Anatomy & Physiology Prerequisites

What are the prerequisites for Anatomy & Physiology 1 (BI 231)?

Required: BI 112 (Cell Biology for Health Occupations)

BI 112 is the prerequisite for BI 231 (Human Anatomy & Physiology 1). You must earn a "C-" or better in BI 112 in order to meet the BI 231 prerequisite requirement. The recommended prerequisite for BI 112 is CH 112 (Chemistry for Health Occupations).

  • Fall 2023 and before – You need to take both BI 112 and CH 112 (“BioBonds”) to enter BI 231. These classes were offered as corequisite courses (designed as a pair to be taken at the same time). You need a C- or better in both courses to be sufficiently prepared for BI 231.
  • Starting Winter 2023 – You are only required to take the redesigned BI 112 (offered Fall 2023 or later) to enter BI 231. Necessary chemistry concepts have been added to the updated BI 112 class - no longer mandating a separate chemistry course. 

**Note - If you have taken prior biology classes (at LCC or elsewhere), please compare them to the BI 112 course description. Do you believe you have learned the course content in your previous classes? If you would like your previous coursework assessed for equivalency, you may email your unofficial transcript (showing qualifying grades), course description, and syllabus to the Science Office for evaluation: ScienceOffice@lanecc.edu

Recommended: CH 112 (Chemistry for Health Occupations). See below for details.

Should you take CH 112?

We recommend that you take CH 112 if you do not already have a strong chemistry background. CH 112 provides a foundational understanding of chemistry that is relevant to biological functions (ex: compound types [ionic vs covalent], hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, osmosis, diffusion, molarity, osmolarity, pH, enzyme function and regulation [ex: kinases, dehydrogenases, etc.], coenzymes [ex: NAD+, FADH2, ATP], biochemical pathways [cellular respiration, lactic acid pathway], and an introduction to biomolecules including amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, DNA, RNA, etc.]). All of biology is based on chemistry, including cellular and human physiology, so you need a decent understanding of chemical concepts.

  • LCC Dental Hygiene LCC’s dental hygiene program requires a chemistry course. CH 112 (or CH 104 or CH 106) meet the requirement for application. For DH students, it is suggested you take CH 112 before or concurrently with BI 112
  • LCC Nursing – Although not required, CH 112 builds a strong foundation to be successful in A&P and future pharmacology courses.
  • Zero chemistry experience – BI 112 will provide a concise and fast overview of the chemistry concepts necessary to understand cell function. If you prefer to learn at a more traditional pace and receive a more detailed description of biology-relevant chemistry, you should take CH 112 before or concurrent with your BI 112 class. (See FAQ below: “What if I have never taken chemistry?”)

Frequently Asked Questions:

No. You do need some chemistry knowledge to understand biological processes and the majority of this important chemistry was taught in CH 112. Necessary chemistry concepts were not added to BI 112 until Fall 2023. You can either retake the new version of BI 112 (now containing chemistry) or retake CH 112 (since it is still offered).  

Perfect! We will cover basic chemistry concepts quickly in BI 112, but previous chemistry knowledge will make it easier for you to learn and remember what is discussed. 

That depends on the type of student you are, especially if it has been more than 3 years since you took chemistry.

  • Are you able to quickly learn and apply concepts? Then you may be okay just taking BI 112. We will cover the chemistry vocabulary and concepts necessary to understand biology, but it will be fairly quick.
  • Do you prefer to learn at a more traditional pace and/or gain a deeper understanding of chemical processes? Then you may consider taking CH 112 before or concurrent with your BI 112 class to give you a stronger foundation in the chemical concepts that are the basis of cellular biology and physiology.

Yes, BI 112 does still meet the genetics requirement for the LCC Nursing program. Please see the RN or LPN websites if you have additional questions about the Nursing program application.

Please check the requirements of the program you will be applying to. It is likely you will need more biology and chemistry background than BI 112 and CH 112 provide. You should consider taking the majors biology and chemistry sequences (BI 211, BI 212, BI 213 and CH 221, CH 222, CH 223).