<p>im just discovered that chem is not a prerequiste (sp) for ap bio at my highschool. however, my biology teacher last year still recommends me to take h chem first before ap bio.(she is not the ap bio teacher). i really want to go on to ap since i dont want to skip a year, then go back to it. so my question is, how much chem do i really need for ap bio. ive already taken earth/chem freshman year, and h bio sophmore.</p>
<p>from what i recall from this year.. you wont need much at all. there's a bit of chem but its mostly memorizing. however i can't really say as i took two years of chem before i took ap bio.. i took bio in eighth grade. if you skipped a year and did chem and then after did bio i think you'd still be okay</p>
<p>You don't need any chem. All you need is biological chemistry (carbs, lipids, amino acids, nucleotides) and you're set - and that's all covered in bio, anyway.</p>
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You don't need any chem. All you need is biological chemistry (carbs, lipids, amino acids, nucleotides) and you're set - and that's all covered in bio, anyway.
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<p>Um... I somewhat disagree with you.</p>
<p>Chem I is EXTREMELY helpful when taking AP bio. However, you are right when you say that chem is not NEEDED. It is very possible to succeed in AP Bio with HS Chem.</p>
<p>The thing is though, a basic knowledge of chemistry will help you connect biology and chemistry concepts together since biology is applied chemistry.</p>
<p>another great example is taking physics before taking chemistry (chemistry is applied physics). I took chemistry and physics at the same time, and I had a MUCH easier time in chemistry because some of the concepts could be further explained through what I learned in physics. The same also applied for chem and bio.</p>
<p>It's also important to be able to know the connection between these different science disciplines, because when you learn more of it, the more you must connect the disciplines to each other in order to succeed in one.</p>
<p>Why do you think colleges require their biology majors to have a strong background in chemistry? It's the same reason why engineering majors have to take multivariable calculus.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies, ive made my decision on taking ap bio since i want to take ap physics senior year, and the only way to do that is to not take h chem this year. plus, i feel like i can handle ap bio with my previous bio knowledge and id prefer taking the ap bio right after regular bio to prevent forgetfulness.</p>
<p>Good luck with that. My teacher had a fit when she discovered half the class hadn't taken Chemistry. The counselors had let the sophomores go ahead, and they were totally clueless the entire first semester. Especially when you study photosynthesis and cellular respiration in detail, and look at the molecular composition of the cell, and study the kidneys/nervous system, and actually when you do everything else, understanding of the basic principles of chemistry is key.</p>