Unit 5: Heredity

Unit 5 focuses on heredity and the biological concepts and processes involved in ensuring the continuity of life. Students learn that the storage and transmission of genetic information via chromosomes from one generation to the next occur through meiosis. Meiotic division ensures genetic diversity, which is crucial to the survival of a species. In this unit, students gain a deeper understanding of Mendelian genetics and learn how non-Mendelian genetics describes patterns of inheritance that seem to violate Mendel's laws. This unit also covers the roles played by chromosomal inheritance, environmental factors, and nondisjunction on an individual's phenotype. In Unit 6, students move on to learn about gene expression and regulation.^{(AP® Biology CED)}