Biology

1. I. Diversity of Living Organisms:

a. The Living World: What is living?
b. Biodiversity
c. Need for classification
d. three domains of life
e. taxonomy and systematics
f. concept of species and taxonomical hierarchy
g. binomial nomenclature and tools for study of taxonomy.
h. Biological Classification:
i. Five kingdom classification
j. ; Salient features and classification of Monera, Protista and Fungi into major
groups:
k. Lichens, Viruses and Viroids.
l. Plant Kingdom: Salient features and classification of plants into major groups -
Algae, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae and Angiospermae. Animal
Kingdom: Salient features and classification of animals, non-chordates up to
phyla level and chordates up to class level. II: Structural Organization in Animals
and Plants Morphology and anatomy of Flowering Plants: Morphology and
modifications: Morphology of different parts of flowering plants: root, stem, leaf,
inflorescence, flower, fruit and seed. Anatomy and functions of different tissues
and tissue systems. Structural Organisation in Animals: Animal tissues;
Morphology, anatomy and functions of different systems (digestive, circulatory,
respiratory, nervous and reproductive) of animals. III. Cell: Structure and Function
Cell-The Unit of Life: Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life: Structure of
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Plant cell and animal cell; cell envelope; cell
membrane, cell wall; structure and function of all cell organelles. Cellular
respiration - glycolysis, fermentation (anaerobic), TCA cycle and electron
transport system (aerobic); energy relations - number of ATP molecules
generated; amphibolic pathways; respiratory quotient. Biomolecules: Chemical
constituents of living cells: biomolecules, structure and function of proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids; Enzymes- types, properties, enzyme action.
Cell Cycle and Cell Division: Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and their significance.
IV. Plant Physiology Transport in Plants: Movement of water, gases and nutrients;
cell to cell transport, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport; plant-water
relations, imbibition, water potential, osmosis, plasmolysis; long distance
transport of water - Absorption, apoplast, symplast, transpiration pull, root
pressure and guttation; transpiration, opening and closing of stomata; Uptake
and translocation of mineral nutrients - Transport of food, phloem transport, mass
flow hypothesis. 2 Mineral Nutrition: Essential minerals, macro- and
micronutrients and their role; deficiency symptoms; mineral toxicity; elementary
idea of hydroponics as a method to study mineral nutrition; nitrogen metabolism,
nitrogen cycle, biological nitrogen fixation. Photosynthesis and Respiration in
Higher Plants: Photosynthesis as a means of autotrophic nutrition; site of
photosynthesis, pigments involved in photosynthesis (elementary idea);
photochemical and biosynthetic phases of photosynthesis; cyclic and non-cyclic
photophosphorylation; chemiosmotic hypothesis; photorespiration; C3 and C4
pathways; factors affecting photosynthesis; exchange of gases. Plant - Growth
and Development: Seed germination; phases of plant growth and plant growth
rate; conditions of growth; differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation;
sequence of developmental processes in a plant cell; growth regulators; seed
dormancy; vernalisation; photoperiodism. V. Human Physiology Digestion and
Absorption: Alimentary canal and digestive glands, role of digestive enzymes and
gastrointestinal hormones; Peristalsis, digestion, absorption and assimilation of
proteins, carbohydrates and fats; calorific values of proteins, carbohydrates and
fats; egestion; nutritional and digestive disorders. Breathing and Exchange of
Gases: Respiratory system in humans; mechanism of breathing and its regulation
in humans - exchange of gases, transport of gases and regulation of respiration,
respiratory volume; disorders related to respiration. Body Fluids and Circulation:
Composition of blood, blood groups, coagulation of blood; composition of lymph
and its function; human circulatory system - Structure of human heart and blood
vessels; cardiac cycle, cardiac output, ECG; double circulation; regulation of
cardiac activity; disorders of circulatory system. Excretory Products and Their
Elimination: Modes of excretion - ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism; human
excretory system – structure and function; urine formation, osmoregulation;
regulation of kidney function - renin - angiotensin, atrial natriuretic factor, ADH
and diabetes insipidus; role of other organs in excretion; disorders of excretory
system; dialysis and artificial kidney, kidney transplant. Locomotion and
Movement: Types of movement - ciliary, flagellar, muscular; skeletal muscle-
contractile proteins and muscle contraction; skeletal system and its functions;
joints; disorders of muscular and skeletal system. Neural Control and
Coordination: Neuron and nerves; Nervous system in humans - central nervous
system; peripheral nervous system and visceral nervous system; generation and
conduction of nerve impulse; reflex action; sensory perception; structure and
functions of sense organs. Chemical Coordination and Integration: Endocrine
glands and hormones; human endocrine system; mechanism of hormone action;
role of hormones as messengers and regulators, hypo - and hyperactivity and
related disorders. VI. Reproduction Reproduction in Organisms: 3 Reproduction,
a characteristic feature of all organisms for continuation of species; modes of
reproduction - asexual and sexual reproduction; asexual reproduction - binary
fission, sporulation, budding, gemmule formation, fragmentation; vegetative
propagation in plants. Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants: Flower structure;
development of male and female gametophytes; pollination - types, agencies and
examples; outbreeding devices; pollen-pistil interaction; double fertilization; post
fertilization events - development of endosperm and embryo, development of
seed and formation of fruit; special modes- apomixis, parthenocarpy,
polyembryony; Significance of seed dispersal and fruit formation. Human
Reproduction: Male and female reproductive systems; microscopic anatomy of
testis and ovary; gametogenesis - spermatogenesis and oogenesis; menstrual
cycle; fertilisation, embryo development upto blastocyst formation, implantation;
pregnancy and placenta formation; parturition; lactation. Reproductive Health:
Need for reproductive health and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STDs); birth control - need and methods, contraception and medical termination
of pregnancy (MTP); amniocentesis; infertility and assisted reproductive
technologies - IVF, ZIFT, GIFT. VII. Genetics and Evolution Heredity and
variation: Mendelian inheritance; deviations from Mendelism – incomplete
dominance, co- dominance, multiple alleles and inheritance of blood groups,
pleiotropy; elementary idea of polygenic inheritance; chromosome theory of
inheritance; chromosomes and genes; Sex determination - in humans, birds and
honey bee; linkage and crossing over; sex linked inheritances; Mendelian
disorders in humans. Molecular Basis of Inheritance: DNA as genetic material;
Structure of DNA and RNA; DNA packaging; DNA replication; Central dogma;
transcription, genetic code, translation; gene expression and regulation - lac
operon; Genome; DNA fingerprinting. Evolution: Origin of life; biological evolution
and evidences for biological evolution (paleontology, comparative anatomy,
embryology and molecular evidences); Darwin's contribution, modern synthetic
theory of evolution; mechanism of evolution - variation (mutation and
recombination) and natural selection with examples, types of natural selection;
Gene flow and genetic drift; Hardy - Weinberg's principle; adaptive radiation;
human evolution. VIII. Biology and Human Welfare Human Health and Diseases:
Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (malaria, dengue, chikungunya,
filariasis, ascariasis, typhoid, pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ringworm)
and their control; Basic concepts of immunology - vaccines; cancer, HIV and
AIDS; Adolescence - drug and alcohol abuse. Strategies for Enhancement in
Food Production: Improvement in food production: Plant breeding, tissue culture,
single cell protein, Biofortification, Apiculture and Animal husbandry. Microbes in
Human Welfare: In household food processing, industrial production, sewage
treatment, energy generation and microbes as bio-control agents and
bio-fertilizers. Antibiotics; production and judicious use. Biotechnology –
Principles, processes and applications: 4 Genetic Engineering (Recombinant
DNA Technology); Application of biotechnology in health and agriculture: Human
insulin and vaccine production, stem cell technology, gene therapy; genetically
modified organisms - Bt crops; transgenic animals; biosafety issues, bio piracy
and patents. IX. Ecology and Environment Organisms and Populations:
Organisms and environment: Habitat and niche, population and ecological
adaptations; population interactions - mutualism, competition, predation,
parasitism; population attributes - growth, birth rate and death rate, age
distribution. Ecosystems: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition;
energy flow; pyramids of number, biomass, energy; nutrient cycles; ecological
succession; carbon fixation, pollination, seed dispersal. Biodiversity and its
Conservation: Biodiversity-Concept, patterns, importance; loss of biodiversity;
biodiversity conservation; hotspots, endangered organisms and extinction.
Environmental Issues: Air pollution and its control; water pollution and its control;
agrochemicals and their effects; solid waste management; radioactive waste
management; greenhouse effect and climate change impact and mitigation;
ozone layer depletion; deforestation. 5 Chemistry: In addition to following,
general understanding of Science topics studied till Class 10 and Mathematics
topics studied till Class 12 is expected. I. Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry
General Introduction: Importance a