CBSE Class 12 Biology - Syllabus, Tips and Tricks, Question Paper Pattern, and Deleted Chapters

Unit VI - Reproduction

Chapter No.

Chapter Name

Topics Covered

2

Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Flower structure; development of male and female gametophytes; pollination - types, agencies, and examples; out breeding 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

3

Human Reproduction

Male and female reproductive systems; microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary; gametogenesis -spermatogenesis and oogenesis; menstrual cycle; fertilization, embryo development up to blastocyst formation, implantation; pregnancy and placenta formation (elementary idea); parturition (elementary idea); lactation (elementary idea)

4

Reproductive Health

Need for reproductive health and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs); 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)

Unit VII - Genetics & Evolution

Chapter No.

Chapter Name

Topics Covered

5

Principles of Inheritance & Variation

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, color blindness; Mendelian disorders in humans - thalassemia; chromosomal disorders in humans; Down's syndrome, Turner's and Klinefelter's syndromes

6

Molecular Bases 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, Human, and rice genome projects; DNA fingerprinting

7

Evolution

Origin of life; biological evolution and evidence 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

Unit IX - Biotechnology & Its Applications

Chapter No.

Chapter Name

Topics Covered

11

Biotechnology - Principles and Processes

Genetic Engineering (Recombinant DNA Technology)

12

Biotechnology & Its Applications

Application of biotechnology in health and agriculture: Human insulin and vaccine production, stem cell technology, gene therapy; genetically modified organisms - Bt crops; transgenic animals; biosafety issues, biopiracy and patents

Unit X - Ecology & Environment

Chapter No.

Chapter Name

Topics Covered

13

Organisms and Populations

Population interactions - mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; population attributes - growth, birth rate, death rate, age distribution

14

Ecosystem

Ecosystems: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; energy flow; pyramids of number, biomass, energy

15

Biodiversity and its conservation

Biodiversity-Concept, patterns, importance; loss of biodiversity; biodiversity conservation; hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, Sacred Groves, biosphere reserves, national parks, wildlife, sanctuaries, and Ramsar sites

Category

Practical Name

Details

Part A

List of Experiments

• Prepare a temporary mount to observe pollen germination. 
• Study the plant population density by quadrat method. 
• Study the plant population frequency by quadrat method. 
• Prepare a temporary mount of onion root tip to study mitosis. 
• Isolate DNA from available plant material such as spinach, green pea seeds, papaya, etc.

Part B

Study and Observe the Following (Spotting)

• Flowers adapted to pollination by different agencies (wind, insects, birds). 
• Pollen germination on stigma through a permanent slide or scanning electron micrograph.
• Identification of stages of gamete development, i.e., T.S. of testis and T.S. of ovary through permanent slides (from grasshopper/mice). 
• Meiosis in onion bud cells or grasshopper testis through permanent slides. 
• T.S. of blastula through permanent slides (Mammalian).
• Mendelian inheritance using seeds of different colors/sizes of any plant. 
• Prepared pedigree charts of any genetic traits such as rolling of tongue, blood groups, ear lobes, widow's peak, and color blindness. 
• Controlled pollination - emasculation, tagging, and bagging. 
• Common disease-causing organisms like Ascaris, Entamoeba, Plasmodium, and any fungus-causing ringworm through permanent slides, models or virtual images or specimens. Comment on symptoms of diseases that they cause. 
• Models specimen showing symbolic association in root modules of leguminous plants, Cuscuta on the host, lichens. 
• Flashcard models showing examples of homologous and analogous organs.

Deleted Theory Syllabus

Unit

Chapter

Topics Deleted

6 - Reproduction

1 - Reproduction in Organisms

Whole Chapter

8 - Biology and Human Welfare

9 - Strategies for Enhancement in Food production

Whole Chapter

10 - Ecology and Environment 

13 - Organisms & Population

Organism and its Environment, Major Abiotic Factors, Responses to Abiotic Factors, Adaptations

14 - Ecosystem

Ecological Succession and Nutrient Cycles

Practical Part A

List of Experiments

• Collect and study soil from at least two different sites and study them for texture, moisture content, pH, and water-holding capacity. Correlate with the kinds of plants found in them.
• Collect water from two different water bodies around you and study them for pH, clarity, and presence of any living organism.
• Study the presence of suspended particulate matter in air at two widely different sites.
• Study the effect of different temperatures and three different pHs on the activity of salivary amylase on starch.

Practical Part B

Spotting

• Two plants and two animals (models/virtual images) found in xeric conditions. Comment upon their morphological adaptations.
• Two plants and two animals (models/virtual images) found in aquatic conditions. Comment upon their morphological adaptations.