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 fetal development during the three trimesters of gestationDescribe labor and deliveryCompare the efficacy and duration of various types of contraceptionDiscuss causes of infertility and the therapeutic options available

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a severe complication of in vitro fertilization (IVF) featuring massive ovary enlargement and ascites. OHSS involves upregulation of TGF-β1, which has been reported to regulate the expression of the matrix-modulating glycoprotein SPARC. However, it’s unclear whether TGF-β1 regulates SPARC in the ovaries and whether SPARC participates in OHSS pathogenesis. To find out, researchers recently examined the roles of TGF-β1 and SPARC in the KGN cell line, and in primary cultured human granulosa-lutein (hGL) cells from patients undergoing IVF. They found that TGF-β1 treatment upregulated SPARC and induced the expression of the OHSS markers VEGF and aromatase in both cell types. The SPARC upregulation was mediated by SMAD3 and required Slug, whose expression was also induced by TGF-β1. Knockdown of SPARC decreased Slug expression and attenuated the TGF-β1-induced increases in OHSS markers, as well as reducing TGF-β1 signaling by downregulating SMAD4..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a leading cause of female infertility, and there are no effective treatments. Although the pathogenesis is unclear, it appears to involve dysregulated signaling between BDNF and its receptor TrkB. However, BDNF can’t be used as a drug, so TrkB has never been considered as a therapeutic target for POF—until now. In a new study, researchers tested the effects of a TrkB agonist antibody, Ab4B19, in mice with POF induced by natural aging or cyclophosphamide. In both POF models, Ab4B19 increased the numbers of preantral and antral follicles and normalized gonadal hormone levels, ultimately improving fertility. Ab4B19 also attenuated gonadotoxicity and apoptosis in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. Further studies revealed that BDNF and TrkB expression were highly increased in human ovarian follicles during folliculogenesis, confirming the important role of BDNF-TrkB signaling in normal fertility. In contrast, in follicles of aged women, BDNF expression was downregulated..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students discuss several human reproductive technologies available today pregnancy ultrasound, amniocentesis, in-vitro fertilization and labor anesthetics. They learn how each technology works, and that these are ways engineers have worked to improve the health of expecting mothers and babies.

Student teams learn about and devise technical presentations on four reproductive technology topics pregnancy ultrasound, amniocentesis, in-vitro fertilization or labor anesthetics. Each team acts as a panel of engineers asked to make a presentation to a group of students unfamiliar with the reproductive technology. Each group incorporates non-lecture elements into its presentation for greater effectiveness. As students learn about the technologies, by creating a presentation and listening to other groups' presentations, they also learn more about the valuable skill of technical communications.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The composition of the vaginal microbiome is associated with pregnancy complications. However, it’s unclear whether the microbiome of the uterine lining (endometrium) is related to specific outcomes in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). To find out, researchers recently analyzed the association of the endometrial microbiome with live birth, biochemical pregnancy, clinical miscarriage, and lack of pregnancy in 342 ethnically diverse infertile patients across 3 continents. 16S rRNA sequencing of endometrial fluid and biopsies before embryo transfer revealed that dysbiosis was related to poor reproductive outcomes. Specifically, increased proportions of pathogenic bacteria such as Gardnerella, Streptococcus, Atopobium, and Klebsiella were associated with a lack of live birth, while dominance of Lactobacillus bacteria was associated with live birth..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease usually accompanied by infertility. In PCOS, granulosa cells (GCs) produce insufficient energy via glycolysis to support proper follicle (egg-releasing sac) development, resulting in a condition called follicular dysplasia. miRNAs in small vesicles (exosomes) within the follicular fluid can regulate GCs, but whether these miRNAs affect GC glycolysis in PCOS is unclear. To find out, a recent study sequenced the RNA in exosomes from clinical follicular fluid samples. Compared to controls, exosomes from patients with PCOS had higher levels of the miRNA miR-143-3p and lower levels of the miRNA miR-155-5p. Glycolysis pathways were also negatively regulated in PCOS exosomes. In vitro, experiments on a KGN cell PCOS model confirmed that miR-143-3p inhibited glycolysis by silencing the gene HK2. miR-155-5p normally blocks miR-143-3p’s activity, so the miR-155-5p downregulation in PCOS permitted miR-143-3p to silence HK2..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.