Human Biology (Zambak)

This text would be appropriate for a one semester human biology or introductory A&P course. I would need to supplement materials for some topics and for lab use. It would be helpful if there were associated ancillary materials, like lecture presentations or access to figure files, study or testing materials.

Human Biology (Zambak)

Would like to see even a short section on human evolution. As well, I don't see coverage of integumentary system or development. Lymphatic system is with immune system, which is fine but perhaps change title for Ch 20 to "Immune System and...read more

Would like to see even a short section on human evolution. As well, I don't see coverage of integumentary system or development. Lymphatic system is with immune system, which is fine but perhaps change title for Ch 20 to "Immune System and Lymphatic System."

I suggest incorporating a section on human evolution, perhaps with the introductory chapter. Also development with the Reproductive System. Endocrine System is the proper name for the "hormones" chapter. Also consider adding "Lymphatic System" to the title for Ch 20 ("Immune System and Lymphatic System"). As above, would also like to see a chapter on the Integumentary System.

Would like to see a short section on human evolution and humans' interconnections with other species. As well, I don't see coverage of integumentary system or development. Lymphatic system is with immune system, which is fine, but perhaps change title of Ch 20 to "Immune System and Lymphatic System." Ch 11 is titled "Hormones." Perhaps change that to "Endocrine System (Hormones)."

The text is not culturally insensitive, but I don't see examples that are inclusive of variety of races, ethnicities, gender identity (and genetics). A section on human evolution and/or inheritance/genetics could make the text more inclusive.

I found the book to be comprehensive over the topics normally covered in a one-semester human biology class for certain allied health majors such as medical assistant. This book could also serve as a "basic science" text for a science class that...read more

I found the book to be comprehensive over the topics normally covered in a one-semester human biology class for certain allied health majors such as medical assistant. This book could also serve as a "basic science" text for a science class that also on human biology. The book covers basic introductory cell biology concepts such as metabolism, and cell division and then does a system-by-system discussion of the human body. The book includes a glossary in each chapter and an overall index. I like that the index does topics by both page number as well as "module number" for those who use this book in modules, such as in an online environment. My only criticism of the index in this way is the modules are printed in the same line and font as the page number, making it somewhat harder to see the page number if that's what you're looking for. Perhaps a different font or bolding might help this. One thing to note is this text is really a lecture-only text. If you need a text that can also be used for lab work such as labeling bones or muscles, for example, this text would not have the anatomical detail for that kind of use. You would need to supplement this book if you wished to use it in a lab-based setting.

For this level of class, I don't think being "up-to-date" is necessarily the most critical of discussions. The basic physiology and anatomy of the human body presented here should be fine for most teachers in the foreseeable future. Any areas that might need adjustment over time, such as the genetics topics, can easily be changed out due to the modular nature of the book. The topics (chapters) are broken down into discrete modules so a teacher could alter or substitute a module to match current updates or to stress an aspect of that topic that isn't part of the current text. For my classes, I could see myself adding a module in the immunity section over allergies and tolerance and in the genetics section on epigenetics.

As alluded to above, the book seems inconsistent in level of detail and the use of diagram. I understand this book was an amalgam of three different texts, so a little disjointedness is expected and visible in the text. Some modules are illustrated well and somewhat detailed while others have one image only over a two-page section. The sections dealing with cell biology (the first part) are more unified as a whole in format than the anatomy sections. The anatomy sections vary considerably. For example, the skeletal system module is quite good (at least for my class use). The reproductive system, by contrast, seem weak and lacks the images and clarity of the skeletal. As stated in another review, there are differences in how things are referenced in the text and how words are chosen to bold (or not), and other subtle editing choices. Overall, though, I don't think a student would find each module distracting; just the overall book as a whole if one were to read it from cover-to-cover.

Overall, I liked the book and think it's a good choice for those of us teaching the "one-off" basic bio classes that are to be simpler than the majors' level of A&P but more inclusive than general biology. I especially enjoy this book's teaching of basic science concepts in the beginning for those classes of mine that require basic science skills in addition to human biology.

This textbook is organized primarily by systems and it covers all 11 in 20 chapters (even though the Table of Contents only lists 19). Five chapters are predominantly discipline- or topic-focused: Chapter 1 on the Scientific Method, Chapter 2 on Chemistry and Life, Chapter 4 on DNA and Gene Expression, Chapter 6 on Energy Considerations, and Chapter 13 on Mitosis and Meiosis. Each chapter has a glossary but the book lacks an index. Even though many topics generally considered to be encompassed in Human Biology are included here, the treatment of them is generally unintegrated into the larger contexts of evolutionary biology, ecology, human life cycle adaptation, and normal physiological adaptations. Areas that are left out of this text include:Principles of Evolution chapter in which one would have desired to have a discussion of the important topic of individual variation in anatomy and physiology within populations, effects of natural selection, especially as related to health and disease, biogeography, and the origins of life and the human lineage; Development and Aging is an area that is not treated in this book, including embryogenesis, placental structure and function, the human life cycle, life span, and congenital malformations;Principles of Ecology are not touched upon here, including structure of human populations, effects of population growth, effects of air and water quality on human health, human land use and biology, and human effects of the loss of global biodiversity.The topics that are covered can be uneven. For example, there are in-depth details given on the Scientific Method, on Myocardial Infarction, and in lengthy topic boxes on selected careers in health care, while many applications to contemporary research issues in Human Biology, normal heart innervation in physiological adaptation, and other career options that also draw upon Human Biology are not included.

The book is authoritative and strongest in biochemistry and cell biology. It is weaker on evolutionary theory. For example, in Chapter 2 the first Critical Thinking Question deals with "adaptation" (read "adaptability") in responding to olfactory cues in the context of smelling fire in a residence hall versus around a campfire, after an earlier definition of "adaptation" as a purely physical/biological evolved characteristic. Special Senses are not dealt with in the book until Chapter 18. A student would find this confusing.Content is least accurate in the realm of Anatomy. There are a number of minor errors that are perhaps just more distracting than of major impact. However, these are most noticeable in: Chapter 9 on the Heart where, for example, the legend to Figure 1 contradicts the figure by confusing the base of the heart with its apex; the three layers of the pericardium are misidentified; and the cardiac veins are misidentified as "coronary" veins (confusing them with coronary arteries). Chapter 11 on the Respiratory System where, for example, the nasopharynx is incorrectly said to be flanked by the conchae (they flank the nasal cavity) and the laryngopharynx is said to conduct air (not unless one is swallowing air). Chapter 15 on the Reproductive System notes that a lack of testosterone leads to scrotal tissue developing into "labia" when "labia majora" should have been specified to differentiate from labia-minora-homologous hypospadias. Chapter 16 on the Skeletal System figures the "metaphysis" of long bones but leaves this important structure out of the text.

There is some confusion over the "levels of complexity" on which the text is based. Figure 1 in Chapter 1 shows 6 levels but in the text 10 levels are discussed. The reader is left to ponder whether subatomic particles or atoms are the starting point, where "organelles" fit in exactly, and is there a difference between the molecular level and macromolecular level. This problem could be addressed with a fuller discussion of how these levels historically evolved, as we now know more clearly from the molecular clock, astrobiology, and the genomic "Tree of Life" work.There are minor technical issues with text consistency. The references to figures in the various chapters vary. Some chapters have only "figure" to designate call-outs while other chapters have numbered figures. In one case a chapter (Chapter 8) had "objectives. The other chapters did not. Some chapters had a summary of what a student would learn, roughly tantamount to objectives. Others did not. Questions at the end of chapters were usually "review" questions but some chapters had "critically thinking questions." 041b061a72