Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

Your first online resource to explore the life sciences

“...a wonderful resource - broad and deep in its coverage, current, authoritative, and very enjoyable to use.” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship

eLS (formerly known as the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences) is a monthly-updating reference work containing over 5,000 specially commissioned, peer-reviewed and citable articles written by leaders in the field. It offers comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the life sciences for students, lecturers and researchers alike.

eLS articles are accompanied by colour illustrations and tables. Appendix and glossary material provide essential information for the non-specialist, including biochemical and taxonomic information, acronyms, synonyms, units and other technical data. As all articles have been peer-reviewed, a balanced representation of the literature is ensured.

Key subject areas

eLS incorporates articles based on the following subject areas:

• Biochemistry
• Bioethics & Philosophy
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology
• Evolution & Diversity of Life
• Genetics & Disease
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Neuroscience
• Plant Science
• Science & Society
• Structural Biology
• Virology

Excellent reviews from the experts

The eLS has received a myriad of fantastic reviews, here are just some examples:

"The most ambitious single reference source ever produced in the biological sciences..."
American Reference Books Annual

"...a superb product...one of the greatest scientific publications of the 21st Century..."
Library Journal

"The sheer scope of coverage combined with the very high quality of the content make eLS a remarkable work. All libraries serving researchers in the biological sciences, whether undergraduates or researchers in the field, should strongly consider this exemplary resource."
Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship

How to cite an eLS article

Batool, Fatima; Pervaiz, Nashaiman; Khalid, Qanta; and Abbasi, Amir A. Evolution of Human Multigene Families, eLS, Vol 2:1-8, 2021

Contact eLS

For all institutional subscription enquiries related to eLS (including renewals queries and requests for free trials), please see How to Order and go to Customer Support .

All editorial queries should be directed to the eLS editorial office at [email protected].