Unit–I Reproduction

  1. 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.
  2. Human Reproduction: Male and female reproductive systems; microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary; gametogenesis – spermatogenesis and oogenesis; menstrual cycle; fertilisation, embryo development up to blastocyst formation, implantation; pregnancy and placenta formation (elementary idea); parturition (elementary idea); lactation (elementary idea).
  3. 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 (elementary idea for general awareness).

Unit–II Genetics and Evolution

  1. Principles of Inheritance and Variation: 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 inheritance – haemophilia, colour blindness; Mendelian disorders in humans – thalassemia; chromosomal disorders in humans – Down's syndrome, Turner's and Klinefelter's syndromes.
  2. 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, Human and rice genome projects; DNA fingerprinting.
  3. 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.

Unit–III Biology and Human Welfare

  1. Human Health and Disease: Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (malaria, dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, ascariasis, typhoid, pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm) and their control; basic concepts of immunology – vaccines; cancer, HIV and AIDS; adolescence – drug and alcohol abuse.
  2. Microbes in Human Welfare: Microbes in food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment, energy generation and microbes as bio-control agents and bio-fertilizers. Antibiotics; production and judicious use.

Unit–IV Biotechnology and its Applications

  1. Biotechnology: Principles and Processes: Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA Technology).
  2. Biotechnology and its Applications: 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, biopiracy and patents.

Unit–V Ecology and Environment

  1. Organisms and Populations: Population interactions – mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; population attributes – growth, birth rate and death rate, age distribution.

    (Topics excluded: Organism and its Environment, Major Abiotic Factors, Responses to Abiotic Factors, Adaptations)

  2. Ecosystem: Ecosystems – patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; energy flow; pyramids of number, biomass, energy.

    (Topics excluded: Ecological Succession and Nutrient Cycles)

  3. Biodiversity and Conservation: Biodiversity – concept, patterns, importance; loss of biodiversity; biodiversity conservation; hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, Sacred Groves, biosphere reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and Ramsar sites.