Reproduction
Reproduction in organisms: 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, 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 (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, ZIFT, GIFT
(elementary idea for general awareness).
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 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 (paleontology,
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.
Biology and Human Welfare
Health and disease: Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (malaria, filariasis, ascariasis,
typhoid, pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm); 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,
Apiculature and Animal husbandry.
Microbes in human welfare: In household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment,
energy generation and as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers.
Biotechnology and Its Applications
Principles and processes 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, bio
piracy and patents.
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 cycles (carbon and phosphorous); ecological succession; ecological
services - carbon fixation, pollination, seed dispersal, 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.
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, diseases; dengue and chickengunia.