Interactive tutorials are blue. Student Learning Guides (SLGs) are red. 

Optional Module.  Basic Chemistry for Biology Students

This optional introductory high-school level tutorial gives you (or your students) the chemistry background (atoms, molecules, chemical bonding) needed to understand biology. For students who haven’t taken a high school-level chemistry course, this tutorial is highly recommended. You can access this tutorial through the High School Biology Menu, or through this link: “Life’s Chemical Building Blocks.”

1. Topic 1.1: The Chemistry of Water and Hydrogen Bonding

Topic 1.1, Structure of Water, SLG 

1. Topic 1.1: The Chemistry of Water and Hydrogen Bonding

2. Carbon, the Elements of Life, and Functional Groups

Topic 1.2, Carbon, the Elements of Life, and Functional Groups, SLG

1. Topic 1.2: Carbon and the Elements of Life

2. Topic 1.2a: Functional Groups and Isomers

   • Note: While functional groups are not explicitly in the AP bio standards, they’re extremely useful for understanding the biochemistry you’ll encounter in an AP Bio course.

3. Biochemical Macromolecules

Topics 1.3 – 1.6, Biological Macromolecules SLG

1. Topic 1.3: Monomers and Polymers

2. Topic 1.4 – 1.6 Overview: The Four Biomolecule Families

3. Topic 1.4, Part 1: Carbohydrates

4. Topic 1.4, Part 2: Lipids

5. Topic 1.5: Proteins

6. Topic 1.6: Nucleic Acids

4. Unit 1 Review Page: Objectives, Flashcards, and Quizzes