The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! ($85 as a set with the Solutions and Tests Guide) just might be my favorite of the Apologia high school courses. Perhaps nowhere else in the natural world is God's handiwork more clearly seen than in the intricacy of the human body. The authors have done a masterful job of presenting very complex concepts in a conversational and easy-to-understand manner. The course is designed for high school students who have taken high school biology and chemistry, and it covers the anatomy and physiology of the human body (including the 11 organ systems). Completing Biology and The Human Body provides the equivalent of one college-level chemistry course or Advanced Placement (AP) course. The course can be completed independently by the student, who has access to assistance from Apologia by phone, Internet, mail, email, or fax to answer any questions about the material.

The 16 modules are intended to be covered in approximately two weeks of study each and include the following topics:

• An Organizational Overview and Some Review
• Histology: The Study of Tissues
• Skin and Bones--The Integumentary and Skeletal Systems
• Skeletal System Histology and Movement
• Muscle Histology and Physiology
• The Skeletal Muscle System
• The Nervous System: Neurons and Neuroglia
• The Central Nervous System
• The Peripheral Nervous System
• The Endocrine System
• The Circulatory System
• The Lymphatic System
• The Digestive System
• The Respiratory System
• The Urinary System
• The Reproductive System

Each module has different types of problems to solve, including "On Your Own" problems (with the answers in the textbook) and a Study Guide (with the answers in the Solutions and Test Manual). There are module tests (with answers) for each module in the Solutions and Test Manual. Well-organized labs assigned in the textbook include household labs that can be done with common household objects and should be done by all students. There are also optional microscope labs and dissection labs. (Kits for each were not reviewed but are available from Nature's Workshop Plus through the Apologia website.) A high school quality microscope would be necessary to complete the microscope labs. The Anatomy Coloring Book, which is used frequently in college anatomy classes, is also recommended to provide more depth and practice as students work through the different systems of the human body. I would highly recommend completing the coloring book and all of the labs, as this would likely increase interest and understanding of this complex topic, but each family needs to determine the needs of their individual child and available resources.

How do you know if your child could benefit from this advanced biology course? The Human Body is a rigorous course that would prepare your child well for college science courses. If your child has completed the prerequisites and has the time and interest to invest in an advanced course, it would be difficult to find a better choice! My family thought that the materials were easy to understand, well organized, and completely fascinating. The 539-page text contains ample diagrams, pictures, and illustrations to help clarify the materials. One note: the human reproductive system is covered in some depth, which may be an issue for some families. But we found the discussion to be appropriate and sensitive, with pictures that are very tastefully presented. The entire course is available on CD or in textbook format. The CD (not reviewed) also includes pronunciations of difficult words and videos of labs that would be difficult to replicate at home. There is also a supplemental CD available (not reviewed) that does not contain the text, but does have the pronunciations and videos, and the entire course can be purchased as an MP3 Audio CD for auditory learners or slow readers.

As with all of Apologia's excellent courses, the materials are presented through a Christian worldview that always points students back to the source of the creation! I would highly recommend The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made! and the Solutions and Tests Guide for students who want to learn more about their Creator by studying His amazing creation!

Product review by: Dr. Anne Margaret Wright, Senior Product Reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July 2008