United States · Common Core State Standards
11th Grade Biology
An advanced exploration of life from the molecular level to the global biosphere. Students investigate the mechanisms of inheritance, the evidence for evolution, and the intricate connections within ecosystems to understand the challenges facing modern biology.
The Molecular Basis of Life
Explores the fundamental biochemistry of cells and the specialized structures that allow life to maintain homeostasis. Students analyze how carbon-based molecules and organelles work together to sustain living systems.
Investigates the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in the context of cellular metabolism.
Focuses on the plasma membrane and the mechanisms cells use to regulate their internal environment against external changes.
Examines the transformation of energy through chloroplasts and mitochondria, linking the carbon cycle to cellular processes.
Information Storage and Transfer
Focuses on the role of DNA as the blueprint of life and the processes of protein synthesis and cell division. Students examine how genetic information is regulated and passed between generations.
Covers the molecular structure of DNA and the high-fidelity process of replication that precedes cell division.
Traces the path from gene to protein through transcription and translation and explores how cells differentiate.
Analyzes the stages of mitosis and the regulatory checkpoints that prevent uncontrolled cell growth.
Inheritance and Variation
Investigates the patterns of inheritance from Mendelian genetics to complex modern genomics. Students apply probability and pedigree analysis to predict genetic outcomes.
Examines the specialized cell division that produces gametes and creates genetic variation through crossing over.
Explores dominant and recessive traits, incomplete dominance, codominance, and polygenic inheritance.
Discusses modern genetic engineering tools such as CRISPR, cloning, and GMOs alongside their ethical implications.
Evolution and the History of Life
Reviews the evidence for evolution by natural selection and the mechanisms that lead to speciation. Students analyze fossil records, comparative anatomy, and molecular data.
Evaluates the multiple lines of scientific evidence that support the theory of common descent.
Explains how differential survival and reproduction lead to changes in the genetic makeup of populations.
Focuses on the processes that lead to the formation of new species and the use of cladograms to show evolutionary relationships.
Ecology and Environmental Dynamics
Examines the interactions between organisms and their environment. Students study population dynamics, energy flow, and the impact of human activity on biodiversity.
Analyzes factors that affect population growth, carrying capacity, and the distribution of organisms.
Explores symbiosis, predation, competition, and the movement of energy through trophic levels.
Investigates climate change, habitat destruction, and the strategies used to preserve biological diversity.
Human Systems and Integration
A study of the major organ systems of the human body and how they collaborate to maintain health. Students investigate the relationship between system structure and physiological function.
Compares the fast-acting electrical signals of the nervous system with the long-term chemical signaling of the endocrine system.
Examines the transport of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body and the removal of metabolic wastes.
Analyzes the body's defense mechanisms against pathogens and the biological basis of vaccinations.