AP®︎ Biology | College Biology | Khan Academy (2024)

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Welcome to AP®︎/College Biology!

In this course you’ll explore the amazing world of biology through topics like biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. To make sure you’re prepared with the fundamentals, we recommend completing high school biology before diving into AP Biology.

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Unit 1: Chemistry of life

Structure of water and hydrogen bonding: Chemistry of lifeElements of life: Chemistry of lifeIntroduction to biological macromolecules: Chemistry of life

Properties, structure, and function of biological macromolecules: Chemistry of lifeNucleic acids: Chemistry of life

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Unit 2: Cell structure and function

Cell structures and their functions: Cell structure and functionCell size: Cell structure and functionPlasma membranes: Cell structure and functionMembrane permeability : Cell structure and function

Membrane transport: Cell structure and functionFacilitated diffusion: Cell structure and functionMechanisms of transport: tonicity and osmoregulation: Cell structure and functionCell compartmentalization and its origins: Cell structure and function

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Unit 3: Cellular energetics

Enzyme structure and catalysis: Cellular energeticsEnvironmental impacts on enzyme function: Cellular energeticsCellular energy: Cellular energetics

Photosynthesis: Cellular energeticsCellular respiration: Cellular energeticsFitness: Cellular energetics

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Unit 4: Cell communication and cell cycle

Cell communication: Cell communication and cell cycleSignal transduction: Cell communication and cell cycleChanges in signal transduction pathways: Cell communication and cell cycle

Feedback: Cell communication and cell cycleCell cycle: Cell communication and cell cycleRegulation of cell cycle: Cell communication and cell cycle

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Unit 5: Heredity

Meiosis and genetic diversity: HeredityMendelian genetics: HeredityNon-Mendelian genetics: Heredity

Environmental effects on phenotype: HeredityChromosomal inheritance: Heredity

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Unit 6: Gene expression and regulation

DNA and RNA structure: Gene expression and regulationReplication: Gene expression and regulationTranscription and RNA processing: Gene expression and regulation

Translation: Gene expression and regulationRegulation of gene expression and cell specialization: Gene expression and regulationMutations: Gene expression and regulationBiotechnology: Gene expression and regulation

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Unit 7: Natural selection

Natural selection: Natural selectionArtificial selection: Natural selectionPopulation genetics: Natural selectionHardy-Weinberg equilibrium: Natural selectionEvidence for evolution: Natural selection

Common ancestry and continuing evolution: Natural selectionPhylogeny: Natural selectionSpeciation: Natural selectionExtinction: Natural selectionVariations in populations: Natural selectionOrigins of life on earth: Natural selection

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Unit 8: Ecology

Responses to the environment: EcologyEnergy flow through ecosystems: EcologyPopulation ecology: Ecology

Community ecology: EcologyBiodiversity: EcologyDisruptions to ecosystems: Ecology

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Unit 9: Worked examples of AP®︎ Biology free response questions

Mastery unavailable

Worked examples - 2015: Worked examples of AP®︎ Biology free response questions

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Unit 10: AP®︎ Biology standards mappings

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See how our course content aligns with AP®︎ Biology standards: AP®︎ Biology standards mappings

Course challengeTest your knowledge of the skills in this course.Start Course challenge

Community questions

AP®︎ Biology | College Biology | Khan Academy (2024)

FAQs

Is AP Bio the hardest AP? ›

Yes, the AP Biology course is considered to be a hard AP course. The exam pass rate for 2022 was 67.9% in comparison to other AP exams. It is considered the 10th toughest AP subject when compared with all the 39 subjects.

Is AP Bio hard to get a 5? ›

Only four subjects had lower 5 rates, which makes the AP Biology test one of the hardest tests to get a perfect score on. Questions 1 and 2 are long essays that ask students to interpret and evaluate experimental results.

Does Khan Academy help with AP Biology? ›

We are releasing updated content for AP® Biology. This content includes new exercises, quizzes, and unit tests that are fully aligned with the AP® Biology Course Description.

What is the hardest chapter in AP Biology? ›

In AP Biology, the level of difficulty for each unit can vary from student to student, depending on their background and strengths. However, many students often find the cellular processes and molecular biology units to be quite challenging.

Is 3 a good AP Bio score? ›

What is a good AP® Biology score? Receiving a 3, 4, or 5 is generally accepted as scoring well on an AP® exam.

What percent of people get a 5 on AP Bio? ›

Here's the full distribution of 2023 AP Bio scores: 26% of students scored a 5. 98% of students scored a 4. 18% of students scored a 3.

Is AP chem or bio harder? ›

The difficulty of AP Biology and AP Chemistry can vary depending on your personal strengths and interests. Generally speaking, AP Chemistry is considered more difficult because it requires a stronger foundation in math and involves learning complex equations and problem-solving techniques.

Do colleges accept 3 on AP Bio? ›

Colleges are generally looking for a 4 (“well-qualified”) or 5 (“extremely qualified”) on the AP exam, but some may grant credit for a 3 (“qualified”). These scores mean you have proven yourself capable of doing the work in an introductory-level college course.

Is AP Bio harder than AP ES? ›

In terms of difficulty, AP Biology is often considered to be more challenging than AP Environmental Science, but it ultimately depends on your natural inclinations and background knowledge.

What grade do most people take AP Biology? ›

  • Depending on the program sequence, most students enroll in AP Biology during their junior or senior year. ...
  • Some schools require that all three first-year science courses (biology, chemistry, and physics) be completed before a student.

Is AP Biology good for pre med? ›

Taking higher-level science classes is so important when preparing to apply as a pre-med. We recommend AP biology, AP chemistry, and AP physics. And honestly, there is never enough science. If your school has science electives, take those as well.

Is AP Biology worth it? ›

AP Biology is renowned for its depth and breadth of content, offering invaluable insights for students interested in pursuing careers in medicine, research, biotechnology, or environmental science.

Why is AP Biology so difficult? ›

Is the AP Biology Content Difficult? There's no question that the breadth of content covered in AP Biology is extensive. It requires memorization of complex processes, along with a deep understanding of how biological concepts and themes connect with one another.

Is AP Bio or Physics easier? ›

Many students would say that AP Physics is one of the hardest AP classes, while AP Bio is one of the easiest. This is because AP Physics is heavily based on high-level math, while AP Bio is all about writing and memorization. Khan Academy is a great resource to use to prepare for both classes.

Which AP class is the hardest? ›

1) AP Physics 1

In addition, it has the lowest overall pass rate of any AP exam. Students undertake laboratory work (which they are encouraged to save, as colleges may request to see it before granting credit) while completing extensive work in seven subjects, such as kinematics, energy, and harmonic motion.

Is AP Bio more difficult than AP Chem? ›

The general consensus is that AP Chemistry is often considered more difficult than AP Biology. This is due to the fact that AP Chemistry typically involves more complex mathematical calculations and abstract concepts.

Which is harder, AP Bio or AP Physics? ›

Many students would say that AP Physics is one of the hardest AP classes, while AP Bio is one of the easiest. This is because AP Physics is heavily based on high-level math, while AP Bio is all about writing and memorization. Khan Academy is a great resource to use to prepare for both classes.

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