AP® Biology is an advanced course that aims to prepare high school students for introductory biology in college. Students can receive college credits based on their overall score on the final exam, making the course an onramp to college-level study and future career paths in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Organized into 8 units (Chemistry of Life, Cell Structure and Function, Cellular Energetics, Cell Communication and the Cell Cycle, Heredity, Gene Expression and Regulation, Natural Selection, and Ecology), the curriculum engages learners in inquiry-based investigations from the AP Biology Lab Manual to help them develop laboratory skills and apply critical thinking.

Emphasis is placed on connecting molecular and cellular processes to broader biological systems, reinforcing a deep understanding of how life functions at the cellular and genetic levels. To assist teachers in deciphering the AP Biology curriculum and empowering their students to make critical connections, LabXchange is launching new digital clusters, simulations, and interactives—aligned to the inquiry-based investigations in the AP Biology Lab Manual.

“By giving students experience before a hands-on lab or giving them a chance to review a virtual lab afterwards, I can better enable students with varying backgrounds to achieve at the AP level,” said Mary Liu, LabXchange teacher-in-residence and science teacher at Weston High School in Weston, Massachusetts.

“Virtual tools, such as simulations, allow students to interact with complex lab topics in advance of hands-on experimentation, thus preparing all learners for success during class,” noted Stefana Dunn, LabXchange teacher-in-residence. “This approach increases access to AP topics for a variety of learners who may otherwise struggle with the rigor and pace of a college-level course.”

AP® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which has not reviewed these resources.

New Tools for AP Biology Lab Investigations

The Biology Lab Investigations pathway provides easy access to new virtual lab simulations designed to support the objectives set out in the AP Biology Lab Manual, and will be updated as additional resources are added. The simulations and interactives listed below are also incorporated alongside additional learning resources into three clusters and their respective pathways, which provide a deeper dive into the units of the AP Biology curriculum.

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• Investigation 1: Artificial Selection (Launching Fall/Winter 2025)‍
• Investigation 2: Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg
• Investigation 3: Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST (Launching Fall/Winter 2025)‍
• Investigation 4: Diffusion and Osmosis‍
• Investigations 5 & 6: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
• ‍Investigation 7.1: Cell Division: Mitosis - Evaluating the Effects of Lectin on Onion Root-Tip Cell Division‍
• Investigation 7.2: Cell Division: Meiosis (Launching 2026)‍‍
• Investigation 8: Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation‍‍
• Investigation 9: Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA‍
• Investigation 10: Energy Dynamics (2 simulations launching 2026)‍
• Investigation 11: Transpiration (Launching Fall/Winter 2025)‍‍
• Investigation 12: Fruit Fly Behavior‍
• Investigation 13: Enzyme Activity (Launching Fall 2025)

Cluster: Biochemistry, Cells, and Energetics

The Biochemistry, Cells, and Energetics cluster focuses on Units 1–3 of AP Biology, which form the biochemical and cellular foundation for all other topics in the course, and features investigations 4, 5, 6, and 13.

• Unit 1: Chemistry of Life — explores the chemical principles and properties of molecules essential for life, including water, macromolecules, and the relationship between molecular structure and function.
• Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function — examines the organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the role of organelles, and the importance of membranes in maintaining homeostasis.
• Unit 3: Cellular Energetics — investigates how cells transform energy, covering topics such as enzymes, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration.

Cluster: Cell Communication, Heredity, and Gene Expression

The Cell Communication, Heredity, and Gene Expression cluster focuses on Units 4–6 of AP Biology, which build on the biochemical and cellular foundation and explore how information is transmitted, inherited, and regulated in living organisms, and features investigations 7, 8, and 9.

• Unit 4: Cell Communication and the Cell Cycle — examines how cells communicate with each other and regulate growth and division. Topics include signaling pathways, receptor types, and mechanisms of signal transduction, as well as the stages of the cell cycle, checkpoints, and processes such as mitosis and meiosis.
• Unit 5: Heredity — investigates patterns of inheritance and the mechanisms by which genetic information is passed from one generation to the next. Topics include Mendelian genetics, non-Mendelian inheritance, Punnett squares, pedigrees, chromosomal inheritance, and the effects of mutations on phenotype.
• Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation — explores how genes are expressed and controlled in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Topics include transcription, translation, gene regulation, epigenetics, operons, and the molecular mechanisms that ensure cells produce the correct proteins at the right time.

Cluster: Evolution and Ecology (Coming Soon!)

Stay tuned for our third AP Biology cluster, which will focus on Units 7 and 8 and feature investigations 1–3 and 10–12.