Biology Draft
ScienceA high school course guide for families
See it for your school: its prerequisites, what it counts toward at your school, and whether it's in your plan.
Why this course?
Biology is the study of living things, from cells to ecosystems. It's the base of every health career and a lab science colleges expect.
Pennsylvania's Keystone Biology exam is tied to this course.
Colleges expect Biology as one of your lab sciences.
What you'll learn
- Explain how cells work and how they divide
- Understand DNA, genes and heredity
- Describe evolution and how species change
- Study ecosystems and how living things depend on each other
- Design and run experiments
You'll do: Labs (including microscopes and sometimes dissection), lab reports, and the Keystone Biology exam.
- Honors
- Honors goes deeper into cell biology and genetics and expects more independent lab work.
- AP (Advanced Placement)
- AP Biology is a first-year college biology course with a heavy lab component. College-level work with a national AP exam in May. A high enough score can earn college credit or placement, depending on the college.
What comes next
Which courses come before and after it, and what it counts toward, depend on each school. Your plan shows your school's.
College majors that build on it
- Biology
- Nursing
- Pre-medicine and pre-health
Careers it informs most
People in these jobs use what this course teaches the most. It's a starting point, not a track.
- Registered NursesNurses use biology every shift to understand how the body works and what's going wrong.
- Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.
- Physicians, PathologistsPhysicians, Pathologists use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.
- Bioinformatics ScientistsBioinformatics Scientists use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.
- Natural Sciences ManagersNatural Sciences Managers use biology in their work. O*NET rates it very important for the job.