British Columbia · Grade 12
Biology 12
- ATPH 12
British Columbia’s Grade 12 science course, from The Chemistry & Cell Biology of Homeostasis to Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision.
- Units
- 4
- Lessons
- 18
- Skills
- 32
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Province of British Columbia
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.
Unit 1 · 10 skills
The Chemistry & Cell Biology of Homeostasis
Biological Molecules
Water, acids, bases, and buffers in biological systems
I can explain why water's properties make it essential to life, and describe how acids, bases, and buffers keep body-fluid pH within the narrow range cells need.
Skill 1.1
Dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis reactions
I can explain how dehydration synthesis reactions build polymers by removing water, and how hydrolysis reactions break polymers apart by adding water.
Skill 1.2
The four organic macromolecule classes and ATP
I can describe the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, and of ATP, the cell's energy currency.
Skill 1.3
Metabolism and Enzymes
Metabolism: anabolism, catabolism, and ATP
I can explain metabolism as the sum of the body's chemical reactions, distinguish anabolic from catabolic reactions, and describe how ATP is produced and used to power both.
Skill 1.4
Enzyme structure and function
I can describe how an enzyme's shape lets it bind a substrate at its active site, how coenzymes assist that binding, and how enzymes lower a reaction's activation energy.
Skill 1.5
Regulation of enzyme activity (allosteric inhibition)
I can explain how cells regulate enzyme activity, including allosteric inhibition, where a molecule binding away from the active site changes the enzyme's shape and slows or stops its reaction.
Skill 1.6
Feedback Loops and Regulation
Negative feedback loops
I can explain how negative feedback loops — a sensor, a control centre, and an effector — return a regulated variable like body temperature, blood glucose, or blood CO2 back toward its set point.
Skill 1.7
Positive feedback loops
I can explain how positive feedback loops amplify a change rather than reversing it, using oxytocin release during childbirth and the blood-clotting cascade as examples.
Skill 1.8
Crossing the Cell Membrane
Plasma membrane structure and selective permeability
I can describe the phospholipid bilayer and its embedded proteins, and explain how this structure gives the plasma membrane selective permeability.
Skill 1.9
Passive and active transport mechanisms
I can contrast passive transport processes that require no cellular energy with active transport, endocytosis, and exocytosis, which spend ATP.
Skill 1.10
The official wording · 10 outcomes
- 1.1
- biological molecules
- 1.2
- biological molecules
- 1.3
- biological molecules
- 1.4
- metabolism and enzymes
- 1.5
- metabolism and enzymes
- 1.6
- metabolism and enzymes
- 1.7
- feedback loops and regulation of the body’s internal environment
- 1.8
- feedback loops and regulation of the body’s internal environment
- 1.9
- transport across a cell membrane
- 1.10
- transport across a cell membrane
Key ideas
Water's polarity lets it form hydrogen bonds, giving it high cohesion, high specific heat, and the ability to dissolve most biological molecules — the properties that make it the medium every reaction in the body happens in.
Metabolism is the total set of chemical reactions in the body; catabolic reactions break molecules down, releasing energy, while anabolic reactions build molecules up, using energy.
A negative feedback loop has a sensor (detects a change), a control centre (compares it to a set point), and an effector (acts to counteract the change) — the response OPPOSES the original change, pulling the variable back toward the set point.
The plasma membrane is a phospholipid bilayer: hydrophilic phosphate heads face the watery environments inside and outside the cell, while hydrophobic fatty-acid tails face each other in the middle.
Acids release H+ ions and bases accept or release OH- ions in solution; pH measures the resulting H+ concentration, and most human enzymes and proteins only function within a very narrow pH range.
Watch out for
- Thinking pH is just a lab-chemistry concept unrelated to the body — in reality, pH outside the buffered range denatures proteins and stops enzymes from working, which is why acidosis and alkalosis are medical emergencies.
- Thinking anabolism and catabolism happen at different times rather than simultaneously, with only their relative RATES shifting (e.g. net catabolic during fasting, net anabolic during growth).
- Thinking homeostasis means a variable stays perfectly constant — it actually fluctuates within a regulated range around a set point, correcting after every deviation.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 7 skills
Genes, Protein Synthesis & Biotechnology
DNA: Information and Replication
DNA as the cell's genetic information
I can describe DNA's double-helix structure as the molecule that stores the cell's genetic information.
Skill 2.1
DNA replication
I can explain semiconservative replication as the process that copies the genome before a cell divides.
Skill 2.2
Gene Expression: Protein Synthesis
Transcription (DNA to mRNA)
I can explain transcription as the process by which RNA polymerase reads a gene's DNA sequence and builds a complementary mRNA copy of it in the nucleus.
Skill 2.3
Translation (mRNA to protein at the ribosome)
I can explain translation as the process by which a ribosome reads mRNA codons and assembles the corresponding amino acids, carried by tRNA, into a polypeptide chain.
