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.

Ecology, evolution, energy processes, genetics and cellular structure and function are primary topics of study. Emphasis is on the interactions between living and nonliving things as well as the interrelationships between living organisms (including humans). Issues in science, technology and society will also be explored. The laboratory will emphasize the process of science, and students will practice skills scientists use to answer questions about the natural world. This course is NOT designed for Biology, Environmental, and Psychobiology majors.