Biology — NEET
10 Units
Unit 1: Diversity in Living World
What is living? Biodiversity; Need for classification; Three domains of life; Taxonomy and systematics; Concept of species and taxonomical hierarchy; Binomial nomenclature; Tools for study of taxonomy — museums, zoological parks, herbaria, botanical gardens. Five kingdom classification — salient features and classification of Monera, Protista and Fungi into major groups; Lichens; Viruses and Viroids. Salient features and classification of plants into major groups — Algae, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae and Angiospermae. Salient features and classification of animals — Non-chordates up to phyla level and chordates up to class level.
Unit 2: Structural Organisation in Animals and Plants
Morphology and modifications; Tissues; Anatomy and functions of different parts of flowering plants — root, stem, leaf, inflorescence, flower, fruit and seed. Animal tissues; Morphology, anatomy and functions of different systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and reproductive) of an insect (cockroach).
Unit 3: Cell Structure and Function
Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life; structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell; plant cell and animal cell; cell envelope, cell membrane, cell wall; cell organelles — structure and function: endomembrane system, mitochondria, ribosomes, plastids, microbodies; cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, centrioles (ultrastructure and function); nucleus, nuclear membrane, chromatin, nucleolus. Chemical constituents of living cells: biomolecules — structure and function of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids. Enzymes — types, properties, enzyme action. Cell division — cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and their significance.
Unit 4: Plant Physiology
Transport in plants: movement of water, gases and nutrients; cell to cell transport, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport; plant-water relations — imbibition, water potential, osmosis, plasmolysis; long distance transport of water — absorption, apoplast, symplast, transpiration pull, root pressure and guttation; transpiration, opening and closing of stomata; uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients — transport of food, phloem transport, mass flow hypothesis. Mineral nutrition: essential minerals, macro and micronutrients and their role, deficiency symptoms, mineral toxicity, elementary idea of hydroponics, nitrogen metabolism — nitrogen cycle, biological nitrogen fixation. Photosynthesis: site of photosynthesis, pigments involved, photochemical and biosynthetic phases, cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation, chemiosmotic hypothesis, photorespiration, C3 and C4 pathways, factors affecting photosynthesis. Respiration: cellular respiration — glycolysis, fermentation, TCA cycle and electron transport system, energy relations, amphibolic pathways, respiratory quotient. Plant growth and development: seed germination, phases of plant growth, differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation, growth regulators — auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA.
Unit 5: Human Physiology
Digestion and absorption: alimentary canal and digestive glands, role of digestive enzymes and gastrointestinal hormones, peristalsis, digestion, absorption and assimilation of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Breathing and respiration: respiratory system, mechanism of breathing and its regulation, exchange of gases, transport of gases, respiratory volumes, disorders. Body fluids and circulation: composition of blood, blood groups, coagulation, human circulatory system, cardiac cycle, cardiac output, ECG, double circulation. Excretory products: human excretory system and urine formation, osmoregulation, regulation of kidney function, role of other organs in excretion. Locomotion and movement: types of movement, skeletal muscle, contractile proteins, skeletal system, joints, disorders. Neural control and coordination: neuron and nerves, central and peripheral nervous system, generation and conduction of nerve impulse, reflex action, sense organs, eye and ear. Chemical coordination: endocrine glands and hormones, human endocrine system, mechanism of hormone action.
Unit 6: Reproduction
Reproduction in organisms: modes of reproduction — asexual and sexual, vegetative propagation in plants. Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: flower structure, development of male and female gametophytes, pollination — types, agencies and examples, pollen-pistil interaction, double fertilization, post fertilization events, development of seed and fruit, apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony. Human reproduction: male and female reproductive systems, gametogenesis, menstrual cycle, fertilisation, embryo development, implantation, pregnancy and placenta formation, parturition, lactation. Reproductive health: prevention of STDs, birth control — need and methods, contraception, amniocentesis, infertility and assisted reproductive technologies — IVF, ZIFT, GIFT.
Unit 7: Genetics and Evolution
Heredity and variation: Mendelian inheritance, deviations from Mendelism — incomplete dominance, co-dominance, multiple alleles, pleiotropy, polygenic inheritance, chromosome theory of inheritance, sex determination, sex-linked inheritance — haemophilia, colour blindness, Mendelian disorders — thalassaemia, chromosomal disorders — Down's syndrome, Turner's and Klinefelter's syndromes. Molecular basis of inheritance: DNA as genetic material, structure of DNA and RNA, DNA packaging, DNA replication, central dogma, transcription, genetic code, translation, gene expression — lac operon, genome and human genome project, DNA fingerprinting. Evolution: origin of life, biological evolution and evidences, Darwin's contribution, modern synthetic theory, mechanism of evolution — variation and natural selection, types of natural selection, gene flow and genetic drift, Hardy-Weinberg's principle, adaptive radiation, human evolution.
Unit 8: Biology and Human Welfare
Health and disease: pathogens causing human diseases (malaria, dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, ascariasis, typhoid, pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm) and their control. 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: household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment, energy generation, biocontrol agents and biofertilisers.
Unit 9: 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 10: Ecology and Environment
Organisms and environment: habitat and niche, population and ecological adaptations, population interactions — mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism, community — early and late successional stages. Ecosystem: patterns, components, productivity and decomposition, energy flow, pyramids of number, biomass, energy, nutrient cycling, ecological services — carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen release. Biodiversity: importance, loss of biodiversity, biodiversity conservation, hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries. Environmental issues: air and water pollution, agrochemicals, solid waste management, radioactive waste management, greenhouse effect and global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation.