United States · Common Core State Standards
10th Grade Biology
This course explores the fundamental principles of life from microscopic molecular interactions to global ecosystem dynamics. Students investigate how organisms maintain homeostasis, transfer genetic information, and evolve over time through evidence based inquiry.
01The Chemistry of Life and Cell Structure
Students examine the chemical foundations of biology, focusing on how specialized structures within cells help organisms maintain stability and process energy.
Exploring the unique properties of water that allow life to exist on Earth, from polarity to high specific heat.
An analysis of carbohydrates and lipids, focusing on their specific roles in energy storage, structure, and signaling.
Investigating the diverse roles of proteins and nucleic acids as the workhorses and information carriers of the cell.
Investigating how biological catalysts lower activation energy to facilitate life-sustaining chemical reactions.
Comparing the structural complexity of bacteria to the compartmentalized organelles of plant and animal cells.
A deep dive into the specialized roles of key organelles like mitochondria, chloroplasts, and the nucleus.
Tracing the path of protein production from the nucleus through the ER and Golgi apparatus to the cell surface.
Analyzing the fluid mosaic model and the components that make up the cell's outer boundary.
Investigating the physics of passive transport mechanisms, including simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis.
Analyzing how cells use energy to move substances against their concentration gradients and transport large molecules.
Understanding how cells receive and respond to chemical signals from their environment or other cells.
Exploring the different types of cell junctions and their roles in tissue formation and communication.
Investigating the complex network of molecules outside animal cells and its role in support and signaling.
02Energy Flow: Photosynthesis and Respiration
A study of how matter and energy flow through organisms via the complementary processes of capturing light and breaking down carbon compounds.
Examining the structure of adenosine triphosphate and how it powers cellular work through phosphorylation.
An introduction to photosynthesis, including the role of chloroplasts and light-absorbing pigments.
Investigating how chlorophyll captures solar energy to produce high-energy electrons and oxygen.
Analyzing how plants use CO2 and energy from light reactions to build stable organic sugars.
An introduction to cellular respiration, including its stages and overall purpose.
Studying the universal first step of energy extraction from glucose in the cytoplasm.
Investigating the variations of fermentation that occur in the absence of oxygen.
Tracing the breakdown of pyruvate in the mitochondria to release carbon dioxide and capture electrons.
Analyzing how a proton gradient drives the synthesis of large amounts of ATP via ATP synthase.
Exploring how different macromolecules (fats, proteins) can enter the cellular respiration pathways.
Investigating environmental factors that influence the rates of these key metabolic processes.
Connecting cellular metabolism to the movement of carbon through the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere.
Exploring how energy is transferred through trophic levels and the concept of ecological pyramids.
03The Cell Cycle and Molecular Genetics
This unit focuses on the mechanisms of inheritance, the structure of DNA, and how genetic variation is produced.
Tracing the history of the double helix discovery from Griffith to Watson, Crick, and Franklin.
A detailed look at the semi-conservative replication process and the enzymes involved.
Exploring the organization of DNA into chromosomes and how karyotypes are used to analyze genetic material.
Investigating the stages of interphase (G1, S, G2) where cells grow and prepare for division.
Exploring the phases of nuclear division that produce genetically identical daughter cells.
Investigating the checkpoints that control cell growth and the consequences of their failure.
The process of synthesizing messenger RNA as a mobile copy of genetic instructions.
How ribosomes and tRNA translate the triplet codons of mRNA into a polypeptide chain.
Exploring how cells turn genes on and off in response to internal and external signals.
Analyzing point mutations, frameshifts, and chromosomal aberrations and their phenotypic outcomes.
Investigating the basic structure of viruses and their mechanisms for infecting host cells and replicating.
Exploring genetic exchange in bacteria and the role of plasmids in antibiotic resistance.
An introduction to the techniques used to combine DNA from different sources, forming recombinant DNA.
04Inheritance and Biotechnology
Investigating the patterns of heredity and the modern tools used to manipulate genetic information.
The specialized cell division that reduces chromosome number and creates genetic diversity.
Applying Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment to predict trait inheritance.
Exploring codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, and polygenic traits.
Analyzing how genes located on sex chromosomes are inherited differently in males and females.
Understanding the laboratory techniques used to amplify and separate DNA fragments.
Investigating the impact of sequencing the entire human genome on medicine and society.
Debating the potential and perils of precise genome editing in plants, animals, and humans.
Exploring the methods and ethical considerations of screening for genetic disorders.
Examining the observations Darwin made on the HMS Beagle and the logic of his theory of natural selection.
Using the physical remains of past life and comparative structures to trace common ancestry.
Comparing developmental stages and DNA sequences to determine evolutionary distance.