Biology II AP Curriculum

Biology II AP follows the currently recommended outline published by the College Board. Biology II AP is a college-level course taken at the high school setting. This AP course will encompass the following in detail: biochemical and cellular basis of life, cell organization, energy transformation, nutrient procurement, transport and processing, genetics, evolution, ecology, animal behavior, and botany. Dissections may be performed, but are not a major component of this course. Biology II AP is designed for the student who plans to major in biology, chemistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, nursing or other health career. Students are required to do a self-directed research project that involves developing and conducting experiments and writing a scientific paper over their research project. Additional laboratory time is required. Students are encouraged to take the College Board's Advanced Placement Exam in Biology.

1. Recommend a 'B' or better in all semesters of Biology I and Chemistry I
2. A desire for further in-depth study of advanced Biology

• Course Objectives - Summary Document (437 kB)
  
  1. What Is Science? What Does It Do?
  2. The Who, What, and Why of Evolution
  3. Chemistry of Life
  4. Introduction to Organic Chemistry & Carbohydrates, Lipids & Nucleic Acids
  5. Introduction to Protein Structure & Function
  6. Introduction to Metabolism
  7. Structure & Function of Cell Membranes
  8. Structure & Function of Prokaryotic, Eukaryotic & Subcellular Organizations
  9. Cell Cycle and Its Regulation
  10. Cellular Metabolism
  11. Photosynthesis
  12. Organisms and Populations
  13. Animal Behavior
  14. Heredity and Evolution
  15. Meiosis and Gametogenesis
  16. Organisms and Populations
  17. Review of the Structure & Functions of Plants & Animals
• Core Labs - Summary Doc. (104 kB)  |   Process Skills Checklist (415 kB)
  
  1. Testing a Hypothesis - The Black Box Lab
  2. Independent Research Project
  3. Probability and Chance
  4. Toxicity and Threshold Levels
  5. Review of the Microscope Past and Present
  6. Development of a Historical Time Line of Life
  7. Formation of Proteinoid Microspheres & Coacervates
  8. Diffusion and Osmosis
  9. Animal Behavior Lab
  10. Surface-to-Volume Ratio
  11. Enzymes in Cells
  12. The Importance of the Nucleus
  13. Mitosis Study Using Onion Root Tip & Whitefish Blastula
  14. Crossing Over & Chromosome Recombination in Meiosis
  15. Variation, Natural Selection, & Selective Pressures
  16. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission
• Textbook