Our organs, bones, muscles, skin, and hair either contain or are made of proteins. This engaging title explains how our bodies break down large protein molecules into the amino acids that our bodies need to maintain our muscles, bones, blood, and body organs.
Minerals boost our immune systems, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs function. This engaging title explores the roles of key minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
We all know that vitamins are necessary for proper growth and good health. But what vitamins do we need and how does our body use them? This informative title identifies essential vitamins and explains how our bodies absorb them.
Even though carbohydrates have been given a bad rap in recent years, they are essential for maintaining good health. This fascinating title examines the chemical structure of carbohydrates and explains the differences between simple and complex carbohydrates.
There is a great deal of fuss about fat! Fat is an essential nutrient for optimal health, however too much fat can lead to health problems. This informative title helps clear up the confusion about this controversial nutrient.
In 1912, German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once a single land mass but had slowly moved apart over millions of years. This fascinating book examines the scientific process behind Wegener's theory and how it challenged prevailing views of the time. Learn how years after Wegener's death his theory was embraced by scientists and is now the basis for modern earth science.
Learn how John Dalton developed his influential theory that explains the shape, structure, and behavior of atoms. This title also explores how Dalton's major breakthrough made later discoveries, such as atomic fission, possible.
This engaging title examines how Darwin developed his controversial theory of evolution, including his research methods and the data gathered during his extensive voyages. The book also explores the controversies that developed around the publication of Darwins theory of natural selection and how the debate continues today.
French chemist Louis Pasteur made several significant contributions to the world of science. This intriguing book examines how Pasteur uncovered the basis of the modern germ theory. Readers will learn how Pasteur's theory helped him develop vaccines for anthrax, rabies, and other diseases and how his work continues to influence modern medicine.
This fascinating new title examines the sequence of events that led to the formation of cell theory. In 1665, scientist Robert Hooke published Micrographia, the first significant work focused on miscroscopial observation. His groundbreaking work inspired scientists and led to the creation of this fundamental biological principle that shaped modern biology.
This exciting book examines how Sir Isaac Newton developed three basic laws that govern the way in which objects move. Readers will learn how Newton expanded on the work of other great scientists, including Galileo and Copernicus, to make his important discovery. The book also explains how Newtons laws have influenced modern science and technology in areas such as sports and transportation.
This informative book follows the St. Lawrence River, once a main route of the fur and timber trades. This important commercial waterway forms part of the boundary between Canada and the United States and connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Today, a system of canals, dams, and locks lets seagoing ships travel all the way to Lake Superior.
The Nile is the worlds longest river and the birthplace of one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. This book takes readers along the River in the Sand. Ancient Egyptians depended on the Niles annual floods to deposit fertile soil for farming. Today, more than 70 million people still grow crops in the rivers basin and fish in its waters.
This wonderful book takes readers along the mighty Mississippi. Often celebrated in music and literature, its exploration by explorers spurred the growth of a new nation. Today, the Mississippi not only provides transportation for agricultural and industrial goods but also supplies water for millions of people.
The scientific contributions of the early Islamic empires to science, medicine, and mathematics is considerable. This revealing book explores: their public hospitals, libraries, and universities; their achievements in mathematics and astronomy, and the pursuit of alchemy; Arabic numbers; optics; music and musical instruments; poetry; and education.
Who are we, really? We share traits with our parents, but our genetic makeup is unique. Each one of us is a one-and-only creation. Through colorful photos, diagrams, and text, you can learn about genetics. See how the simple pea plant taught us the rules of inheritance. Find out how our genetic code is unlocking the mystery of where we came from and our connections with all living things.
All life starts with a set of instructions that can turn basic cells into hearts, tails, flower petals, or toenails. DNA is the amazing code of life that is found in every organism. Through colorful photos, diagrams, and text, you can learn how DNA is passed from cell to cell, controlling growth and change in all living things. Find out how we can use the properties of DNA to save endangered animals and even to catch criminals!
From insects to elephants, every living thing on this planet is made up of cells, the tiny building blocks of plant and animal life. Each cell is alive-and each has work to do! What do cells look like? How do millions and billions of cells work together to form one plant, one animal, or one human being? Guided by colorful photos, diagrams, and text, you can take a closer look at the amazing world of cell science-and see what's next.
This engaging and informative book explores the science of simple machines and how it relates to the exciting field of mechanical engineering. Readers will learn how mechanical engineers design and innovate machines we use every day. Readers then apply the engineering design process to tackle a design challenge of their own.
Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering fields. Civil engineers are involved in the design and construction of various structures, including high-rise buildings, sports stadiums, canals, dams, and bridges. This book gives readers a up-close look at the technology used to build various structures around the world, including the ancient pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and modern skyscrapers. Readers learn about the design process and tools used by civil engineers and are guided through a design challenge to create their own stable structures.
Aerospace engineers work with different kinds of aircraft, from gliders to space shuttles. This book introduces readers to this profession. Readers learn how engineers use the principles of flight to design and innovate airplanes, rockets, and more. Clearly written text outlines the steps in the engineering design process and guides readers through the steps to create their own flying machines.
The plant kingdom contains more than 250,000 species. This colorful book describes the main groups of plants, including mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Special sections highlight the role of plants in the environmentas producers in the food chain and producers of the worlds oxygenand their role in climate and the water cycle.
This interesting book features an examination of the four major groups of fungi: yeasts, toadstools, chytrids, and bread molds. Special sections explore varieties that feed on dead and decaying matter, parasites, and species that form relationships with other species. Case histories involving fungi include penicillin and the fight against disease, and genetically modified (GM) products in food technology.
This book examines bacteria that are found in virtually every environmentincluding those that are characterized by extreme heat, cold, and depthand, of course, bacteria that are found inside our bodies. Case studies examine the development of new vaccines against bacterial diseases and the use of bacteria to help fight pollution.
Some Archaea thrive in extreme places such as in thermal pools, hot vents at the bottom of the sea, extremely salty water, and even in underground oil reserves. This book examines the diverse Archaea kingdom and the division of these organisms by their unusual biology into three main groups. It also explains why little in general is known about them, and why further classification of Archaea is so difficult.
