Life Sciences 11

This course provides students with an understanding of the interconnectedness of life on Earth. This course explores what defines life, how it is organized, and the unifying role of evolution. Students examine prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and investigate how life exists in both single-celled and multicelled forms. They study the science of classification and how it has shaped our understanding of life’s remarkable diversity, while extending their exploration of microscopic environments to include bacteria, non-living viruses, and their impacts on the health of wildlife and humans. Throughout the course, students engage in an in-depth study of evolution by natural selection, including the contributions of Darwin and his contemporaries, and examine how species change over time, adapt, and become extinct. The course concludes with a focused study of ecology and the relationships among organisms and their environments.