but it is also an important book for postgraduate medical examinations. Moreover, some high

school students may use it as an essential reference book. In its current edition, the latest information in various fields

has been added, such as the basal body, which was previously called the 9*3 type microtube arrangement but now

has been renamed as the 9 + 0 type in Chapter 6. The updates in molecular biology are closer to the current situation,

such as the addition of information on next-generation sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 in Chapter 20. This content can

enable readers to acquire the latest knowledge. Reading this book and understanding the information presented in

its pages is very helpful for the future life science professionals. Thus, Campbell Biology is very valuable textbook in the

field of biology.

Keywords: Campbell biology, University students, Postgraduate medical examinations

© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,

adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and

the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material

in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material

is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the

permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creat iveco

mmons .org/licen ses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creat iveco mmons .org/publi cdoma in/

zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Book details

Campbell Biology, 11th Lisa Urry, Michael Cain, Steven

Wasserman, Peter Minorsky, Jane Reece.

Pearson Education, 2017

ISBN13: 978-0-134-09341-3

Biology is a compulsory course in a university's biomed-

icine-related departments. Biology includes cytology,

energetics, genetics, molecular biology, botany, evolu-

tion, ecology, and taxonomy. Biology is necessary to pre-

pare for detailed study in various fields.

The readership ofCampbell Biology

Campbell Biology is mainly for first-year university stu-

dents, but it is also an important book for postgraduate

medical examinations. Moreover, some high school stu-

dents may use it as an essential reference book. Although

the content may be difficult for high school students, it

is suitable for first-year university students. However, the

content may be too basic for candidates appearing for

post-baccalaureate Chinese medicine and Western medi-

cine examinations. Because of the fierce competition in

these examinations, books with much more advanced

content are often preferred. Sometimes, the entrance

exam questions for the post-baccalaureate medicine

department are taken from more professional books,

such as those closely related to biochemistry, molecular

biology, genetics, or ecology.

Open Access

Journal of Biological

Research-Thessaloniki

*Correspondence: numbershen@yahoo.com.tw

1 School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University,

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Full list of author information is available at the end of the article

Page 2 of 3

Shen J of Biol Res-Thessaloniki (2020) 27:19

What isnew inCampbell Biology

In this edition of Campbell Biology, the latest informa-

tion in various fields has been added, such as the basal

body, which was previously called the 9*3 type micro-

tube arrangement but now has been renamed as the

9 + 0 type in Chapter6 [1]. e updates in molecular

biology are closer to the current situation, such as the

addition of information on next-generation sequencing

and CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short pal-

indromic repeat)/Cas9 in Chapter20 [1]. is content

can enable readers to acquire the latest knowledge.

The organization ofCampbell Biology

Campbell Biology is divided into eight units and 56

chapters [1]. e organization and size of this book

are appropriate and easy for first-year university stu-

dents and help them to accept and learn the content.

Campbell Biology is currently among the best biology

books and it is listed with the best shelling textbooks.

Of course, some content lack depth compared with

more specialized books, but this is understandable

given its main target is first-year university students.

For more in-depth content, readers may refer to other

books, such as Gene 12th, Molecular Cell Biology (Lod-

ish et al.), Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 7th,

Immunobiology (Janeway etal.), Principles of Genetics

(Snustad and Simmons), Vander's Human Physiology

15th, Elements of Ecology (Smith and Smith), and Brock

Biology of Microorganisms 15th.

Suggestions onCampbell biology content

Unit 2 The cell

Chapter6, page 102: e fact that ribosomes are not

membrane bounded means that they cannot techni-

cally be considered organelles [1]; however, a number

of books, such as Starr Biology [ 2], describe ribosomes

as organelles. I therefore suggest that the book make

readers aware that even among experts, opinions differ.

Chapter7, page 138: e term secondary active trans-

port, which is commonly used in other textbooks on

physiology [3] and biochemistry [4] is referred to in

Campbell Biology as cotransport [1]. To prevent con-

fusion, I suggest using the common term, secondary

active transport.

