UNIT 1: LIVING WORLD
1.1 Biology and its branches: relationship with other sciences; scientific methods in biology; historical break through (ancient, medieval and modern); scope in biology and career options; role of Biology in dispelling myths and misbelieves; Characters of living organisms (elementary ideas of organization, metabolism, energy transfer devices of life, homeostasis, growth and reproduction, adaptation, survival and death).
UNIT 2: DIVERSITY OF PLANT LIFE
2.1 Systematics/Taxonomy and its importance; Artificial, natural and phylogenetic types of classifications with examples; Biosystematics; Binomial nomenclature (guidelines and merits); Systems of classification: a) Two Kingdom (brief description with emphasis on criteria and demerits). b) Five Kingdom (brief description with emphasis on criteria, merits and demerits); Descriptive features of kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia; Status of virus; Botanical gardens and herbaria.
2.2 Plant Groups
I. Thallophyta
a) Algae: Salient, comparative features of Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta with examples.
b) Fungi: Salient features of Myxomycetes, Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes with examples.
c) Lichens: General features with examples.
II. Bryophyta: General features with special mention on aquatic to terrestrial evolution; alternation of generations
of Hepaticae and Musci with examples.
III. Pteridophytes : General features with examples.
IV. Gymnosperms: General features with examples.
V. Angiosperms: Unique features of angiosperms with examples.
2.3 Morphology of Angiosperms
Morphological structures of root, stem and leaf: Their structural and functional modification with examples. Inflorescence: Racemose, Cymose (different sub-types with examples), Special types (Cyathium, Verticillaster, Hypanthodium). Morphological characters of flower; Morphological differentiation of different types of fruits and seeds with examples.
2.4 Taxonomy of Angiosperms : Description on classification of angiosperms upto series level (Benthem and Hooker’s System). Description of Taxonomical Types (With floral diagram and floral formula)
1. Malvaceae - Eg. Hibiscus rosasinensis. 2. Fabaceae - Eg. Crotalaria sp. (Papilionaceae)
3. Rubiaceae - Eg. Ixora sp 4. Asteraceae - Eg. Tridax sp. (Compositae) 5. Liliaceae - Eg. Gloriosa sp.
6. Poaceae - Eg. Oryza sp. (Graminae) 2.5 Plant Anatomy Tissue: Meristematic (Classification based on origin, position and plane of division); Permanent (Simple and complex types); Tissue systems (epidermal, ground and vascular); Anatomy of root and stem (primary structure) of monocot and dicot; Anatomy of leaf of monocot and dicot; Normal secondary growth of stem and root.
UNIT 3: CELL AND CELL DIVISION
3.1 Cell as a basic unit of life; Cell theory; Cell as a self-contained unit, unicellularity and multicellularity, prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Tools and techniques: Different types of optical microscope, electron microscope and cell fractionation (centrifugation,chromatography and electrophoresis).
3.2 Ultra Structure: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell, cell wall, cell membrane (Fluid Mosaic Model), unit membrane concept, membrane transport, cellular movements (endocytosis and exocytosis); Description of cell organelles and their functions (nucleus, mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi bodies, lysosomes, cytoskeletal structures, cilia and flagella, centriole, ribosomes).
3.3 Macromolecules of cell: Inorganic and organic materials (water, salt, mineral ions, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, proteins, nucleotides, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), enzymes (properties, chemical nature and mechanism of action), vitamins, hormones and steroids. 3.4 Cell cycle: Cell division, description of amitosis, mitosis and meiosis – their significance, differences in animal and plant cell divisions, karyotype analysis.
