We do not recommend that students take more than one of the nursing prerequisites ( Bio 11, Bio 15, Bio 12) at the same time. These are academically challenging and time consuming courses that require a tremendous amount of work outside of classroom hours.  To get the most out of these courses, and probably acheive the best grades, we recommend the following sequence:

    Here's a slightly faster track for extremely strong students only. Be advised that it is much more difficult and you may not be able to achieve the grades you are hoping to acheive. If you utilize summer sessions, this can be completed in a single calendar year:

Q: Why are there prerequisites for these course?

A: Anatomy, Microbiology and Physiology are rigorous classes designed to prepare students for careers or majors in the health sciences. Without a strong foundation in the basic sciences of biology and chemistry, many students struggle and are unsuccessful in Bio 11, Bio 15, Bio 12. The prerequisites are designed to ensure that students have sufficient background in basic sciences, so that they will be successful in our courses and their future health science careers.

Q: Why is Biology 20 (Introduction to Biology) a prerequisite for Biology 11 (Human Anatomy) and Bio 15 (General Microbiology)?

A: Anatomy and Microbiology instructors assume that their students have a good understanding of basic cell biology, metabolism and genetics. With regard to cell biology, students need to be knowledgeable and comfortable with the structure and function of all cellular organelles and membranes, as well as the mechanisms involved in cell division. For metabolism, students should understand the metabolic pathways involved in how cells capture and transform energy in molecules such as glucose and ATP. For genetics, students need to have a good grasp of how information contained in DNA is organized in chromosomes, and how that information is replicated, transcribed into mRNA and finally translated into proteins. Biology 20 covers these topics and lays the foundation for learning the more advanced and detailed topics covered in Anatomy and Microbiology. Additionally, Biology 20 provides a survey of the huge diversity of living organisms on earth, from animals to plants to microorganisms, and discusses how these species interact and evolve. Understanding this "big picture" view of life on earth greatly enhances student understanding of the smallest details of life covered in Anatomy and Microbiology.

Q: Why is Chemistry 108 (Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry) a prerequisite for Biology 12 (Human Physiology)?

A: Physiology is essentially a study of the functional chemistry of the human body. Physiology instructors need their students to have a strong foundation in basic chemical principles in order to understand the complexities of the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, digestive and renal systems. Chem 108 is a one-semester introductory biochemistry course that has been developed specifically to help students in the health sciences succeed. The course has no prerequisites, assumes students have never taken a chemistry course before, and starts from the very beginning. Topics include: basic element characteristics, chemical bonding, reactions, reversibility, enzyme structure and function, acid/base interactions, P_Ka, Henderson-Hasselbach equation, gas laws, partial pressures, gene expression, oxidation/reduction reactions and metabolism. Chem 108 students learn these important chemical principles so that they can apply them to complex interactions and problems in Physiology. The bottom line is: students who have taken Chem 108 have greater success (higher grades) in Physiology.

Q: Why is the suggested order of courses first Anatomy, then Microbiology, and finally, Physiology?

A: The classes were designed to build on each other. Information learned in Anatomy helps students in Microbiology. In turn, topics covered in Microbiology pave the way for success in Physiology. For most students, Anatomy is the easiest of the three courses, followed by Microbiology (harder), and Physiology (hardest). The majority of our students are better at memorization than with critical thinking and conceptual material. Although Anatomy contains some conceptual material, it entails the most memorization of the three classes. Microbiology is about 50-50 memorization and conceptual material, and Physiology is mostly conceptual and critical thinking. Over the years, thousands of students have told us that Physiology is the hardest class they have ever taken, so it’s best to save it for last when you’ve honed your study skills to perfection and have a solid foundation in Anatomy, Microbiology, and Chemistry.

Q: Can I take the prerequisite classes (Biology 20 and Chemistry 108) for credit/no credit instead of for a letter grade?

A: Yes, earning a credit grade in these prerequisite classes would allow you to enroll in Biology 11, Biology 15 and Biology 12 at Saddleback. Always check with the specific clinical program (nursing, dental hygiene, physicians assistant, etc) you wish to apply to for their particular policies and enrollment requirements, however.

Q: What are the Bio 289 Special Topic discussions for Human Anatomy and Human Physiology?

A: These instructor-lead discussion sections are designed to allow students to explore course topics with further background, problem solving and group discussion. Students enrolled in the Bio 289 courses will earn units and gain a greater understanding of the course material. The objective in offering the Special Topics discussions is to increase student retention and understanding of complex material in Bio 11 and Bio 12.

    Automated Priority Add Lists (i.e. "wait lists") will become available for Bio 11, Bio 15 and Bio 12 once these courses become filled. In order to be placed on the Priority Add List (PAL) for a class, you must try to enroll by placing the course ticket number in your online registration shopping cart, even though the class shows as "full."  At that point, you will be asked if you wish to be placed on the PAL for that section. Most instructors use these PALs to add students to their classes on the first day.