Upon successful completion of this learning experience, students will be able to: describe how the basic units of matter interact to produce the complex macromolecules that imbue living systems with the many properties that constitute the living state; understand the scientific basis for declaring the cell as the basic unit of life; understand the scientific method and develop critical thinking in seeking to solve problems; analyze the nature of the different processes involved in cell metabolism, cellular respiration, fermentation and photosynthesis; develop an understanding of the cell cycle, genetics, meiosis, the chromosomal basis of inheritance, the molecular basis of inheritance from gene to protein, and the regulation of gene expression; describe the life processes carried out by plant and animal life forms as well as human biological processes; and understand different forms of ecology and ecosystems and how they apply to life on planet earth and be able to acquire information and skills that will enable them to successfully understand more advanced concepts of biological science that encompass biology.