If only this course had been available when I was in high school! Maybe then the college biology I took would not have been so difficult. In fact, much of the material contained in this manual is identical to the concepts I learned in my first year college science course. Perhaps the reason for this is that The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, when combined with Exploring Creation with Biology, is equivalent to one full year of college biology.

As a prerequisite to this course, the student must complete a year of high school biology (such as Exploring Creation with Biology). Authors Dr. Jay Wile and Marilyn M. Shannon, M.A. also recommend that students complete a high school chemistry course such as Exploring Creation with Chemistry.

The first volume in this two-volume set is the student textbook, which is comprised of 16 chapters or modules. The first module provides an organizational overview of the human body, as well as reviewing some basic concepts of biology such as cell structure, protein synthesis, and cellular mitosis. Subsequent modules cover histology (study of tissues), integumentary and skeletal systems (skeletal system histology and movement, muscle histology and physiology, skeletal muscle system), nervous system (neurons and neuroglia, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system), endocrine system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, digestive system, respiratory system, urinary system, and reproductive system. Featured in each module are helpful “on your own” study questions to help students test their comprehension of the subject matter. A study guide after each module allows students to review important concepts in the module as preparation for the chapter test.

The second volume is the solution manual. This manual includes module tests and solutions to study guides and module tests.

Each module takes approximately2 weeks to complete, as long as students devote at least one hour of every school day to the study of this text. At this pace, the course should take about 32 weeks to complete. This of course is only a guideline, and would allow you about 4 to 8 weeks of flexibility in a typical school year.

This resource lays an excellent foundation for further science studies. Like the other Apologia science courses, is homeschool-friendly and does not require a great deal of expensive lab equipment. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to pursue a science degree. ~ Rachel