UVM Libraries Research Guides: Biology: Reference & Books

About Reference Materials

Information in reference books gives general information on the subject of biology, including defintions and key terms, brief overviews of concepts, and bibliographies or resources for further study. When beginning research on a topic, this is an excellent place to get starting to help indentify key ideas and themes for your topic, or help focus on a specific aspect of your topic.

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CATQuest is our library's discovery tool, which searches both our library catalog (books, journals by title, DVDs) and also a large selection of our databases (scholarly articles across multiple disciplines).

Laboratory Practices

Current Protocols
Includes over 25,000 step-by-step techniques, procedures, and practical overviews that provide researchers with reliable, efficient methods to ensure reproducible results and pave the way for critical scientific discovery. Includes protocols for Bioinformatics, Cell Biology, Human Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Protein Science, and more.

The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals
Call Number: ONLINE
The seminal reference on the care of laboratory and captive animals, The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals is a must-have for anyone working in this field. The UFAW Handbook has been the definitive text since 1947.

Reference Books

Bioethics
Call Number: ONLINE
Offers hundreds of revisions or addenda to entries from previous editions as well as over 100 new or rewritten entries on topics such as key cases in bioethics, the human biome, genetically modified foods, emergency preparedness and response, social justice, sustainability, chemical warfare and torture, among many others.
Biology
Call Number: ONLINE
Explains biological concepts and explores related fields as well as the history of biological science. Discusses critical issues such as embryogenesis and commercial applications of research in biology and addresses ethical issues. Provides information on careers in biology.
Biology Data Book
Call Number: REF QH310 .A392
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Publication Date: 1972
Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Call Number: REF QD415.A25 B713 1997
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Contains some 4,500 entries and about 1,000 figures, formulas, and tables. Entries include citations of recent literature.
The Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
Call Number: REF QH575 .D5 1999
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Straightforward definitions for over 7,000 terms in the exciting and fast moving fields of modern cell and molecular biology. It is aimed at students and professional biologists who encounter new terms in this expanding area.
A Dictionary of Genetics
Call Number: ONLINE
Encyclopedia of Biodiversity
Call Number: ONLINE
This encyclopedia brings together the dimensions of biodiversity and examines both the services it provides and the measures to protect it. Major themes include the evolution of biodiversity, systems for classifying and defining biodiversity, ecological patterns and theories of biodiversity, and an assessment of contemporary patterns and trends in biodiversity.
Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology
Call Number: REF QH540.4 .E52 1995 (3 vol.)
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Call Number: REF QH360.2 .E54 2002
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Covers the essentials of evolutionary biology in 370 original articles written by leading experts. The articles cover basic concepts and theories; models, methods, and findings; schools of thought; controversies; biographies; and more.
Encyclopedia of Human Biology
Call Number: REF QP11 .E53 1997 (9 vols.)
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status
Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Call Number: REF QH302.5 .E525 2002 (20 vols.)
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
Based on the 17-volume print encyclopedia, this resource features information on more than 4,000 species, presented with more than 12,000 photos, maps, videos, audio clips, and interactive tools. Articles written by scientists and subject experts are peer reviewed and selected by an expert editorial board. Entries can be translated to many languages and text-to-speech.
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. Evolution. This link opens in a new window
This resource features encyclopedia entries focused on evolution, supported by subject specialists and peer-reviewed by an editor and editorial board comprising of evolution experts. This is a supplement to Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia (2003), and compliments a companion volume, Extinction (2013).
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. Extinction. This link opens in a new window
This resource features more than 80 topically arranged, comprehensive articles, focusing on extinction. Suggestions for further reading, lists of scientific organizations & contact information are included. This is a supplement to Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia (2003), and compliments a companion volume, Evolution (2011).

Oxford Dictionary of Biology
Call Number: ONLINE
Oxford Dictionary of Ecology
Call Number: ONLINE
Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms
Call Number: REF QH83 .S89 (2 vols.)
Location: Howe Library, 1st floor check status