AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course. The AP Biology course is equivalent to a two-semester college introductory biology course for biology majors.
Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions.
The big ideas serve as the foundation of the course and allow students to create meaningful connections among course concepts. Often, they are abstract concepts or themes that become threads that run throughout the course. π BIG IDEA 1: EVOLUTION (EVO): The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. π BIG IDEA 2: ENERGETICS (ENE): Biological systems use energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic homeostasis. π BIG IDEA 3: INFORMATION STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION (IST): Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.π BIG IDEA 4: SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS (SYI): Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions exhibit complex properties.