UNIT 4: PHYSIOLOGY OF PLANTS
4.1 Cell as a Physiological Unit: composition of protoplasm, water relations (imbibition, diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis, permeability, water potential), absorption and movement – active (osmotic and non-osmotic) and passive.4.2 Translocation of water: Theories -- root pressure, transpiration pull. Transpiration: Mechanism of opening and closing of stomata (potassium ion theory), factors affecting stomatal movement, factors affecting rate of transpiration, guttation, significance of transpiration. 4.3. Mineral nutrition: Functions of minerals, essential major elements and trace elements, deficiency symptoms of
elements. Theories of translocation - passive (diffusion, ion exchange, mass flow, Donnan’s equilibrium), active (carrier concept); Translocation of solutes (Stout and Hoagland concept). Nitrogen metabolism: Nitrogen cycle, biological nitrogen fixation, mechanism, synthesis of amino acids (reductive amination, transamination, amides). 4.4. Photosynthesis: Significance, photosynthetic apparatus, functional aspects of chlorophyll structure, action spectra and absorption spectra. Mechanism: Photochemical phase, photo phosphorylation (cyclic and non cyclic electron transport system), biosynthetic phase (C3, C4 and CAM pathways); Photorespiration and its mechanism; Factors affecting photosynthesis (Blackmann’s law of limiting factor). Mode of nutrition: Autotrophic, heterotrophic, saprophytic and parasitic. Insectivorous plants. Chemosynthesis. 4.5. Respiration: Significance, site of respiration, mechanism: Glycolysis, Kreb’s cycle, electron transport system and oxidative phosphorylation, pentose phosphate pathway: Respiratory quotient, compensation point; Anaerobic respiration, fermentation; Factors affecting respiration.
UNIT – 5 – REPRODUCTION, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
5.1 Modes of reproduction in flowering plants Vegetative propagation (natural and artificial), micro-propagation, significance. Sexual reproduction: Development of male and female gametophytes, pollination types and factors, double fertilization, incompatibility; embryo development, seed and fruit development, parthenogenesis and parthenocarpy. 5.2 Plant Growth Characteristic features, measurement of growth, growth curve, growth rate, growth regulators (phytohormones): auxins, gibberellins, cytokines, ethylene, abscisic acid (ABA) and their role. Seed germination: types, mechanism and factors affecting germination, role of growth regulators in seed dormancy. Senescence, abscission, stress factors (salt and water) and growth. Plant movements: phototropism, geotropism, hydrotropism, turgor growth movements (tropic, nastic and nutation), Process of flowering, photoperiodism and vernalisation.
UNIT 6: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
6.1 Organisms and their environment: Factors: abiotic (air, water, soil, temperature and light) and biotic; Range of tolerance, acclimatization, ecological adaptation to different environments in plants. 6.2 Levels of organization: Population, species, community, ecosystem and biosphere; Ecological interactions: Symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, predation and competition. 6.3 Ecosystem: Structure and function with respect to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (pond and grassland), productivity, energy flow, ecological efficiencies, decomposition and nutrient cycling (nitrogen and phosphorus cycle).
Major biomes: Forest, grassland and deserts. 6.4 Ecological succession: Types and mechanism. Natural resources: Types: Inexhaustible. Exhaustible (renewable and non renewable). Principal natural resources: Soil, water, land, forest, energy, marine, mineral, Forest and wild life resource. Use and misuse of natural resources. 6.5 Environmental pollution: Sources of air, water, soil and noise pollution; Major pollutants in big cities in our country; their effects and methods of control. Pollution due to radioactive substances. Disposal of nuclear wastes. Effect and control of radiation pollution. 6.6 Global environmental changes: green house gases, global warming, sea level rise, and ozone layer depletion.
UNIT 7 – APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGY
7.1 Food production, breeding, improved varieties, bio-fertilizers, crop and animal diseases, bio-pesticides. Plant tissue culture and its application, genetically modified food, bio-war, bio-piracy, bio-patent, biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.
UNIT 8 - ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE
1. Origin of Earth 1.1 Theory of Origin of Earth 1.1.1 Big Bang Theory 2. Origin of Life 2.1 Various Theories 2.1.1 Special Creation 2.1.2 Cosmic (extra terrestrial)origin, 2.1.3 abiogenic origin (chemical evolution) 2.1.4 Oparin-Haldane Hypothesis. 3. Primary abiogenesis 3.1 Harold Urey & Stanley Miller experiment 3.1.1 Primitive conditions of earth 3.1.2 Formation of biopolymers 3.1.4 factors required for polymeric biomolecules 3.1.5 Conditions required for origin of life 3.1.6 Protobionts, coacervates, microsphores, purine & pyrimidine bases of nucleic acids. 4. Theories of Evolution 4.1.1 Plato – Eidos 4.1.2 Aristotle, Ladder of Nature or Scala , Nature or Great Chain of being 4.1.3 Lamarckism (J.B.Lamarck) -Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characters or Theory of Use and Disuse 4.1.4 Principle & Criticism (NeoLamarckism). 5. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution 5.1 Natural Selection 5.1.1 Principle of Natural Selection – 5.1.2 Example of Natural Selection - Industrial Melanism 5.1.3 Criticism of Darwin’s Theory – 5.1.4 Neodarwinism. 6. Mutation Theory of de Vries 6.1.1 Observation on Oenothera lamarckiana 6.1.2 Principles & Criticism of Theory of Mutation. 7. Evidences of Evolution 7.1.1 Palaentological, Embryological 7.1.2 Morphological 7.1.3 Anatomical 7.1.4 Biogeographical. 8. Variation 8.1 Definitions 8.1.2 Sources of Variation 8.1.3 Mutation 8.1.4 Recombination 8.1.4 Genetic drift 8.1.5 Gene migration and natural Selection. 9. Population Genetics & Evolution 9.1 Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium. 10. Genetic Basis of Adaptation 10.1.1 Replica plating experiment of Lederberg and Lederberg 10.1.2 Genetic Polymorphism – Eg: Blood group & sickle cell anaemia 11. Speciation – 11.1.1 Allopatric & Sympatric speciation 11.1.2 Species concept 11.1.3 Sibling species, Polytypic species 11.1.4 Evolutionary species concept
