ABSTRACT
Power terms can be combined to give more complex equations called polynomials. Polynomials will be introduced and their relevance to biology demonstrated. This chapter introduces power functions and polynomials and provides experience of algebraic manipulation of polynomials. Power functions are often found within the life sciences. They are usually involved in equations which describe rates and are most commonly found as quadratic expressions. The chapter discusses power functions and the algebra associated with them. The degree or order of the polynomial is based on the highest power function and, whilst quadratics are probably the most common form, polynomials of the nth degree can also be found in biology. The general quadratic function will produce a parabola in the same way as the special quadratic function, but the addition of the linear term to the power term means that the vertex no longer has to pass through the origin.
