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Oxford Resources for IB DP Biology Course Book
Featuring a wealth of engaging content, this concept-based Course Book has been developed in cooperation with the IB to provide the most comprehensive support for the DP Biology specification, for first teaching from September 2023. Created by experienced IB authors, examiners and teachers, it is packed with activities, questions, and opportunities to regularly practice, plus extensive assessment preparation support.
Use this print Course Book alongside the digital course on Oxford's Kerboodle platform for the best teaching and learning experience. Oxford's DP Science offer brings together the IB curriculum and future-facing functionality, enabling success in DP and beyond.
Use this print Course Book alongside the digital course on Oxford's Kerboodle platform for the best teaching and learning experience. Oxford's DP Science offer brings together the IB curriculum and future-facing functionality, enabling success in DP and beyond.
816 pages, Paperback
Published February 8, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 22, 2026
To be honest, this novel was a bit hard to understand. There were too many characters, the setting kept changing at the most random times, and the storyline was not very developed - it was just a lot of description.
The initial part about water was interesting - I think it served as a recurring symbol throughout the novel, which really brought about some emotional moments, especially when talking about Osmosis - a tragic event that displaced trillions of water molecules. However, this event was also very important, as it is when water discovered its potential.
The main characters, the Cells, had a lot of chapters dedicated to them. In this novel, you understand what they look like, what they do, and how they function. However, everything remains very descriptive, with no real plot.
Perhaps the one time when there was a bit of plot was when talking about the main villains - the Viruses. They tried to invade Cels, and force them to work as slaves for them, which was an interesting superpower. They were essentially able to create Virus factories, so that they could invade everything. However, in the end, it just showed how the Cells defeated the Viruses, and how (sometimes) the Viruses could attack again. I was really expecting a plot twist, where one of the Viruses joins the Cells, showing perhaps a bit more character development.
Overall, this was quite a boring novel. It was the first time ever that I had to actually take notes on a novel in order to understand the storyline. It was definitely not a novel to have on my nightstand - I literally needed my full attention.
I tagged this novel as action-packed, emotional, epic, page-turner, plot-twists, and suspense. I’ll just quickly explain why: this book is very emotional - it will make you cry. There are some amazing action sequences, where it literally looks like a movie. I especially enjoyed the negative feedback loops in Homeostasis, where everything just fits into place, and all the different characters work together to solve a problem. This book really is epic - it is not for the faint of heart! Get ready for characters who you thought were gone appearing again at the last minute, just like oestradiol, which appears in like 5 different chapters.. This book is a page-turner: sometimes, (especially in the Ecology sections) there is a photo of a disgusting looking spider or worm, and you just HAVE to turn the page - too exciting. There are also numerous plot-twists, for example when the Cells betrayed the body, and turned into a Tumor - a horrible event. Lastly, there is a lot of suspense in this book. At times, there are questions, where you have to interact with the story. Super cool, but you won‘t know if you are right unless you check the website - so intense!
Ok, now for real:
In terms of Biology, and the IB, and understanding the concepts, this book is very good. It explains everything, step-by-step, with diagrams and questions. However, I still wouldn‘t give it 5 stars, as I found errors (mostly spelling-related, but one or two actually impacted the content). I think it should have been edited a bit more carefully, as students rely on it to study from.
Can’t wait for the sequel!!! 😁😁😁
The initial part about water was interesting - I think it served as a recurring symbol throughout the novel, which really brought about some emotional moments, especially when talking about Osmosis - a tragic event that displaced trillions of water molecules. However, this event was also very important, as it is when water discovered its potential.
The main characters, the Cells, had a lot of chapters dedicated to them. In this novel, you understand what they look like, what they do, and how they function. However, everything remains very descriptive, with no real plot.
Perhaps the one time when there was a bit of plot was when talking about the main villains - the Viruses. They tried to invade Cels, and force them to work as slaves for them, which was an interesting superpower. They were essentially able to create Virus factories, so that they could invade everything. However, in the end, it just showed how the Cells defeated the Viruses, and how (sometimes) the Viruses could attack again. I was really expecting a plot twist, where one of the Viruses joins the Cells, showing perhaps a bit more character development.
Overall, this was quite a boring novel. It was the first time ever that I had to actually take notes on a novel in order to understand the storyline. It was definitely not a novel to have on my nightstand - I literally needed my full attention.
I tagged this novel as action-packed, emotional, epic, page-turner, plot-twists, and suspense. I’ll just quickly explain why: this book is very emotional - it will make you cry. There are some amazing action sequences, where it literally looks like a movie. I especially enjoyed the negative feedback loops in Homeostasis, where everything just fits into place, and all the different characters work together to solve a problem. This book really is epic - it is not for the faint of heart! Get ready for characters who you thought were gone appearing again at the last minute, just like oestradiol, which appears in like 5 different chapters.. This book is a page-turner: sometimes, (especially in the Ecology sections) there is a photo of a disgusting looking spider or worm, and you just HAVE to turn the page - too exciting. There are also numerous plot-twists, for example when the Cells betrayed the body, and turned into a Tumor - a horrible event. Lastly, there is a lot of suspense in this book. At times, there are questions, where you have to interact with the story. Super cool, but you won‘t know if you are right unless you check the website - so intense!
Ok, now for real:
In terms of Biology, and the IB, and understanding the concepts, this book is very good. It explains everything, step-by-step, with diagrams and questions. However, I still wouldn‘t give it 5 stars, as I found errors (mostly spelling-related, but one or two actually impacted the content). I think it should have been edited a bit more carefully, as students rely on it to study from.
Can’t wait for the sequel!!! 😁😁😁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2025
Never fails to make me shed a tear or two.
April 4, 2025
Algunas cosas se podrían explicar mejor pero en general muy bueno👍 si luego no saco un 7 en el examen de bio le cambio el rating
April 10, 2025
Realmente una obra maestra. No entiendo como no puede ser un New York Times Bestseller, sabiendo que miles de niños lo leen al año.
Read
May 19, 2025war is over 🤩
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews