Unit I: Reproduction

• Reproduction in organisms:

  • Reproduction as a characteristic feature of all organisms for continuation of species.
  • Modes of reproduction – Asexual and sexual;
  • Asexual reproduction; Modes- Binary fission, sporulation, budding, gemmule, 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 and fruit formation.

• Human Reproduction:

  • Male and female reproductive systems.
  • Microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary.
  • Gametogenesis – spermatogenesis & oogenesis.
  • Menstrual cycle.
  • Fertilisation, embryo development up to blastocyst formation, implantation.
  • Pregnancy and placenta formation (Elementary idea).
  • Parturition (Elementary idea)
  • Lactation (Elementary idea).

• Reproductive health:

  • Need for reproductive health and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
  • Birth control – Need and methods, contraception, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP).
  • Amniocentesis.
  • Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies – IVF, IUI, ZIFT, GIFT (Elementary idea for general awareness).

Unit II: Genetics and Evolution

• Heredity and variation:

  • Mendelian Inheritance.
  • Deviations from Mendelism – Incomplete dominance, Co-dominance, Multiple alleles, Inheritance of blood groups, Pleiotropy.
  • Elementary idea of polygenic inheritance.
  • Chromosome theory of inheritance.
  • Chromosomes and genes.
  • Sex determination – In humans, birds, honeybee.
  • Linkage and crossing over.
  • Sex-linked inheritance – Haemophilia, Colour blindness.
  • Mendelian disorders in humans – Thalassemia.
  • Chromosomal disorders in humans – Down’s syndrome, Turner’s and Klinefelter’s syndromes.

• Molecular Basis of Inheritance:

  • Search for genetic material and 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 and human genome project.
  • DNA fingerprinting.

• Evolution:

  • Origin of life.
  • Biological evolution and evidences for biological evolution (Paleontological, comparative anatomy, embryology, and molecular evidence).
  • 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.

Unit III: Biology and Human Welfare

• Health and Disease:

  • Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (Malaria, Filariasis, Ascariasis, Typhoid, Pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ringworm).
  • Basic concepts of immunology – vaccines.
  • Cancer, HIV and AIDS.
  • Adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse.

• 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 as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers.

Unit IV: Biotechnology and Its Applications

• Principles and process of Biotechnology:

  • Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology).

• Application of Biotechnology in health and agriculture:

  • Human insulin and vaccine production, gene therapy.
  • Genetically modified organisms – Bt crops.
  • Transgenic Animals.
  • Biosafety issues – Biopiracy and patents.

Unit V: Ecology and Environment

• 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 cycling (carbon and phosphorous).
  • Ecological succession.
  • Ecological Services – Carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen release.

• Biodiversity and its conservation:

  • Concept of Biodiversity.
  • Patterns of Biodiversity.
  • Importance of Biodiversity.
  • Loss of Biodiversity.
  • Biodiversity conservation – Hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, National parks and sanctuaries, sacred groves, in-situ & ex-situ.

• 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 global warming.
  • Ozone depletion.
  • Deforestation.
  • Any three case studies as success stories addressing environmental issues.