In an Introduction to Biology, a textbook for upper elementary and middle grade, published by Wikijunior, we learn about a range of topics, including a detailed look at the human body and cells, and an overview of kingdoms, archaea, bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.
This text is available in creative commons (CC-BY-SA), so you are free to share and reuse pretty much unrestricted, as long as attribution is provided and any resulting material is published the same way. This means the material is perfect for creating new projects or books of your own.
See more books like this in our Wikibooks category.
See more books about science in our Science category.
Sample text from Introduction to Biology
Biology is the study of Life. It helps us understand many things, such as how our body works, how our body keeps warm, and what we are made of. Biology is very important to know. Some subjects in Biology are Genetics, Zoology, Botany, and Ecology.
A Biologist is someone who studies Biology.
Biology is the study of Life. It helps us understand many things, such as how our body works, how our body keeps warm, and what we are made of. Biology is very important to know. Some subjects in Biology are Genetics, Zoology, Botany, and Ecology.
A Biologist is someone who studies Biology.
0.1 What is life?
Living things are different from things that are not alive. It is usually easy to tell what is living and what is not, except with really small “microscopic” life forms and colorless, lifeless-looking mosses.
Here are some properties of living things. Some non-living things can have some of these properties.
Living things can change and grow. However, volcanoes also change and grow.
Living things can move. However, the wind is moving air, and water always moves downhill.
You probably want to know how plants can move. They can grow, and sometimes move more rapidly than that, in response to things such as the sun or water. One example is that sunflowers will turn during the course of the day so that they are always facing the sun. Another example is that if a plant gets tipped over, it will want to turn upwards.
Living things can reproduce. That is they can produce copies of themselves, over and over. This is the most important difference between living and non-living things.
In order to reproduce, living things need nutrition, that is chemicals and energy sources in order to assemble the materials needed to reproduce themselves. In this process , living things must excrete waste. Waste is material which is of no use, or harmful.
Animals, bacteria, and plants are examples of living things. Rivers, mountains, oceans, and soil are examples of non-living things, but often they are homes for living things.
Cars and tables are not living things because they cannot reproduce themselves.
0.2 Levels of Life
Living things can be many sizes. Also, biologists organize the structures and groupings of living creatures according to size. A living creature is called an organism. Organisms can consist of single cells or multiple different types of cells grouped into tissues and organs. From small to large, these are how living things are grouped.
- Cells (1) – Most cells are only a few microns wide, so small they can only be seen with a microscope. A micron is one thousandth of a millimeter.
- Tissues (2)
- Organs (3)
- Organ systems (4)
- Organisms
- Populations
- Communities
- Ecosystems
- Biomes
- Biosphere
(1) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/%2FCells (2) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/%2FTissues (3) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/%2FOrgans (4) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/%2FSystems
To keep reading this free science ebook for kids, Introduction to Biology, select read online or download pdf from the buttons below, or read this text online at wikibooks, here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:Biology
See our Most Recent Books
Where is My Cat? - A young boy has lost his cat, will he find her? A fun book for young children inclusive of explorative activities on each page. Great for a fun read and the simple repetitive text makes it a suitable early reader or for ESL text. Download or read online the full book by selecting one of ...
From Manuscript to Market: How to Self-Publish Your First Book - Self-publishing has transformed the world of literature, enabling writers to bring their books to readers without relying on traditional publishing. With the right approach, you can successfully navigate the process and take your manuscript from a draft to a book on the market. Whether you’re writing a novel, a memoir, or a guidebook, self-publishing empowers ...
The Girl, jeb_, and the Warden – A minecraft tale - A fun tale in the land of Minecraft, where a curly haired girl named Maddie, meets a rainbow sheep, jeb_, and goes on an adventure in search of treasure, fighting mob characters along the way. Sample Text from The Girl, jeb_, and the Warden Once upon a time there was an adventurous curly haired girl ...
Kiwi Opa – A memorial - Those of you who follow our YouTube channel will know the friendly voice of Kiwi Opa by now, also a contributing author on the site. Kiwi Opa sadly passed away last week after a prolonged illness. Despite his deteriorating health he continued making videos for Free Kids Books right up until the last months. Kiwi ...
The Seal and The Sharky Volume 1 – Friendship - Sharky just can’t make friends, until an unlikely adversary judges his heart, not his looks — a short cute tale with a moral. Sample page from The Seal and The Sharky Volume 1 Friendship Written by Danielle Bruckert Illustrated by Zehnya Bruckert Also available in an editable file here: https://freekidsbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Seal-and-Sharky-vol-1.odt Spread the love
Scary No More – Podcast - As a halloween special, Storytime Madness featured one of our Halloween Books – Scary No More! Listen to the story on the link below. Spread the love
Isobel and Phaedro the Butterfly - Isobel finds herself in a magical land with mountains of gum drop ice cream, talking animals, singing flowers, and exciting colours. Through the land, she is accompanied by a giant butterfly. Sample Page from Isobel and Phaedro the Butterfly Written by Kiwi Opa Illustrated by Zehnya Bruckert This book is also available in an Editable ...
