Biology
Unit I: Reproduction
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Improvement in food production:
- Plant breeding, tissue culture, single cell protein, Biofortification.
- Apiculture and Animal husbandry.
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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
Unit V: Ecology and Environment
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.