College Board-Aligned
AP Biology
This page follows the current official College Board course outline. Each unit/topic links to original local notes built for studying, practice, and review.
Course Snapshot
8
official units
43
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
On the AP exam: 8%-11% of exam score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: Structure of water hydrogen bonding Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: Elements of life Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 3: Carbohydrates Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 4: Lipids Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 5: Nucleic acids Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 6: Proteins Original Notes
Unit 2: Cells
On the AP exam: 10%-13% of exam score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: Cellular structure and functions Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: Cell size Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: Cellular interactions with its environment Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: Plasma membrane and membrane transport Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: Cell regulatory mechanisms (like osmosis and selective permeability) Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 6: Cellular compartmentalization Original Notes
Unit 3: Cellular Energetics
On the AP exam: 12%-16% of exam score.
- Unit 3 Topic 1: The structure and function of enzymes Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 2: Cellular energy Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 3: The processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration Original Notes
Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: Cell communication Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: Signal transduction pathways Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 3: Feedback Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 4: Cell cycle and regulation Original Notes
Unit 5: Heredity
On the AP exam: 8%-11% of exam score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: Meiosis and genetic diversity Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: Mendelian genetics Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: Non-mendelian Inheritance Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 4: Environmental effects on phenotype Original Notes
Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
On the AP exam: 12%-16% of exam score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: DNA and RNA structure Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: DNA replication Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: Transcription and RNA processing Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Translation Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 5: Regulation of gene expression Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 6: Gene expression and cell specialization Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 7: Mutations Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 8: Biotechnology Original Notes
Unit 7: Natural Selection
On the AP exam: 13%-20% of exam score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Natural and aritificial selection Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: Population genetics Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: Evidence of evolution and common ancestry Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 4: Phylogeny Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 5: Speciation and variations in populations Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 6: Origin of life on Earth Original Notes
Unit 8: Ecology
On the AP exam: 10%-15% of exam score.
- Unit 8 Topic 1: Responses to the environment Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 2: Energy flow through ecosystems Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 3: Population ecology and population density Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 4: Community ecology Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 5: Biodiversity Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 6: Disruptions in ecosystems Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP Biology unit/topic list.
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
Unit 1 Topic 1: Structure of water hydrogen bonding
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 2: Elements of life
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 3: Carbohydrates
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 4: Lipids
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 5: Nucleic acids
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 6: Proteins
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2: Cells
Unit 2 Topic 1: Cellular structure and functions
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: Cell size
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: Cellular interactions with its environment
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: Plasma membrane and membrane transport
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: Cell regulatory mechanisms (like osmosis and selective permeability)
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 6: Cellular compartmentalization
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Cellular Energetics
Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
Unit 4 Topic 1: Cell communication
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 2: Signal transduction pathways
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 3: Feedback
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 4: Cell cycle and regulation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5: Heredity
Unit 5 Topic 1: Meiosis and genetic diversity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 2: Mendelian genetics
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 3: Non-mendelian Inheritance
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 4: Environmental effects on phenotype
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
Unit 6 Topic 1: DNA and RNA structure
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 2: DNA replication
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 3: Transcription and RNA processing
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 4: Translation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 5: Regulation of gene expression
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 6: Gene expression and cell specialization
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 7: Mutations
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 8: Biotechnology
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7: Natural Selection
Unit 7 Topic 1: Natural and aritificial selection
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 2: Population genetics
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 3: Evidence of evolution and common ancestry
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 4: Phylogeny
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 5: Speciation and variations in populations
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 6: Origin of life on Earth
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8: Ecology
Unit 8 Topic 1: Responses to the environment
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 2: Energy flow through ecosystems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 3: Population ecology and population density
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 4: Community ecology
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 5: Biodiversity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 6: Disruptions in ecosystems
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Shared Google Drive Notes
No shared Google Drive notes are currently mapped for this course. Local original notes are still available above.
Practice Questions
Each note page includes a quick practice prompt. Use these unit practice cards to review the same way AP questions ask you to apply ideas, evidence, and reasoning.
Unit 1 Practice
Use the linked notes for Chemistry of Life to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 2 Practice
Use the linked notes for Cells to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 3 Practice
Use the linked notes for Cellular Energetics to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 4 Practice
Use the linked notes for Cell Communication and Cell Cycle to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Study Guides
Use this as a unit review index. Open each unit, work through the topic notes, then return here to move to the next unit.
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
6 topics to review, 8%-11% of exam score
Unit 2: Cells
6 topics to review, 10%-13% of exam score
Unit 3: Cellular Energetics
3 topics to review, 12%-16% of exam score
Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
4 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score
Unit 5: Heredity
4 topics to review, 8%-11% of exam score
Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
8 topics to review, 12%-16% of exam score
Unit 7: Natural Selection
6 topics to review, 13%-20% of exam score
Unit 8: Ecology
6 topics to review, 10%-15% of exam score