This course is designed to be the first semester of Biology and includes a laboratory component. The course topics include the study of life, including key chemistry concepts and basic definitions necessary to understand the topic. It also covers the basic cell structure, including photosynthesis and cell respiration, molecular genetics, heredity, and the human body. Biology is approved by the University of California A-G as a laboratory Science – Life (category D)
Laboratory Science - In order to satisfy the University of California A-G requirements for a biology course, two components are required. The first is the course curriculum, the second is a lab. The lab component will be made up of virtual labs and experiments using household equipment and materials. Instructions for the labs will be included in the online course, students are not required to buy a lab kit. Here is a list of supplies that you will need for the course.
Upon completion of this course, the student is awarded 5 credits. Each credit corresponds to 15 hours of study. Of course, some students work more quickly than others, and some can devote more hours to study, so some students are able to complete the course at an accelerated rate.
In this module, students gain a comprehension of the following:
• What biology is and why it matters, including the process of scientific inquiry, characteristics of life, and how experiments connect to real-world problems.
• The chemical foundation of life, covering atoms, water’s unique properties, biological macromolecules, and the role of enzymes in cellular processes.
• The structure and function of cells, including organelles, cellular transport, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and cell division through mitosis.
• The blueprint of heredity found in DNA, including replication, transcription and translation, mutations, and biotechnology applications.
• The principles of heredity and genetic diversity, including Mendel’s experiments, meiosis, Punnett squares, exceptions to Mendelian genetics, and inherited human traits.
• The human body as an interconnected system, including homeostasis, body systems for support, movement, energy, growth, reproduction, immunity, and how systems respond to change.
