This course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. Some AP students, as college freshmen, are permitted to undertake upper-level courses in biology or to register for courses for which biology is a prerequisite. Other students may have fulfilled a basic requirement for a laboratory science course and will be able to undertake other courses to pursue their majors.

This course is an introduction to human body systems with the repeated demonstration of the interconnection between structure and function. It includes a general study of the basic principles of chemistry as related to biological function, an overview of cellular structure and metabolism, the general study of selected organ systems, the impacts of globalization on human health, and exploration of medical and research technologies impacting society, including cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research, and gene therapy.

This course is a laboratory investigation of the concepts covered in BIO 110, including the nature of the chemistry of life, cell and tissue dynamics, the structure and physiology of selected human organ systems, and an exploration of human genetics with biotechnology applications.