Peace of Mind for Student Renters: The Importance of Coverage - For many students, moving away from home to attend college or university is an exciting milestone. However, it also comes with new responsibilities, including renting an apartment or dorm room. While students may be focused on academics and socializing, factor in the practical aspects of living independently, including protecting their belongings and ensuring financial security ...
The Rise of E-Learning: How Technology is Transforming the Educational Landscape - The rise of e-learning is revolutionizing education, providing students and educators with new opportunities for learning, collaboration, and growth. So, here’s how technology is transforming education, the benefits and challenges of e-learning, and what the future of education might look like. The Growth of E-Learning E-learning has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, driven by ...
The Magic Pitcher – Tales From the Sanskrit for Children - A beautiful rendition of the classic Sanskrit tale (stories with morales), The Magic Pitcher, complete with illustrations and comprehension / inferential questions. Sample Text from The Magic Pitcher Long, long ago there lived far away in India a woodcutter called Subha Datta and his family, who were all very happy together. The father went every ...See This Month Most Popular Books
The New Kid - The New Kid – Neha has just returned from a long vacation. Her friends give her a warm welcome. But in the time she was gone, a new family has moved in to the housing society and her friends have issues with the new kid. Neha wants to be friendly with him, but will her ...
The Lost Laugh – Fun animal adventure for young children - Hyena has lost his laugh a Fun animal adventure. Who will help him find it? This short beautifully illustrated book is lots of fun for young children. The Lost Laugh includes lots of repetition and simple language, making it a great book for early readers, older brothers and sisters learning to read will enjoy reading ...
The Lion Who Wouldn’t Try – Helping Promote Better Behaviour - In the Lion Who Wouldn’t Try is a story about trying, we see a story of a lion who is too afraid of failure to attempt anything. All the other animals are having fun, while the lion is moping around. He is too afraid of losing that he never ends up having any fun. This ...
Uncle Uh-Oh – Life Stories for Early Grade - In Uncle Uh-Oh from Kanika G, a grouchy old man moves in to a new neighbourhood full of children. He snaps at the kids there a few times and they are terrified of him. He doesn’t talk to anyone, no one even knows his name. “Uh-oh! Here he comes.” the kids start to say when ...
You! Yes You! – An Interactive Monster Hunt - You! Yes You! is a fun interactive children’s storybook. We’re going on a monster hunt, and what fun we’re going to have, shaking, blowing, tickling, and lots of surprises. This fun book is bound to keep young children entertained and asking for “Again! Again!” – make sure you follow the instructions, strictly! (And of course, ...
Why is Nita Upside Down – lessons in being different and good values - In Why is Nita Upside Down, a children’s book about being different, we learn important lessons about the value of being proud of who you are and that everyone is different. This book is created by Bookdash, a non-profit organisation dedicated to getting books into every child’s hands. By: Emma Hearne, Roxana Bouwer, Sarah Bouwer ...
Where’s Lulu – Fun reading for toddlers - In Where’s Lulu, a short fun book for very young children, Lulu’s hiding from her Mum, she doesn’t want to go out. But why is it she doesn’t want to go out? Find out more in this fun short picture book. Can you see her on each page? This book teaches children about the fun ...
Little Goat – Endearing young fiction - Little Goat wanders off in pursuit of some sweet grass, but does she know how far she’s going. Will Mother Goat find her again? Find out in this charming fiction for young children. This book with simple English is suitable for toddlers and those learning to read. Sample Text From Little Goat Little Goat went ...
A Calming Manatee - A Calming Manatee is about being beautiful, and more importantly what real beauty is. It is about how it’s more important what you think of yourself than what others think of you. It’s also about how important it is to be kind. The book is aimed at teaching young children about loving themselves and others, ...
The Tale of the Toilet – Elementary Non-Fiction - The Tale of the Toilet is a delightfully entertaining non-fiction story bound to entertain children and inspire learning about the history of plumbing and toilet that dates back from a very long time. How toilet are similar or different from other parts of the world. From all around the globe everyone has the same problem ...
Sponsored Links:
Note – if you sign up through these links, it doesn’t cost you any extra, but FKB receives a small donation, which helps us move towards our aim of
FREE Hardcopies!
All our posts are checked by Grammarly, the FREE online grammar checker (We still receive a donation even if you only sign up for the free account :-):
This site is hosted by Bluehost:
Leave a comment (it won’t be public) if you want help getting your own website cost-effectively.
