Different biology textbooks can help you prepare for the biology olympiad. However, the majority of them are over 1000-page long, meaning that you need to be selective in your choice of what to read. Below you will find a list of recommend chapters from the key biology textbooks:
| Vander et al.: Human Physiology: The Mechanism of Body Function, Eighth Edition |
| 3 Cell Structure |
| 7 Homeostatic Mechanisms and Cellular Communication |
| 8 Neural Control Mechanisms |
| 9 The Sensory Systems |
| 10 Principles of Hormonal Control Systems |
| 11 Muscle |
| 12 Control of Body Movement |
| 14 Circulation |
| 15 Respiration |
| 16 The Kidneys and Regulation of Water and Inorganic Ions |
| 17 The Digestion and Absorption of Food |
| 18 Regulation of Organic Metabolism, Growth, and Energy Balance |
| 19 Reproduction |
| 20 Defense Mechanisms of the Body |
| Raven’s Biology of Plants |
| 3. The Plant Cell and the Cell Cycle |
| 4. The Movement of Substances into and out of Cells |
| 13. Prokaryotes and Viruses |
| 14. Fungi |
| 15. Protists: Algae and Heterotrophic Protists |
| 16. Bryophytes |
| 17. Seedless Vascular Plants |
| 18. Gymnosperms |
| 19. Introduction to the Angiosperms |
| 20. Evolution of the Angiosperms |
| 22. Early Development of the Plant Body |
| 23. Cells and Tissues of the Plant Body |
| 24. The Root: Structure and Development |
| 25. The Shoot: Primary Structure and Development |
| 26. Secondary Growth in Stems |
| 30. The Movement of Water and Solutes in Plants |
| 29. Plant Nutrition and Soils |
| 27. Regulating Growth and Development: The Plant Hormones |
| 28. External Factors and Plant Growth |
| Brooker’s Genetics |
| Chapter 3 Reproduction and Chromosome Transmission |
| Chapter 4 Extensions of Mendelian Inheritance |
| Chapter 5 Linkage and Genetic Mapping in Eukaryotes |
| Chapter 6 Genetic Transfer and Mapping in Bacteria and Bacteriophages |
| Chapter 7 Non-Mendelian Inheritance |
| Chapter 8 Variation in Chromosome Structure and Number |
| Chapter 9 Molecular Structure of DNA and RNA |
| Chapter 10 Chromosome Organization and Molecular Structure |
| Chapter 11 DNA Replication |
| Chapter 12 Gene Transcription and RNA Modification |
| Chapter 13 Translation of mRNA |
| Chapter 14 Gene Regulation in Bacteria and Bacteriophages |
| Chapter 15 Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes |
| Chapter 16 Gene Mutation and DNA Repair |
| Chapter 18 Recombinant DNA Technology |
| Chapter 19 Biotechnology |
| Chapter 20 Analysis of DNA |
| Chapter 24 Quantitative Genetics |
| Chapter 25 Population Genetics |
| Chapter 26 Evolutionary Genetics |
| Albert’s Molecular Biology of the Cell |
| 2 Cell Chemistry and Biosynthesis |
| 3 Proteins |
| 4 DNA, Chromosomes and Genomes |
| 8 Manipulating Proteins, DNA and RNA |
| 10 Membrane Structure |
| 11 Membrane Transport of Small Molecules and the Electrical Properties of Membranes |
| 14 Energy Conversion: Mitochondria and Chloroplasts |
