Biology

Biology — Grade 11

American Curriculum · Ages 16-17

Eleventh grade Biology is usually AP Biology or an honors elective taken after chemistry, and it works at introductory college level. The College Board organises it around four Big Ideas — evolution, energetics, information storage and transmission, and systems interactions — rather than a list of topics, and questions ask students to reason from data rather than recall facts.

The two features students find hardest are the statistics (mean, standard error, chi-square, and the formula sheet supplied in the exam) and the free-response questions, which require a claim supported by specific evidence and clear reasoning. Thirteen required investigations underpin the course, and the exam draws directly on them.

Key topics covered

• Chemistry of Life — Water properties, macromolecules and the structure-function relationship.
• Cell Structure & Energetics — Compartmentalisation, membrane dynamics, respiration and photosynthesis in depth.
• Cell Communication & Cycle — Signal transduction, feedback mechanisms, mitosis and meiosis regulation.
• Heredity & Gene Expression — Inheritance patterns, regulation of expression, and biotechnology.
• Natural Selection & Phylogeny — Evidence for evolution, Hardy-Weinberg problems and building cladograms.
• Ecology & Systems — Energy flow, population dynamics and responses to environmental change.
• Data Analysis & Free Response — Statistics, error bars, experimental design and structured written answers.