AP® Biology Labs
Labs are an important part of what you learn in AP® science classes, and knowing how to write an AP Biology lab report is a skill that will serve you well not only on the AP Biology exam but in helping you think like a scientist. Why does this matter? Well, scientists must be able to communicate their findings to other scientists, and lab reports are one way in which to accomplish this.
Conducting AP Biology labs can be challenging for both students and teachers as it requires a significant amount of time to conduct the experiments. To help students, we developed a list of biology labs, lab materials, and important information to consider for AP Biology lab investigations.
Why are AP Biology Labs Important?
The AP Biology curriculum is geared toward helping students like you understand important biological concepts as well as the scientific evidence that supports these concepts. The AP Biology course focuses on developing your conceptual understanding of biology, scientific reasoning, and quantitative skills.
To that end, the College Board® requires that AP Biology teachers spend at least 25% of their instructional time doing lab investigations in the course. A minimum of 8 labs is expected, so about 2 from each of the four big ideas that connect topics in the AP Biology curriculum. The AP Biology lab manual provides 13 inquiry-based labs that give students practice in designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and refining scientific explanations. The experience of “doing science” that students receive by conducting these kinds of labs plays a crucial part in preparing them for the AP Biology exam, which assesses students’ science practice skills as well as their content knowledge.
AP Biology Lab Materials
The equipment and materials required for AP Biology lab investigations are generally similar to those used in typical high school-level biology courses. However, access to some specialized equipment (eg, gel electrophoresis equipment, spectrophotometers, etc) may be needed to conduct certain investigations.
What labs are in AP Biology?
There used to be 12 labs (called the “Dirty Dozen”) that every AP Biology student was supposed to do. However, that is no longer the case. The AP Biology lab manual that is now used includes 13 inquiry-based lab investigations that are aligned with the AP Biology curriculum framework. However, teachers may substitute other labs that are inquiry-based and cover content within the curriculum framework (as long as a minimum of 2 labs are done for each of the four big ideas in AP Biology).
The list of AP Biology labs consists of the following 13 labs (grouped by big idea) from the lab manual:
and Transmission
The process of evolution explains the unity of life as well as its diversity.
Investigation 1 – Artificial Selection
In this lab, students design and carry out an experiment using Wisconsin Fast Plants®. After collecting and analyzing data on plant characteristics over two generations of plants, students explain the effect humans had on the diversity of the plant population and explain the relationship between environmental changes and evolutionary changes in the plant population. This lab allows students to gain experience measuring, counting, and conducting statistical analysis of data. Students also gain experience describing data in tables and graphs.
Investigation 2 – Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg
This investigation allows students to design and build a computer spreadsheet to model how the frequencies of alleles in a hypothetical gene pool change over time. Students should be able to describe conditions that affect allele and genotype frequencies in a population and explain what happens when the conditions of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model are not met by a population. This lab provides students with an opportunity to develop skills in the use of spreadsheet software and to practice mathematical calculations using Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium equations.
Investigation 3 – Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST
In this investigation, students use an online bioinformatics tool called BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) to analyze DNA sequences obtained from an animal fossil. Students use the resulting data to determine this animal’s evolutionary relationship to other organisms and construct a cladogram depicting these relationships. After completing the lab, students should also be able to explain how molecular variation within organisms affects their ability to survive and reproduce.
Living systems use energy and molecules to grow, produce offspring, and maintain homeostasis.
Investigation 4 – Diffusion and Osmosis
In this lab, students make artificial cells to model the process of diffusion and calculate the cells’ surface area-to-volume ratios; they do this to predict how these factors affect diffusion rate. Students also observe osmosis in living plant cells and calculate the cells’ water potential.
Upon completing the lab, students should be able to explain the effect of concentration gradients on molecule movement across membranes. They should also be able to explain how surface area-to-volume ratio affects the movement of molecules into and out of cells and how organisms use specialized structures to increase the efficiency of materials exchange with the environment. Students will gain experience performing mathematical calculations, including the calculation of water potential, and making graphs in a biological context.