Skill 2.4
Proteins: Structure Meets Function
Proteins and their relationship to the structure and function of all cells
I can explain how a protein's folded three-dimensional shape, built from its amino acid sequence, determines its function in the structure and function of every cell.
Skill 2.5
Genomics and Biotechnology
Genomics
I can describe genomics as the large-scale study of an organism's complete set of DNA, using the Human Genome Project and personal genomics as examples of what genomic information reveals.
Skill 2.6
Biotechnology
I can describe how biotechnologies — cloning, recombinant DNA, genetically modified organisms, transgenic organisms, and gene therapy — apply genetic knowledge to medicine, agriculture, and industry.
Skill 2.7
The official wording · 7 outcomes
- 2.1
- the cell’s genetic information
- 2.2
- replication
- 2.3
- gene expression
- 2.4
- gene expression
- 2.5
- proteins and their relationship to the structure and function of all cells
- 2.6
- genomics and biotechnology
- 2.7
- genomics and biotechnology
Key ideas
DNA is a double helix of two antiparallel strands, each a sugar-phosphate backbone with nitrogenous bases attached, held together by complementary base pairing (A–T, G–C).
Transcription happens in the nucleus: RNA polymerase binds the DNA at a gene's start, unwinds a short stretch, and reads one DNA strand as a template.
A protein's function depends on its precise 3D shape, built in order from primary structure (amino acid sequence, the direct output of translation) through secondary, tertiary, and (for some proteins) quaternary structure.
Genomics studies an organism's entire set of DNA (its genome) rather than one gene at a time, allowing comparisons across individuals, populations, and species.
The sequence of bases along a strand IS the genetic information — it is read, in groups of three, to specify the amino acid sequence of proteins.
Watch out for
- Thinking DNA's shape (the helix) IS the genetic information — the information is the SEQUENCE of bases; the helix is just the stable structural form that sequence is stored in.
- Forgetting that RNA substitutes uracil (U) for thymine (T), and pairing A with T instead of A with U when transcribing a template strand.
- Thinking amino acid sequence alone IS the protein's function — the sequence must fold correctly into a 3D shape first; a denatured protein has the same sequence but has lost its function.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 13 skills
Organ Systems & Health
From Molecule to Organism
Levels of biological organization
I can trace the levels of organization in the human body from molecules to organelles to cells to tissues to organs to organ systems to the whole organism, and explain how structure at each level supports the level above it.
Skill 3.1
Control and Signalling Systems
The nervous system
I can describe the structure and function of the nervous system and explain its role as one of the body's two control systems, driving rapid responses that help maintain homeostasis.
Skill 3.2
The endocrine system
I can describe the structure and function of the endocrine system and explain its role as the body's slower, longer-lasting control system that helps maintain homeostasis.
Skill 3.3
Transport and Exchange Systems
The cardiovascular system
I can describe the structure and function of the cardiovascular system and explain its role in transporting substances and maintaining homeostasis.
Skill 3.4
The respiratory system
I can describe the structure and function of the respiratory system and explain its role in gas exchange and maintaining homeostasis.
Skill 3.5
Processing and Waste Systems
The digestive system
I can describe the structure and function of the digestive system and explain its role in supplying nutrients and maintaining homeostasis.
Skill 3.6
The urinary system
I can describe the structure and function of the urinary system and explain its central role in regulating the body's fluid, ion, and pH balance.
Skill 3.7
Defence and Reproduction Systems
The lymphatic/immune system
I can describe the structure and function of the lymphatic/immune system, and explain its dual role defending the body against pathogens while also returning excess tissue fluid to the bloodstream.
Skill 3.8
The reproductive system
I can describe the structure and function of the reproductive system and explain how the endocrine system's hormones regulate it, linking it to the body's broader control network.
Skill 3.9
How the Systems Work Together
Organ-system interdependence and the maintenance of homeostasis
I can explain how the body's organ systems are structurally and functionally interdependent, and how they work together to maintain homeostasis across the whole organism.
Skill 3.10
Lifestyle and Human Health
Lifestyle differences and their effects on human health
I can explain how lifestyle factors — diet, exercise, sleep, smoking, alcohol, and other drugs — measurably affect the body's systems over time, and connect specific lifestyle differences to differences in health outcomes.
Skill 3.11
A Holistic View of Health
A holistic approach to health
I can describe a holistic approach to health that integrates mind, body, spirit, and community, rather than treating the body as a set of unconnected parts or symptoms.
Skill 3.12
Disease as Homeostasis Disrupted
Disease as an imbalance in homeostasis
I can explain disease as a state in which the body's regulatory systems fail to keep a variable within its normal range — an imbalance in homeostasis.
Skill 3.13
The official wording · 13 outcomes
- 3.1
- micro to macro organization
- 3.2
- organ systems
- 3.3
- organ systems
- 3.4
- organ systems
- 3.5
- organ systems
- 3.6
- organ systems
- 3.7
- organ systems
- 3.8
- organ systems
- 3.9
- organ systems
- 3.10
- organ systems
- 3.11
- lifestyle differences and their effects on human health
- 3.12
- holistic approach to health
- 3.13
- disease as an imbalance in homeostasis
Key ideas
Each level of organization is built from the level below it: molecules assemble into organelles, organelles work together inside cells, cells of a common type and function form tissues, tissues combine into organs, and organs work together as organ systems.