12. Isolation 12.1.1 role of Isolation in speciation 12.1.2 Geographical isolation 12.1.3 Reproductive isolation.
UNIT 9 – CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS
1. Salient features of different Phyla with examples. 1.1 General features of animals 1.1.1 Grades of organization and body plan 1.1.2 body symmetry 1.1.3 germ layers (diploblastic & triploblastic organization) 1.1.4 segmentation 1.1.5 coelom 1.1.6 Heterotrophic mode of Nutrition 1.1.7 Movement 1.1.8 Reproduction and Development 2. Kingdom Protista (Protozoan Protists only) eg: Amoeba, Paramecium, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba, Plasmodium 3. Phylum Porifera eg: Sycon, Leucosolenia, Spongilla
4. Phylum Cnidaria eg: Hydra, Obelia colony, Physalia, Aurelia, Sea Anemone, Corals 5. Phylum Playhelminthes eg.: Taenia, Fasciola, Planaria 6. Phylum Nemathelminthes eg: Ascaris, Rhabditis, Wuchereria, Ancylostoma 7. Phylum Annelida eg: Nereis, Aphrodite, Pheretima, Hirudinaria, Chaetopterus, Bonellia 8. Phylum Arthropoda eg: Araneus (Spider), Limulus (King Crab), Bruthus (Scorpion), Eupgurus (Hermit Crab), Penaeus (Marine prawn), Palaemon (fresh water prawn), Lepisma, Apis, Musca (House fly), Mosquito, Leptocorisa (paddy pest), Barnacles, Silk worm, Oryctes 9. Phylum Mollusca eg: Pila, Mussel (fresh water & marine), Pinctada, Loligo, Octopus, Teredo 10. Phylum Echinodermata eg: Asterias, Echinus, Antedon, Sea cucumber, Ophiura. 11. PHYLUM CHORDATA: Subphylum [a]-Hemichordata eg: Balanoglossus Subphylum [b]- Urochordata eg: Ascidia.. Subphylum [c] - Cephalochordata eg: Amphioxus Subphylum [d]-Vertebrata–Classification up to classes 12. Super class I. Agnatha. Class – Cyclostomata eg: Petromyzon and Myxine. 13. Super class II. Gnathostomata Class a - Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous fishes) eg.: Scoliodon, Trygon, Torpedo (Narcine), Pristis. Class b. Osteichthyes (Bony fishes) eg.: Catla, Anabas, Channa, Exocoetus, Remora, Hippocampus, Tuna, Cybium, Pomfret, Etroplus, Tilapia, Sardine, Mackeral. Class c. Amphibia eg: Bufo, Rana, Hyla, Rhacophorus, Salamander, Amblystoma, lchthyophis Class d. Reptilia eg: Chelone, Testudo,Sphenodon, Hemidactylus, Chameleon, Calotes, Draco, Phrynosoma, Varanus, Python, Naja, Krait, Viper, Crocodile, Alligator, Gavialis, Crotalus, Enhydrina, Dryophis, Typhlops. Class e. Aves eg: Ardea (Grey Heron), Corvus, Paro, Gallus, Columba, Psittacula, Bubo, Milvus, Struthio (Ostrich), Kiwi, Class f. Mammalia eg: Platypus, Kangaroo, Mole, Bat, Whale, Loris, Macaques, Macaca radiata, Macaca silenus (Lion-tailed monkey) Common Langur, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Orangutan, Panthera, Elephas.