Studying Self-Study Biology: Textbooks & Courses for Beginners

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To learn biology from scratch with a focus on bioinformatics, starting with a solid foundation in high school chemistry is recommended, as it is essential for understanding biological concepts like cell structure and chemical components. The Campbell Biology textbook, particularly the 10th Edition, is suggested as a comprehensive resource for beginners. Engaging in hands-on biology experiments is encouraged, with an emphasis on understanding the scientific principles behind them rather than just performing the experiments. This approach will enhance the learning experience and provide a deeper grasp of biological concepts.
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Hello,

I want to learn biology from stratch for a hobby, I never studied it in school good enough so I want to do it now, should I go through entire Campbell Biology to grasp basic stuff?
I want to note that I want to focus on bioinformatics as I progress
One more thing to note is that I want to do as many biology experiments(I don't mind even going through books for kids as I can, and I want to actually understand science behind them, not just do the experiments and voilà!

So based on description of my current knowledge (zero), my goals (bioinformatics), wishes(experiments), what textbooks/courses would you recommend to me?
 
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Two points:
If you have not done HS Chemistry, consider getting into that first. One of the first things you encounter in Biology is the cell concept and its structure and chemical comoponents - which starts by assuming you know about polymers, fats, chemical bonds and so on.

You may have some sort of idea what a proteins and lipids are, for example. But it probably is not in terms of you furthering your understanding of cell membranes.

Campbell is fine - get a used one from Amazon - 10th Edition.
 
jim mcnamara said:
Two points:
If you have not done HS Chemistry, consider getting into that first. One of the first things you encounter in Biology is the cell concept and its structure and chemical comoponents - which starts by assuming you know about polymers, fats, chemical bonds and so on.

You may have some sort of idea what a proteins and lipids are, for example. But it probably is not in terms of you furthering your understanding of cell membranes.

Campbell is fine - get a used one from Amazon - 10th Edition.
Yeah I'll definitely go for Campbell then.
 
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