Unit 3 Genetics

Chapter15, page 310: On a few genes, methylation has

been shown to activate the expression of the allele. One

example is the insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf 2) gene,

on which the methylation of particular cytosines on

the paternal chromosome leads to the expression of the

paternal Igf 2 allele [1]. Note however that in Gene 12th

[5 ], the description is quite different: "e ICR is meth-

ylated on the paternal allele, where Igf 2 is active. e

ICR is unmethylated on the maternal allele, where Igf 2

is inactive." I suggest that readers be informed that meth-

ylation occurs on the ICR, rather than on Igf 2. is will

help to avoid confusion when they read the descriptions

in other texts, such as Brooker Biology: "Igf 2 is methyl-

ated on the maternal allele, where Igf 2 is inactive" [6].

Chapter20, pages 429–430: Embryonic stem cells (ES

cells) are pluripotent, which means that they are capable

of differentiating into many different cell types [1]. Note

however, that Figure20.20 ascribes to ES cells the ability

to generate "all embryonic cell types" [1]. I recommended

modifying the text as "many different cell types" to ensure

consistency between the main text and figure caption.

Unit 5 The evolutionary history ofbiological diversity

Chapter27, pages 578: e process of bacterial conjuga-

tion by which DNA is transferred has yet to be fully eluci-

dated. In fact, recent evidence suggests that DNA passes

directly through the hollow pilus. In Principles of genetics

[7 ], it is clearly stated that F pili are involved in establish-

ing cell contact, rather than the transfer of DNA. I there-

fore recommended that Campbell Biology make it clear

that the sex pilus is involved only in cell contact and not

in the transmission of DNA.

Unit 6 Plant form andfunction

Chapter35, page 778: e ABC model of flower forma-

tion involves formation of the four types of floral organs

[1 ]. e functions of MADS-box gene have been exten-

sively studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, where ABCDE

genes specify the fate of floral organs by the combina-

torial ABCDE model [8 , 9 ]. In this model, A, B and C

proteins interact with E proteins [10]: A and E produces

sepals; A, B and E produces petals; B, C and E produces

stamens; C and E produces carpels [10–13]. erefore, I

suggest that Campbell biology should change the content

of ABC model to ABCDE model.

Unit 7 Animal form andfunction

Chapter46, page 1032: Animal embryo development pro-

cess is zygote, cleavage, and blastocyst [1]. But before the

formation of blastocyst, there is a period called Morula

[3 , 14, 15]. is period of Morula should not be omitted.

Why should read this book

e fact that Campbell Biology outlines the foundations

of life science makes it a must-read for all life science pro-

fessionals. If you ever expect to apply for a post-bacca-

laureate position as in a medical department, Campbell

Biology should be on your list of essential reading.

Page 3 of 3

Shen J of Biol Res-Thessaloniki (2020) 27:19

•

fast, convenient online submission

•

thorough peer review by experienced researchers in your field

•

rapid publication on acceptance

•

support for research data, including large and complex data types

•

gold Open Access which fosters wider collaboration and increased citations

maximum visibility for your research: over 100M website views per year

•

At BMC, research is always in progress.

Learn more biomedcentral.com/submissions

Ready to submit your re search

? Choose BMC and benefit from:

Abbreviations

CRISPR: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat.; Igf 2:

Insulin-like growth factor 2; ES cells: Embryonic stem cells.

Acknowledgements

I especially thank Springer Nature for sponsoring article-processing charge. I

also thank all the authors of Campbell biology and Pearson Education.

Authors' contributions

GS performed all the research and drafted the manuscript. The author read

and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

No.

Availability of data and materials

Campbell biology.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

No.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Author details

1 School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsi-

ung, Taiwan. 2 National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan.

Received: 15 September 2020 Accepted: 28 November 2020

References

1. Urry L, Cain M, Wasserman S, Minorsky P, Reece J. Campbell biology. 11th

ed. New York: Pearson; 2017.

2. Starr C, Taggart R, Evers C, Starr L. Biology: the unity and diversity of life.

14th ed. Canada: Nelson Education; 2014.

3. Widmaier EP, Raff H, Strang KT, Shoepe TC. Vander's human physiology:

the mechanisms of body function. 15th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Edu-

cation; 2019.

4. Berg JM, Tymoczko JL, Jr Gatto GJ, Stryer L. Biochemistry. 8th ed. New

York: W. H Freeman and Company; 2015.

5. Krebs JE, Goldstein ES, Kilpatrick ST. Lewin's genes XII. Burlington: Jones &

Bartlett Learning; 2018.

6. Brooker RJ, Widmaier EP, Graham LE, Stiling PD. Biology. 5th ed. New York:

McGraw-Hill Education; 2020.

