This pathway provides an overview of biological macromolecules and their properties. The resources in this pathway can be used to introduce or review the structure and function of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids. For a deeper look at this topic, we recommend the pathway Biological Macromolecules from the OpenStax textbook Biology for AP® Courses.

An overview of a white blood cell test. How the test is performed, how to prepare for the test, risks involved, and the results of the tests are discussed.

This cell biology lesson explains and illustrated the different phases of meiosis. Includes vocabulary and assessment links as well as othe related resources.

Students learn some of the implications of 3D printing in the biomedical field. Unlike 3D printers used in a classroom or by consumers, which use a plastic filament to produce a product, 3D printing for medical purposes is often with real living cells. In this lesson, students gain an understanding of how 3D printing is changing lives for the better through a presentation and group discussion. In the corresponding activity, they have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on simulation of a real-world 3D printing task.

Travel deep into the human body to see exactly where your DNA resides. From the NOVA: Cracking the Code of Life Web site.

The miracle of life is featured in this wonderful series of short videos, journal entries, and flash segments. A variety of topics are covered in this well written, authoritative piece.

PBS site provides information as to what stem cells are, what they do and how we find a balance between hope for cures and respect for life. Contains links to stem cell research, the cloning process as well as politics of stem cells.

Explore the body's immune system to understand how a virus enters the body and how the human body fights against the viruses like the mumps virus and HIV.

This pathway provides an introduction to nucleic acids and their role in providing heritable information in cells. For a deeper look at this topic, we recommend the pathway DNA Structure and Function from the OpenStax textbook Biology for AP® Courses.

This lesson will give a general overview of how organelles help a cell function and will explain the importance of organelles in increasing surface area to volume ratios. It is 3 of 3 in the series titled "Organelles."

In this video segment from An Introduction to the Living Cell, explore the inner workings of a cell, including some of its most important organelles. [3:47]

Article discusses how objects in nature are held together through balanced forces. Scroll midway down to find info on microtubules and microfilaments. Links to excellent electron micrographs.

Generate and collect three types of proteins, then move on to explore the factors that affect protein synthesis in a cell.

This lesson covers the process of photosynthesis and the related plant cell functions of transpiration and cellular respiration. Students will learn how engineers can use the natural process of photosynthesis as an exemplary model of a complex yet efficient process for converting solar energy to chemical energy or distributing water throughout a system.

Students learn that engineers develop different polymers to serve various functions and are introduced to selectively permeable membranes. In a warm-up activity, they construct models of selectively permeable membranes using common household materials, and are reminded about simple diffusion and passive transport. In the main activity, student pairs test and compare the selective permeability of everyday polymer materials engineered for food storage (including plastic grocery bags, zipper sandwich bags, and plastic wrap) with various in-solution molecules (iodine, corn starch, food coloring, marker dye), assess how the polymer’s permeability relates to its function/purpose, and compare that to the permeability of dialysis tubing (which simulates a cell membrane).

Students culture cells in order to find out which type of surfactant (in this case, soap) is best at removing bacteria. Groups culture cells from unwashed hands and add regular bar soap, regular liquid soap, anti-bacterial soap, dishwasher soap, and hand sanitizer to the cultures. The cultures are allowed to grow for two days and then the students assess which type of soap design did the best job of removing bacteria cells from unwashed hands. Students extend their knowledge of engineering and surfactants for different environmental applications.

Bobbi Seleski catalogs biology from our body and beyond, tracking how unicellular organisms, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and our biosphere build off of each other and work together. [4:53]

This pathway outlines how genetic information is added to cells in the technique called transformation. This pathway also supports ABE Lab 5.

This site from WebMD provides an extremely detailed description of a complete blood count, how it is taken, what it measures, and what the results tell you. Links to important terms within the text and a chart that shows average amounts expected during testing are also given.