Investigation 5 – Photosynthesis
This lab allows students to design an experiment to test the effect of an environmental variable on the rate of photosynthesis. After performing the experiment, students should be able to describe the process of photosynthesis and explain how light energy can be captured by cells to produce energy-containing molecules. Students will gain experience calculating rates, making graphs, and supporting scientific claims with experimental data.
Investigation 6 – Cellular Respiration
In this investigation, students learn how to measure cellular respiration rate using a respirometer and then design and carry out an experiment to determine how an environmental variable affects the rate of respiration. After completing this lab, students should be able to describe and explain processes by which organisms extract and use energy from biological molecules to power cellular processes. This lab gives students experience graphing data, calculating rates, and explaining how experimental evidence supports a scientific claim.
and Transmission
Living systems store, access, send, and react to information necessary for life.
Investigation 7 – Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis
This lab allows students to manipulate physical models of chromosomes to investigate the processes of mitosis and meiosis. Students also conduct an experiment to determine the effect of lectin proteins on the rate of mitosis in onion root tip cells. In addition, students observe human karyotypes to investigate how loss of cell cycle control can result in cancer.
Finally, students investigate the process of crossing over during meiosis using two strains of the fungus Sordaria fimicola. Upon completion of this investigation, students should be able to describe the events of the cell cycle, explain how mitosis and meiosis result in passing chromosomes from generation to generation, and explain the similarities/differences between mitosis and meiosis. Students gain experience describing data from tables and graphs and performing mathematical calculations, including chi-square analysis.
Investigation 8 – Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation
In this lab, students conduct an experiment involving the transformation of bacteria via the uptake of plasmids containing an antibiotic resistance gene. In doing so, students gain experience using a genetic engineering technique to manipulate DNA and will learn how their experimental results relate to larger biological ideas.
Investigation 9 – Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA
This investigation allows students to use restriction enzymes and the technique of electrophoresis to analyze DNA evidence from a simulated crime scene. Upon completion of the lab, students should be able to explain how biotechnology techniques are used to manipulate and analyze DNA. Also, in addition to gaining experience using restriction enzymes and electrophoresis, students will practice graphing data using a log scale and use a standard curve to estimate experimental results.
Biological systems have complex properties and interact with each other in complex ways.
Investigation 10 – Energy Dynamics
This lab allows students to grow Wisconsin Fast Plants® (Brassica rapa) to investigate the net primary productivity of these plants. In addition, students estimate the flow of energy from autotrophic producers (plants) to heterotrophic consumers (butterfly larvae). After doing this lab, students should be able to describe ways in which organisms obtain and use energy, how energy availability affects populations and ecosystems, the roles of autotrophs and heterotrophs in ecosystems, and how molecular diversity within organisms affects organism survival and reproduction. Students also gain experience in justifying a claim using biological theories and experimental evidence, as well as explaining how their experimental data relates to larger scientific concepts.
Investigation 11 – Transpiration
In this lab, students learn how to measure the transpiration rate in plants using a potometer and then design and carry out an experiment to determine how an environmental variable affects the rate of transpiration. This lab provides students with an opportunity to explain ways in which organisms respond to environmental changes and how these responses can contribute to organism fitness. Students will also gain experience using mathematical calculations, graphing, and identifying appropriate procedures to use in biological investigations.
Investigation 12 – Fruit Fly Behavior
In this investigation, students observe fruit fly behavior to determine the it’s response to different chemical stimuli in their environment. After the experiment, students should be able to explain how organism behavioral responses are related to environmental changes and how these behavioral responses affect organism fitness. Students should also be able to explain how population density affects the availability of resources in the environment. Students will gain experience aligning experimental procedures with a scientific question and using the chi-square test to analyze data.
Investigation 13 – Enzyme Activity
This lab provides students with a method by which the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction can be measured. Students then determine the effect of pH on enzyme activity and design an experiment to test the effect of another variable of their choice on enzyme activity. After completing the lab, students should be able to explain how changes in enzyme structure affect enzyme activity and how enzyme function is affected by changes in the environment. Students should also be able to explain the relationship between molecular diversity within cells and organisms’ survival/reproduction in different environments. Students will gain experience using scientific reasoning to justify a claim and predict the causes or effects of a change in a biological system.
