AP® Biology Self-Paced

Course Essential Questions:

• How does the process of Evolution drive the diversity and unity of life?
• How do biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic equilibrium?
• How do all living organisms store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information that is essential to all life processes?
• What is the impact of the interactions between biological systems?

Course Learning Objectives:

• Use representations and models to communicate phenomena and solve problems.
• Use mathematics appropriately to calculate unknown values and support principles.
• Engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP Biology curriculum.
• Plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
• Perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
• Articulate scientific principles, laws or concepts and justify claims with evidence.
• Connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains of biology.

Topic 1: Getting started

• Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of a contributing member of the class.
• Begin to build community by sharing important and interesting information with the teacher and classmates.
• Develop skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools.

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life (Topics 2-4)

Topic 2: Chemistry of Life

• Explain and provide examples of what determines the properties of a compound.
• Explain why carbon and the other essential elements (CHNOPS) are used to build biological molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Topic 3: Properties of Water

• Explain how the properties of water that result from its polarity and hydrogen bonding affect its biological function.
• Identify four properties of water that are important for life and describe how they results from hydrogen bonding, and water's polarity.
• Explain how hydrogen bonding results from polar covalent bonds.

Topic 4: Biochemistry/Functional Groups

• Describe the composition of macromolecules required by living organisms, and discuss the impact that structure has on function.
• Identify the functional groups that contribute to biological diversity.
• List the building blocks (monomers) of macromolecules.
• Explain how the functional groups of compounds work in building polymers of organic compounds.
• Explain the connection between the sequence and the subcomponents of a biological polymer and its properties.
• Explain the processes by which polymers are assembled and disassembled.

Unit 2: The Cell (Topics 5-8)

Topic 5: Cell Structure and Function

• Explain how surface area to volume ratio, small size, and compartmentalization allow for efficient utilization of cellular resources.
• Compare and identify the various organelles in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
• Defend the origin of eukaryotic cells.
• Describe the structure and/or function of subcellular components and organelles.
• Explain how subcellular components and organelles contribute to the function of the cell.
• Describe the structural features of a cell that allow organisms to capture, store, and use energy.

Topic 6: Membrane Structure and Function

• Describe the mechanisms that organisms use to maintain solute and water balance.
• Explain how the structure of a molecule affects its ability to pass through the plasma membrane.
• Describe the mechanisms that organisms use to transport large molecules across the plasma membrane.
• Explain how concentration gradients affect the movement of molecules across membranes.
• Describe the processes that allow ions and other molecules to move across membranes.
• Explain how internal membranes and membrane-bound organelles contribute to compartmentalization of eukaryotic cell functions.
• Describe the role of the cell wall in maintaining cell structure and function.
• Explain how osmoregulatory mechanisms contribute to the health and survival of organisms.
• Describe similarities and/or differences in compartmentalization between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Topic 7: Cellular Metabolism and Energetics

• Describe how All living systems require obtain and utilize a constant input of energy.
• Describe the structure and properties of enzymes.
• Explain how the shape and charge of the substrate compatible with the active site of the enzyme.
• Explain how the cellular environment affects enzyme activity.

Topic 8: Cellular Respiration

• Describe the processes that allow organisms to use energy stored in biological macromolecules.
• Explain how cells obtain energy from biological macromolecules in order to power cellular functions.

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics (Topic 9)

Topic 9: Photosynthesis

• Describe the photosynthetic processes that allow organisms to capture and store energy.
• Explain how cells capture energy from light and transfer it to biological molecules for storage and use.
• Explain how cells capture energy from light and transfer it to biological molecules for storage and use.

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle (Topics 10-12)

Topic 10: Cell Communication

• Describe the ways that cells can communicate with one another.
• Explain how cells communicate with one another over short and long distances.
• Describe the components of a signal transduction pathway.
• Describe the role of components of a signal transduction pathway in producing a cellular response.
• Describe the role of the environment in eliciting a cellular response.
• Describe the different types of cellular responses elicited by a signal transduction pathway.
• Explain how a change in the structure of any signaling molecule affects the activity of the signaling pathway.
• Describe positive and/or negative feedback mechanisms.
• Explain how positive feedback affects homeostasis.

Topic 11: The Cell Cycle

• Explain how the Interactions between cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases control the cell cycle.
• Describe the events that occur in the cell cycle.
• Explain how mitosis results in the transmission of chromosomes from one generation to the next.
• Describe the role of checkpoints in regulating the cell cycle.
• Describe the effects of disruptions to the cell cycle on the cell or organism.

Topic 12: Sexual Life Cycles and Meiosis

• Explain how meiosis results in the transmission of chromosomes from one generation to the next.
• Describe similarities and/ or differences between the phases and outcomes of mitosis and meiosis.
• Explain how Separation of the homologous chromosomes in meiosis I ensures that each gamete receives a haploid (1n) set of chromosomes that comprises both maternal and paternal chromosomes.
• Describe the event during meiosis I, in which homologous chromatids exchange genetic material via a process called “crossing over” (recombination), which increases genetic diversity among the resultant gametes.
• Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes involving gamete formation—including crossing over, the random assortment of chromosomes during meiosis, and subsequent fertilization of gametes—serves to increase variation.
• Explain how the process of meiosis generates genetic diversity.

