Cells, genetics, evolution and ecology, with quantitative skills such as Punnett squares and Hardy-Weinberg.
Biology is the study of living things at every scale, from molecules inside a cell to whole ecosystems. An introductory course covers cell structure, energy in cells (photosynthesis and respiration), DNA and protein synthesis, inheritance, evolution and ecology.
Although biology is less formula-driven than physics, quantitative reasoning still matters. Punnett squares are probability, Hardy-Weinberg uses to describe allele frequencies, and population growth follows the same exponential and logistic models used in mathematics. Reading graphs and data tables is tested heavily.
Biology supports careers in medicine, nursing, agriculture, conservation, public health and biotechnology. It also informs everyday decisions about diet, vaccination and the environment, and it is the most common science requirement for health-related degree programs.
Core biology with the math used in genetics and ecology. (High school)
The cell is the smallest unit that carries out all the processes of life. Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, are small and have no nucleus; their DNA floats in the cytoplasm. Eukaryotic cells, found in plants, animals, fungi and protists, keep their DNA in a nucleus and divide their work among membrane-bound organelles.
Genetics explains how traits pass from parents to offspring. Genes are stretches of DNA, and each gene can come in different versions called alleles. You inherit one allele of each gene from each parent, and the combination, your genotype, determines the trait you show, your phenotype.