biology

Oxford Dictionary of Biology

Oxford Dictionary of Biology is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oxford Dictionary of Biology rather than just read about it. In short: Oxford Dictionary of Biology (often abbreviated to ODB) is a multiple editions dictionary published by the English Oxford University Press. With more than 5,500 entries, it contains comprehensive information in English on topics relating to biology, biophysics, and biochemistry.

Key takeaways

Oxford Dictionary of Biology belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxford Dictionary of Biology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxford Dictionary of Biology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oxford Dictionary of Biology (often abbreviated to ODB) is a multiple editions dictionary published by the English Oxford University Press. With more than 5,500 entries, it contains comprehensive information in English on topics relating to biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. The first edition was published in 1985 as A Concise Dictionary of Biology. The seventh edition, A Dictionary of Biology, was published in 2015 and it was edited by Robert Hine and Elizabeth Martin. Robert Hine studied at King's College London and University of Aberdeen and since 1984 he has contributed to numerous journals and books.

Digital and on-line availability The sixth and seventh editions of the ODB are available online for members of subscribed institutions and for subscribed individuals via Oxford Reference.

Editions The first edition of Oxford Dictionary of Biology was first published in 1985 and the seventh edition in 2015.

References

External links Oxford Reference Online

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxford Dictionary of Biology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxford Dictionary of Biology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxford Dictionary of Biology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxford Dictionary of Biology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxford Dictionary of Biology

In research: Oxford Dictionary of Biology appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxford Dictionary of Biology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxford Dictionary of Biology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2015 non-fiction books, Biology books, Biology terminology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxford Dictionary of Biology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oxford Dictionary of Biology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxford Dictionary of Biology means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxford Dictionary of Biology out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxford Dictionary of Biology in simple terms?

Why does Oxford Dictionary of Biology matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxford Dictionary of Biology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxford Dictionary of Biology.