LIFE102 - Attributes of Living Systems
Encyclopedias & Reference Works
Use these reference works to find background information on topics in the life sciences, including genetics.
Recommended for the Poster Project and Lab Report
- eLS: Encyclopedia of Life SciencesDetailed encyclopedia articles from experts on life science subjects. An excellent place to start your literature research.
- Gale ebooks (Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new windowSearch in many reference works at the same time. Includes information on a wide variety of topics in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Recommended for the Poster Project
- Genetics Home ReferenceMaintained by the National Library of Medicine, this source provides information on genes and genetic diseases. Be sure to click on the "additional information & resources" and "sources for this page" links at the bottom of each entry to find more articles on the topic.
- Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)Search for facts about genetic disorders on this website from the National Institutes of Health. Use the menu at the left of each article to navigate between sections.
Books
These books may be useful for your LIFE102 lab report assignment.
- Bacterial and Bacteriophage Genetics by Edward A. BirgeISBN: 9780387314891Publication Date: 2006-04-04Use the e-book or the print version. Includes chapter on genetic transformation.
- Fundamental Bacterial Genetics by Nancy Trun; Janine TrempyISBN: 0632044489Publication Date: 2004Use the e-book or the print version.
- Molecular Genetics of Bacteria by Larry Snyder; Joseph E. Peters; Tina M. Henkin; Wendy ChampnessISBN: 9781555817169Publication Date: 2013Use the e-book or the print version.
Looking for more books?
You need a library catalog to help you search. Below are links to the CSU library catalog (now called Primo) and the interlibrary loan service (for when you've gotta have it, but CSU doesn't own it.)
- Primo Advanced SearchFind materials in the CSU Libraries catalog such as books, government documents, and videos by using the "Books and More" option. To search the catalog and some additional library resources, choose the "Almost Everything" option.
- InterLibrary Loan (ILL)If you can't get a book at CSU Libraries, ILL will come to the rescue. (And it's free!)
Scientific Journal Articles
Search these databases for journal articles. For a complete list of databases, see our A-Z Databases List.
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowProvides access to articles on many different subjects, including biology and medicine. Using the limit for "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals" will remove news and magazine articles from your search results.
- Web of ScienceIncludes scholarly articles and conference papers across the science fields. Non-science fields are covered to a lesser extent.
- PubMed (National Library of Medicine)Searches the medical journal literature. Use for topics in many areas of biology, including cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics. Most of this content may also be accessed through MEDLINE (EBSCO), which uses a different search screen.
Research Tips
Effective Searching
- Use synonyms and alternate words for key ideas
- Use database tools such as Boolean operators and limits for better results
- Keep track of where you search and what search terms you use
More Search Help
- Search StrategiesVisit this page for detailed information and tutorials on searching skills.
See the Entire Article
The databases listed on this page do not always contain the full text of an article. Use the FindIt@CSU button in the database to get to the whole article.
Already know the item you want?
Find a book or journal article from a citation by looking up the title of the item in Primo's Simple Search. After searching, use the "Expand My Results" option to the left of the results if you don't see the materials you want.
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