Fully revised and updated for the sixth edition, this market-leading dictionary is the perfect guide for anyone studying biology, either at school or university. With nearly 5,500 clear and concise entries, over 400 of them new to this edition, it provides comprehensive coverage of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. Features include biographical entries on key scientists, chronologies charting developments in major fields including cell biology, genetics, microscopy, and vitamins, and double-page feature articles on important topics such as bioinformatics, genetically modified organisms, microarray technology, and RNA interference. Appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, the geological time scale, major mass extinctions of species, model organisms and their genomes, and Nobel prizewinners - the last two new to this edition.