Unit I: Reproduction |
Reproduction in organisms | - Reproduction - a characteristic feature of all organisms for the 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 mode s– 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, ZIFT, GIFT (Elementary idea for general awareness).
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Unit II: 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, honeybees
- 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 evidence 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
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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.
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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
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Unit IV: Biotechnology and Its Applications |
Principles and process of Biotechnology | - Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology)
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Application of Biotechnology in health and agriculture | - Human insulin and vaccine production, gene therapy
- Genetically modified organisms, crops
- Transgenic Animals
- Biosafety issues – Biopiracy and patents
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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.
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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
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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
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