Cover: Biology for the AP® Course, 2nd Edition by James Morris; Domenic Castignetti; John Lepri; Rick Relyea

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Biology for the AP® Course

Second  Edition©2026  James Morris; Domenic Castignetti; John Lepri; Rick Relyea

About

Biology for the AP® Course, Second Edition 

This book was written just for AP® Biology students—and it shows. Biology for the AP® Course helps you understand the material you need for the course and prepares you for success on the AP® Biology Exam. The text is clear and easy to follow, with built-in support to help you stay on track with college-level content.

Each unit is broken into short, manageable modules so you can pace yourself and check your understanding along the way. Throughout the book, you’ll find review questions, exam-style practice, and helpful tips from AP® experts. Visuals, graphs, and diagrams bring biology to life and help you build important science and data skills.

The second edition includes even more AP® Practice Questions, new unit-opening essays, and end-of-unit examples that show how biology connects to the world around you. Whether you’re working through a tough topic or reviewing for the test, this book is here to help—every step of the way.

Table of Contents

Unit 0: Foundations

Module 01: Introduction

Module 02: Scientific Inquiry

Module 03: Visual Representations

Tutorial 1: Graphing

Illustrative Example: The Extinction of the Dinosaurs

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

Module 1: Elements of Life

Module 2: Structure of Water and Hydrogen Bonding

Module 3: Carbohydrates and Lipids

Module 4: Nucleic Acids

Module 5: Proteins

Tutorial 2: Statistics

Illustrative Example: Luck and Penicillin

Unit 1 AP Practice Questions

Unit 2: Cells

Module 6: An Introduction to the Cell

Module 7: Cell Structure and Function

Module 8: Cell Size

Module 9: Plasma Membrane

Module 10: Mechanisms of Membrane Transport

Module 11: Osmosis, Tonicity, and Osmoregulation

Module 12: Origin of Compartmentalization and the Eukaryotic Cell

Illustrative Example: Plant–Fungal Associations

Unit 2 AP Practice Questions

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics

Module 13: Cellular Energy

Module 14: Enzymes and Environmental Impact on Enzyme Function

Module 15: Photosynthesis I: Overview

Module 16: Photosynthesis II: Biochemistry and Evolution

Module 17: Cellular Respiration I: Overview

Module 18: Cellular Respiration II: Biochemistry

Illustrative Example: A Photosynthetic Salamander

Unit 3 AP Practice Questions

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

Module 19: Cell Communication

Module 20: Introduction to Signal Transduction

Module 21: Signal Transduction Pathways

Module 22: Feedback

Module 23: Cell Cycle

Module 24: Regulation of Cell Cycle

Illustrative Example: Cell Signaling and Cancer

Unit 4 AP Practice Questions

Unit 5: Heredity

Module 25: Meiosis and Genetic Diversity

Module 26: Mendelian Genetics

Tutorial 3: Probability

Module 27: Non-Mendelian Genetics

Module 28: Environmental Effects on Phenotypes

Illustrative Example: Living in a Lonely and Scary World

Unit 5 AP Practice Questions

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

Module 29: DNA and RNA Structure and Function

Module 30: DNA Replication

Module 31: Transcription and RNA Processing

Module 32: Translation

Module 33: Regulation of Gene Expression

Module 34: Cell Specialization and Development

Module 35: Mutations

Module 36: Biotechnology

Illustrative Example: CRISPR Scissors

Unit 6 AP Practice Questions

Unit 7: Evolution and Natural Selection

Module 37: Introduction to Evolution and Natural Selection

Module 38: Natural and Artificial Selection

Module 39: Population Genetics

Module 40: Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium

Module 41: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Evolution

Module 42: Continuing Evolution

Module 43: Phylogeny

Module 44: Speciation

Module 45: Variation in Populations

Module 46: Origins of Life on Earth

Illustrative Example: The Anthropocene

Unit 7 AP Practice Questions

Unit 8: Ecology

Module 47: Responses to the Environment

Module 48: Energy Flow through Ecosystems

Module 49: Population Ecology

Module 50: Effect of Density on Populations

Tutorial 4: Rate and Growth in Populations Ecology

Module 51: Community Ecology

Module 52: Biodiversity

Module 53: Disruptions in Ecosystems

Illustrative Example: Impacts of Salt on Freshwater Ecosystems

Unit 8 AP Practice Questions

Cumulative AP Biology Practice Exam

Enrichment Modules

Enrichment Module A: The Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune Systems

Enrichment Module B: Animal Sensory Systems

Enrichment Module C: Viruses


Glossary / Glosario

Answers to Concept Check, Review, and Tutorial Practice Questions

The Periodic Table of the Elements

James Morris

James Morris is professor of biology at Brandeis University. He has taught a wide variety of courses for majors and non-majors, including introductory biology, evolution, genetics and genomics, epigenetics, comparative vertebrate anatomy, and a first-year seminar on Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. He is the recipient of numerous teaching awards from Brandeis and Harvard. His research focuses on the field of epigenetics and makes use of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Dr. Morris received a PhD in genetics from Harvard University and an MD from Harvard Medical School. He was a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at Harvard University and a National Academies Education Fellow and Mentor in the Life Sciences. He is an author of the college-level introductory biology textbook Biology: How Life Works and is a regular contributor to The American Biology Teacher. He has also served as a reader and participated in standard setting for the AP® Biology exam.

Domenic Castignetti

Domenic Castignetti is professor emeritus of biology at Loyola University Chicago. During his 37 years at Loyola, he taught many courses, including the introductory biology two-semester course, general microbiology, microbial physiology, and biochemistry. He was awarded Loyola University’s Master Teacher of the College of Arts and Sciences Award and received the first Faculty/Staff Member of the Year Award from the Student Government Association. Dr. Castignetti received an MS from Colorado State University and a PhD in microbial ecology and physiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research, conducted with undergraduate and graduate students, focused on the microbiology and biochemistry of soil microorganisms. He has been associated with the AP® Biology program since 2003 and has served as a reader, table leader, and member of the Development Committee. He was chief reader for the AP® Biology exam for 5 years. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he has taught microbiology and biology for non-majors.

John Lepri

John Lepri is Professor Emeritus of Biology and Faculty Fellow in the Lloyds International Honors Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has taught courses in introductory biology, biological clocks, and animal physiology. His research focused on hormones and pheromones that coordinate reproduction in mammals. Dr. Lepri earned a BS in zoology and psychology from the University of Michigan, and a PhD in zoology from North Carolina State University. His professional activities have included teacher preparation programs for high school science teachers. Dr. Lepri has worked with College Board and Educational Testing Service for more than 25 years, including 5 years as chief reader for the AP® Biology exam.

Rick Relyea

Rick Relyea  is the William J. Rucker Professor in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou). He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife management from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 200 scientific articles and presented research seminars throughout the world. Dr. Relyea was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh for 15 years, where he was named the Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award. In 2014, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to direct the Darrin Fresh Water Institute. In 2025, Rick moved to Mizzou to be the founding director of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands, and Aquatic Systems. Rick has a strong interest in high school education, including hosting high school science teachers who conduct research in his laboratory. He is the author of the college textbook Ecology: The Economy of Nature, and co-author of Environmental Science for the AP® Course, which is also published by BFW publishers.