I SEXUAL REPRODUCTION (35 Periods)

Pollination and fertilization in flowering plants. Development of seeds and fruits.

Human reproduction: reproductive system in male and female, menstrual cycle. Production of gametes, fertilization, implantation, ,embryo development, pregnancy and parturation. Reproductive health - birth control, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases.

II Genetics and evolution (45 Periods)

Mendelian inheritance. Chromosome theory of inheritance, deviations from Mendelian ratio (gene interaction- Incomplete dominance, co-dominance, complementary genes, multiple alleles). Sex determination in human beings: XX, XY. Linkage and crossing over. Inheritance pattern of haemophilia and blood groups in human beings. DNA: replication, transcription, translation. Gene expression and regulation. Genome and Human Genome Project. DNA fingerprinting. Evolution: Theories and evidences.

III BIOLOGY AND HUMAN WELFARE (35 Periods)

Animal husbandry.
Basic concepts of immunology, vaccines.
Pathogens, Parasites.
Plant breeding, tissue culture, food production.
Microbes in household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment and energy generation.
Cancer and AIDS.
Adolescence and drug/alcohol abuse.

IV BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS (30 Periods)

Recombinant DNA technology.
Applications in Health, Agriculture and Industry
Genetically modified (GM) organisms; biosafety issues.
Insulin and Bt cotton

V ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT (35 Periods)

Ecosystems: components, types and energy flow.
Species, population and community.
Ecological adaptations.
Centres of diversity and conservation of biodiversity, National parks and sanctuaries.
Environmental issues.