Advanced Science 4: Biology

This course is required for the magnet program and is taken during one’s sophomore year.  It is the only full-year course in the required advanced science sequence.  This course covers ecology, biochemistry, the origin of life, taxonomy, genetics and so much more. The topics of life science in this course range from evolution to microbiology and physiology. By the end of the course, students will have a thorough understanding of biological science and will be prepared to take the Magnet's specialized biology courses like Genetics, Cellular Physiology, or Marine Biology.

Students study the same topics and instructional objectives as in the MCPS Honors Biology A and B curriculum. An interdisciplinary approach emphasizes the continued development of problem-solving skills and the collection and analysis of biological data. The culminating activity is a three-day field study of coastal ecosystems in which students collect, report, and evaluate physical, chemical, and biological data.

Advanced Science 4: Biology Unit Outline

Semester 1 – The Chemistry of Life

• Characteristics of Life

• Virus Biology

• Chemistry and Water (review)

• Organic Macromolecules

• Origins / Endosymbiosis Theory

• The Cell   

• Cell boundaries / Membrane Structure

• Cell Communication

Semester 2 – Mechanisms of Life

• Cell Cycle

• Mitosis 

• Mendel

• Meiosis

• Chromosomes and Beyond Mendel

• DNA

• RNA & Protein Synthesis

• Transcription and Translation

• ATP & Enzymes  

• Cellular Respiration / Photosynthesis

• Phylogeny & Taxonomy

• Wallops Islands