7. Snustad DP, Simmons MJ. Principles of genetics. 7th ed. Hoboken: John

Wiley & Sons Inc; 2015.

8. Murai K. Homeotic genes and the ABCDE model for floral organ forma-

tion in wheat. Plants. 2013;2:379–95.

9. Dreni L, Zhang D. Flower development: the evolutionary history

and functions of the AGL6 subfamily MADS-box genes. J Exp Bot.

2016;67:1625–38.

10. Wellmer F, Graciet E, Riechmann JL. Specification of floral organs in Arabi-

dopsis. J Exp Bot. 2014;65:1–9.

11. Kim S, Koh J, Yoo M-J, Kong H, Hu Y, Ma H, et al. Expression of floral MADS-

box genes in basal angiosperms: Implications for the evolution of floral

regulators. Plant J. 2005;43:724–44.

12. Li H, Liang W, Yin C, Zhu L, Zhang D. Genetic interaction of OsMADS3,

DROOPING LEAF, and OsMADS13 in specifying rice floral organ identities

and meristem determinacy. Plant Physiol. 2011;156:263–74.

13. O'Maoiléidigh DS, Graciet E, Wellmer F. Gene networks controlling Arabi-

dopsis thaliana flower development. New Phytol. 2014;201:16–30.

14. Bruce MC. Human embryology and developmental biology. 5th ed.

Philadelphia: Saunders; 2013.

15. Sadler TW. Langman's medical embryology. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters

Kluwer; 2014.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in pub-

lished maps and institutional affiliations.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

  • Koji Murai Koji Murai

Floral organ formation has been the subject of intensive study for over 20 years, particularly in the model dicot species Arabidopsis thaliana. These studies have led to the establishment of a general model for the development of floral organs in higher plants, the so-called ABCDE model, in which floral whorl-specific combinations of class A, B, C, D, or E genes specify floral organ identity. In Arabidopsis, class A, B, C, D, E genes encode MADS-box transcription factors except for the class A gene APETALA2. Mutation of these genes induces floral organ homeosis. In this review, I focus on the roles of these homeotic genes in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), particularly with respect to the ABCDE model. Pistillody, the homeotic transformation of stamens into pistil-like structures, occurs in cytoplasmic substitution (alloplasmic) wheat lines that have the cytoplasm of the related wild species Aegilops crassa. This phenomenon is a valuable tool for analysis of the wheat ABCDE model. Using an alloplasmic line, the wheat ortholog of DROOPING LEAF (TaDL), a member of the YABBY gene family, has been shown to regulate pistil specification. Here, I describe the current understanding of the ABCDE model for floral organ formation in wheat.

Grass plants develop unique floral patterns that determine grain production. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the specification of floral organ identities and meristem determinacy, including the interaction among floral homeotic genes, remains largely unknown in grasses. Here, we report the interactions of rice (Oryza sativa) floral homeotic genes, OsMADS3 (a C-class gene), OsMADS13 (a D-class gene), and DROOPING LEAF (DL), in specifying floral organ identities and floral meristem determinacy. The interaction among these genes was revealed through the analysis of double mutants. osmads13-3 osmads3-4 displayed a loss of floral meristem determinacy and generated abundant carpelloid structures containing severe defective ovules in the flower center, which were not detectable in the single mutant. In addition, in situ hybridization and yeast two-hybrid analyses revealed that OsMADS13 and OsMADS3 did not regulate each other's transcription or interact at the protein level. This indicates that OsMADS3 plays a synergistic role with OsMADS13 in both ovule development and floral meristem termination. Strikingly, osmads3-4 dl-sup6 displayed a severe loss of floral meristem determinacy and produced supernumerary whorls of lodicule-like organs at the forth whorl, suggesting that OsMADS3 and DL synergistically terminate the floral meristem. Furthermore, the defects of osmads13-3 dl-sup6 flowers appeared identical to those of dl-sup6, and the OsMADS13 expression was undetectable in dl-sup6 flowers. These observations suggest that DL and OsMADS13 may function in the same pathway specifying the identity of carpel/ovule and floral meristem. Collectively, we propose a model to illustrate the role of OsMADS3, DL, and OsMADS13 in the specification of flower organ identity and meristem determinacy in rice.