Topic 13: Summative Assessment Units 1-4

Unit 5: Heredity (Topics 14-15)

Topic 14: Genetics Part 1 – Mendelian Genetics

• Explain how fertilization involves the fusion of two haploid gametes, restoring the diploid number of chromosomes and increasing genetic variation in populations by creating new combinations of alleles in the zygote.
• Explain how shared, conserved, fundamental processes and features support the concept of common ancestry for all organisms.
• Explain the inheritance of genes and traits as described by Mendel’s laws.

Topic 15: Genetics Part 2 – Non-Mendelian Genetics

• Explain deviations from Mendel’s model of the inheritance of traits.
• Explain how the same genotype can result in multiple phenotypes under different environmental conditions.
• Explain how chromosomal inheritance generates genetic variation in sexual reproduction.

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation (Topic 16-19)

Topic 16: DNA and RNA

• Describe the types of interactions that regulate gene expression.
• Explain how the location of regulatory sequences relates to their function.
• Explain how the binding of transcription factors to promoter regions affects gene expression and/or the phenotype of the organism.
• Describe the various types of mutation.
• Explain how changes in genotype may result in changes in
• Explain how alterations in DNA sequences contribute to variation that can be subject to natural selection.

Topic 17: Protein Synthesis

• Describe the mechanisms by which genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein.
• Explain how the phenotype of an organism is determined by its genotype.

Topic 18: Gene Regulation

• Describe the types of interactions that regulate gene expression.
• Explain how the location of regulatory sequences relates to their function.
• Explain the Differences in the expression of genes and how these differences account for some of the phenotypic differences between organisms.

Topic 19: Biotechnology

• Explain the use of genetic engineering techniques in analyzing or manipulating DNA.

Topic 20: Summative Assessment Units 5-6

Unit 7: Natural Selection (Topics 21-24)

Topic 21: Darwin – Natural Selection

• Describe the causes of natural selection.
• Explain how natural selection affects populations.
• Describe the importance of phenotypic variation in a population.

Topic 22: Evolution of Populations

• Explain how random occurrences affect the genetic makeup of a population.
• Describe the role of random processes in the evolution of specific populations.
• Describe the change in the genetic makeup of a population over time.
• Describe the types of data that provide evidence for evolution.
• Explain how humans can affect diversity within a population.
• Explain the relationship between changes in the environment and evolutionary changes in the population.
• Describe the conditions under which allele and genotype frequencies will change in populations.

Topic 23: Speciation and the History of Life

• Describe the conditions under which new species may arise.
• Describe the rate of evolution and speciation under different ecological conditions.
• Explain the processes and mechanisms that drive speciation.
• Describe factors that lead to the extinction of a population.
• Explain species diversity in an ecosystem as a function of speciation and extinction rates.

Topic 24: Phylogeny and Cladograms

• Explain how the genetic diversity of a species or population affects its ability to withstand environmental pressures.
• Describe the types of evidence that can be used to infer an evolutionary relationship.
• Explain how a phylogenetic tree and/or cladogram can be used to infer evolutionary relatedness.
• Describe structural and functional evidence on cellular and molecular levels that provides evidence for the common ancestry of all eukaryotes.
• Explain how evolution is an ongoing process in all living organisms.

Unit 8: Ecology (Topics 25-30)

Topic 25: Introduction to Ecology

• Explain how the behavioral responses of organisms affect their overall fitness and may contribute to the success of the population.
• Explain how the activities of autotrophs and heterotrophs enable the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
• Explain how changes in energy availability affect populations and ecosystems.
• Describe the strategies organisms use to acquire and use energy.

Topic 26: Animal Behavior

• Explain how the behavioral responses of organisms affect their overall fitness and may contribute to the success of the population.
• Describe the strategies organisms use to acquire and use energy.
• Explain how the behavioral and/or physiological response of an organism is related to changes in internal or external environment.

Topic 27: Population Ecology

• Explain how the density of a population affects and is determined by resource availability in the environment.
• Describe factors that influence growth dynamics of populations.

Topic 28: Community Ecology

• Describe the structure of a community according to its species composition and diversity.
• Explain how interactions within and among populations influence community structure.
• Explain how community structure is related to energy availability in the environment.

Topic 29: Ecosystems

• Describe the relationship between ecosystem diversity and its resilience to changes in the environment.
• Explain the interaction between the environment and random or preexisting variations in populations.

Topic 30: Conservation Biology and Global Change

• Explain how the addition or removal of any component of an ecosystem will affect its overall short-term and long-term structure.
• Explain how invasive species affect ecosystem dynamics.
• Describe human activities that lead to changes in ecosystem structure and/or dynamics.
• Explain how geological and meteorological activity leads to changes in ecosystem structure and/or dynamics.

Final Unit: AP Exam Practice, Review and Reflections (Topics 31-33)

Topic 31: AP Exam Review Part 1

• Review content from the year
• Complete a full-length practice exam

Topic 32: AP Exam Review Part 2

• Reflect on AP Practice Exam performance
• Identify areas of confusion and resources for review

Topic 33: Final Thoughts and Goodbyes

• Reflect on course experience