The nervous system is built from neurons organized into the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nerves; it signals through fast electrical impulses (action potentials) passed between neurons at synapses.
The cardiovascular system is the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries), and blood; the heart pumps blood through a closed loop of vessels to reach every tissue.
The digestive system is a long tract (mouth, stomach, small and large intestine) plus accessory organs (liver, pancreas) that break food down both mechanically (chewing, churning) and chemically (enzymatic hydrolysis).
The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and nodes that collects excess fluid leaked from capillaries into tissues and returns it to the bloodstream, preventing fluid buildup (edema).
Watch out for
- Treating the levels as just a size ranking rather than a functional hierarchy where each level depends on the structure of the one below it.
- Thinking nerve impulses travel as electricity flowing down a wire — an action potential is a self-propagating wave of ion movement across the neuron's membrane, not current in a conductor.
- Reducing the cardiovascular system to "just moves blood" without recognizing it also distributes heat, hormones, and immune cells and actively regulates blood pressure.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 2 skills
Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision
Accuracy and Precision in Physiological Data
Significant figures in multi-step physiological calculations
I can apply significant-figure rules through multi-step physiological calculations, reporting a final answer to the correct number of significant figures.
Skill 4.1
Propagating measurement uncertainty through derived values, with scientific notation
I can propagate measurement uncertainty through a derived value calculated from several measured quantities, and express both the value and its uncertainty using correct scientific notation.
Skill 4.2
The official wording · 2 outcomes
- 4.1
- Apply the concepts of accuracy and precision to experimental procedures and data
- 4.2
- Apply the concepts of accuracy and precision to experimental procedures and data
Key ideas
The number of significant figures in a measurement reflects how precisely it was measured; a calculated result can never be MORE precise than its least-precise input measurement.
In a multi-step calculation (e.g. a rate or concentration derived from several measurements), significant figures must be tracked through EVERY step, not just rounded once at the very end.
Different operations follow different significant-figure rules (addition/subtraction rounds to the least number of decimal places; multiplication/division rounds to the fewest significant figures), and multi-step physiological calculations often mix both.
Every measurement carries some uncertainty, and when several measured quantities are combined into a derived value (e.g. a rate or concentration), that uncertainty propagates through the calculation rather than disappearing.
Scientific notation expresses both very large and very small physiological quantities clearly and lets uncertainty be reported alongside the value in a standard, unambiguous form.
Watch out for
- Rounding only at the very end of a multi-step calculation without tracking significant figures at each intermediate step, which can produce a falsely precise-looking final answer.
- Assuming more decimal places in a calculator's display means the result is more accurate, rather than recognizing the result can't be more precise than the original measurements.
- Reporting a derived value with no uncertainty at all, treating a calculated result as if it were exact.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
Which course?
British Columbia has 3 science courses for Grade 12. Here they are side by side.
- Biology 12This courseATPH 124 units · 32 skillsNo provincial examWhat it coversThe Chemistry & Cell Biology of Homeostasis · Genes, Protein Synthesis & Biotechnology · Organ Systems & Health · Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision
- Chemistry 12CH 126 units · 32 skillsNo provincial examWhat it coversReaction Kinetics · Chemical Equilibrium · Solubility Equilibrium · Acids, Bases & Aqueous Equilibrium · Oxidation-Reduction & Electrochemistry · Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision
- Physics 12PH 125 units · 32 skillsNo provincial examWhat it coversFrames of Reference & Special Relativity · Equilibrium & Circular Motion · Fields: Gravitational, Electric & Magnetic · Momentum & Collisions · Lab Numeracy (Accuracy and Precision)
What a university, college or program asks for is theirs to say: check its admission page, and your school’s course guide.
The official curriculum
This page follows British Columbia’s own curriculum for Biology 12.
Textbooks
In British Columbia, each school district chooses its own textbooks: the ministry no longer recommends them. The ministry’s page
Study it in MapleMind
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Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Biology 12 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
- 32
- Fillable fields
- 1,459
- Price
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Questions about Biology 12
What is Biology 12?
British Columbia’s Grade 12 science course: 4 units and 32 skills, from The Chemistry & Cell Biology of Homeostasis to Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision.
What units are in Biology 12?
1. The Chemistry & Cell Biology of Homeostasis, 2. Genes, Protein Synthesis & Biotechnology, 3. Organ Systems & Health and 4. Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision.
Is there a provincial exam for Biology 12?
No. British Columbia gives no provincial exam for Biology 12.
What textbook does Biology 12 use?
Each school district in British Columbia chooses its own textbooks, so ask your teacher which one your class uses.
Can MapleMind help with Biology 12?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Biology 12, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
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