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Achieve is a comprehensive set of interconnected teaching and assessment tools that incorporate the most effective elements from Macmillan Learning's market leading solutions in a single, easy-to-use platform.
Biology for the AP® Course, Second Edition is the only major AP® Biology program built entirely for the AP® course. Unlike college texts adapted for high school, this text was written from the ground up to align with the latest 2025-2026 Course and Exam Description (CED), su...
Biology for the AP® Course, Second Edition is the only major AP® Biology program built entirely for the AP® course. Unlike college texts adapted for high school, this text was written from the ground up to align with the latest 2025-2026 Course and Exam Description (CED), support the Big Ideas, and meet the needs of AP® students and teachers alike.
This trusted second edition adds even more AP® practice questions, new Unit-Opening Essays, a full Unit 0 on foundational skills, and end-of-unit Illustrative Examples that connect concepts to real-world science. The highly readable text balances accessibility with rigor—carefully scaffolding learning to help all students succeed with college-level biology.
Throughout the program, science practices are seamlessly integrated into the student friendly narrative along with visuals, activities, and assessments, helping students build the skills they need for the exam and beyond. Every element—from the AP® Exam Tips to the in-text tutorials and Practicing Science boxes—was crafted by a team of AP® experts, including former Chief Readers and longtime educators.
With powerful digital tools in Achieve—including assignable assessments, adaptive quizzing, and rich media like animations, simulations, and podcasts—this program equips teachers to deliver a complete, engaging, and effective AP® Biology experience.
Biology for the AP® Course, Second Edition is the only major AP® Biology program built entirely for the AP® course. Unlike college texts adapted for high school, this text was written from the ground up to align with the latest 2025-2026 Course and Exam Description (CED), support the Big Ideas, and meet the needs of AP® students and teachers alike.
This trusted second edition adds even more AP® practice questions, new Unit-Opening Essays, a full Unit 0 on foundational skills, and end-of-unit Illustrative Examples that connect concepts to real-world science. The highly readable text balances accessibility with rigor—carefully scaffolding learning to help all students succeed with college-level biology.
Throughout the program, science practices are seamlessly integrated into the student friendly narrative along with visuals, activities, and assessments, helping students build the skills they need for the exam and beyond. Every element—from the AP® Exam Tips to the in-text tutorials and Practicing Science boxes—was crafted by a team of AP® experts, including former Chief Readers and longtime educators.
With powerful digital tools in Achieve—including assignable assessments, adaptive quizzing, and rich media like animations, simulations, and podcasts—this program equips teachers to deliver a complete, engaging, and effective AP® Biology experience.
Features
Biology for the AP® Course, Second Edition gives teachers a complete and cohesive program designed specifically for the AP® Biology course. Every feature was intentionally crafted to support CED alignment, build student confidence, and make AP-level science more accessible and engaging. Now even more robust in its second edition, the program combines strong pedagogy, powerful visuals, and effective digital tools to drive classroom success.
New to This Edition
Trusted by teachers nationwide, Biology for the AP® Course returns in its second edition with smart, targeted updates that reflect classroom feedback and evolving expectations from the College Board. While the structure and clarity that made the first edition so successful remain, the second edition introduces thoughtful enhancements to better support student engagement, pacing, and AP® exam readiness.
These updates build on a program that is already uniquely designed for the AP® Biology course—and now more effective than ever.
"Students find the textbook thorough yet easy to understand. I have many students who rely on this alone to help them learn material for the course."
"We are very happy with the text overall. The students find it very readable and the content is what is needed for the course (not a lot of extra stuff)."
"I love the alignment to the CED and the reading guides for each module."
"It is exactly what my students need to know and at the correct level. Also the practice AP questions throughout and the helpful tips specific to the exam are amazing."
"Getting students to use any textbook is a struggle, but this is the most approachable version of an AP Bio text I have used."
"The text is on target. Modules are clear and concise. It does an excellent job supporting the topics in the AP Biology program."
Based on anonymous teacher reviews of the first edition. These quotes come from AP® Biology educators who reviewed and used the program—feedback that directly informed the development of this second edition.
Biology for the AP® Course
Second Edition| ©2026
James Morris; Domenic Castignetti; John Lepri; Rick Relyea
Achieve is a comprehensive set of interconnected teaching and assessment tools that incorporate the most effective elements from Macmillan Learning's market leading solutions in a single, easy-to-use platform.
Biology for the AP® Course
Second Edition| 2026
James Morris; Domenic Castignetti; John Lepri; Rick Relyea
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
Biology for the AP® Course
Second Edition| 2026
James Morris; Domenic Castignetti; John Lepri; Rick Relyea
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 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 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 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.
Biology for the AP® Course
Second Edition| 2026
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
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