The ABC model of floral organ identity is based on studies of Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum, both of which are highly derived eudicots. Most of the genes required for the ABC functions in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum are members of the MADS-box gene family, and their orthologs are present in all major angiosperm lineages. Although the eudicots comprise 75% of all angiosperms, most of the diversity in arrangement and number of floral parts is actually found among basal angiosperm lineages, for which little is known about the genes that control floral development. To investigate the conservation and divergence of expression patterns of floral MADS-box genes in basal angiosperms relative to eudicot model systems, we isolated several floral MADS-box genes and examined their expression patterns in representative species, including Amborella (Amborellaceae), Nuphar (Nymphaeaceae) and Illicium (Austrobaileyales), the successive sister groups to all other extant angiosperms, plus Magnolia and Asimina, members of the large magnoliid clade. Our results from multiple methods (relative-quantitative RT-PCR, real-time PCR and RNA in situ hybridization) revealed that expression patterns of floral MADS-box genes in basal angiosperms are broader than those of their counterparts in eudicots and monocots. In particular, (i) AP1 homologs are generally expressed in all floral organs and leaves, (ii) AP3/PI homologs are generally expressed in all floral organs and (iii) AG homologs are expressed in stamens and carpels of most basal angiosperms, in agreement with the expectations of the ABC model; however, an AG homolog is also expressed in the tepals of Illicium. The broader range of strong expression of AP3/PI homologs is inferred to be the ancestral pattern for all angiosperms and is also consistent with the gradual morphological intergradations often observed between adjacent floral organs in basal angiosperms.

  • Ludovico Dreni
  • Dabing Zhang

AGL6 is an ancient subfamily of MADS-box genes found in both gymnosperms and angiosperms. Its functions remained elusive despite the fact that the MADS-box genes and the ABC model have been studied for >20 years. Nevertheless, recent discoveries in petunia, rice, and maize support its involvement in the 'E' function of floral development, very similar to the closely related AGL2 (SEPALLATA) subfamily which has been well characterized. The known functions of AGL6 span from ancient conserved roles to new functions acquired in specific plant families. The AGL6 genes are involved in floral meristem regulation, in floral organs, and ovule (integument) and seed development, and have possible roles in both male and female germline and gametophyte development. In grasses, they are also important for the development of the first whorl of the flower, whereas in Arabidopsis they may play additional roles before floral meristem formation. This review covers these recent insights and some other aspects that are not yet fully elucidated, which deserve more studies in the future.

Floral organs are specified by the activities of a small group of transcriptional regulators, the floral organ identity factors. Extensive genetic and molecular analyses have shown that these proteins act as master regulators of flower development, and function not only in organ identity determination but also during organ morphogenesis. Although it is now well established that these transcription factors act in higher order protein complexes in the regulation of transcription, the gene expression programmes controlled by them have remained largely elusive. Only recently, detailed insights into their functions have been obtained through the combination of a wide range of experimental methods, including transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. Here, we review the progress that has been made in the characterization of the floral organ identity factors from the main model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and we discuss what is known about the processes acting downstream of these regulators. We further outline open questions, which we believe need to be addressed to obtain a more complete view of the molecular processes that govern floral organ development and specification.

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. References SUMMARY: The formation of flowers is one of the main models for studying the regulatory mechanisms that underlie plant development and evolution. Over the past three decades, extensive genetic and molecular analyses have led to the identification of a large number of key floral regulators and to detailed insights into how they control flower morphogenesis. In recent years, genome-wide approaches have been applied to obtaining a global view of the gene regulatory networks underlying flower formation. Furthermore, mathematical models have been developed that can simulate certain aspects of this process and drive further experimentation. Here, we review some of the main findings made in the field of Arabidopsis thaliana flower development, with an emphasis on recent advances. In particular, we discuss the activities of the floral organ identity factors, which are pivotal for the specification of the different types of floral organs, and explore the experimental avenues that may elucidate the molecular mechanisms and gene expression programs through which these master regulators of flower development act.

  • Carlson BM

Developmental biology - the study of the pre- and postnatal development of plants and animals - and human embryology have converged in a way that now allows a deeper understanding of not only the structural features of human embryonic development, but also the molecular mechanisms underlying the normal and abnormal development of tissues and organs. This section focuses on the development of human embryos, with emphasis on the mechanisms underlying the development of the tissues and organs of the human body.