Maharashtra HSC Biology Syllabus 2024-25: Check Maharashtra Class 12 Biology Syllabus

Section I – BOTANY

Unit 1: Genetics and Evolution

Chapter 1 - Genetic Basis of Inheritance

• Mendelian inheritance. Deviations from Mendelian ratio (gene interaction incomplete dominance, co-dominance, multiple alleles and Inheritance of blood groups), Pleiotropy, Elementary idea of polygenic inheritance.

Chapter 2 - Gene: its nature, expression, and regulation

• The modern concept of the gene is brief-cistron, muton, and recon. DNA as genetic material, the structure of DNA as given by Watson and Crick's model, DNA Packaging, semi-conservative replication of eukaryotic DNA.
• RNA: General structure, types, and functions.
• Protein Synthesis; central dogma, Transcription; Translation-Genetic Code,
• Gene Expression and Gene Regulation (The Lac operon as a typical model of gene regulation)

Unit 2: Biotechnology and its Application

Chapter 3 - Biotechnology: Process and Application

• Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology):
• Transposons, Plasmids, Bacteriophages; Producing Restriction Fragments, Preparing and cloning a DNA Library, Gene Amplification (PCR).
• Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture – BT crops
• Biosafety Issues (Biopiracy and patents)

Unit 3: Biology and Human Welfare

Chapter 4 - Enhancement in Food Production

• Plant Breeding
• Tissue Culture: Concept of Cellular
• Totipotency, Requirements of Tissue Culture (in brief),
• Callus Culture, Suspension Culture.
• Single Cell Protein.
• Biofortification.

Chapter 5 - Microbes in Human Welfare

• Microbes in Household Food Processing.
• Microbes in Industrial Production.
• Microbes in Sewage Treatment.
• Microbes in Biogas (energy) Production.
• Microbes as Biocontrol Agents.
• Microbes as Biofertilizers.

Unit 4: Plant Physiology

Chapter 6 - Photosynthesis

• Autotrophic nutrition
• Site of Photosynthesis
• Photosynthetic Pigments and their Role.
• Light-dependent reactions (Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation)
• Light-Independent Reactions (C3 and C4 Pathways)
• Chemiosmotic hypothesis, Photorespiration, and Factors affecting Photosynthesis.
• Law of Limiting Factors

Chapter 7 - Respiration

• ATP as the currency of Energy
• Mechanism of Aerobic (Glycolysis, TCA
• Cycle, and Electron Transport System) and Anaerobic Respiration.
• Fermentation
• Exchange of gases
• Amphibolic pathway. The respiratory quotient of Nutrients.
• Significance of Respiration

Unit 5: Reproduction in Organisms

Chapter 8 - Reproduction in Plants

• Modes of Reproduction (Asexual and Sexual).
• Asexual reproduction; uniparental modes vegetative propagation, micropropagation
• Sexual Reproduction: structure of flower
• Development of male gametophyte,
• Structure of anatropous ovule.
• Development of female Gametophyte.
• Pollination: Types and Agencies.
• Outbreeding devices; pollen-pistil interaction.
• Double Fertilization: Process and Significance.
• Post-fertilization changes (development of endosperm and embryo, development of seed, and formation of fruit)
• Special modes-apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony. Significance of seed and fruit formation

Unit 6: Ecology and Environment

Chapter 9: Organisms and Environment -I: Habitat and Niche

• Ecosystems: Patterns, components, productivity and composition, energy flow; pyramids of number, biomass, energy; nutrient cycling (carbon and
• phosphorous).
• Ecological succession, Ecological services carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen
• release. Environmental issues: agrochemicals and their effects, solid waste
• management, Greenhouse effect and global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, case studies (any two).

Section II - ZOOLOGY

Unit 1: Genetics and Evolution

Chapter 10 - Origin and the Evolution of Life

• Origin of Life: Early Earth, Spontaneous,
• assembly of organic compounds,
• Evolution: Darwin’s contribution, Modern Synthetic Theory of evolution, Biological Evidences, Mechanism of evolution; Gene flow and genetic drift; Hardy Weinberg principle; Adaptive radiation. Origin and Evolution of Human Beings

Chapter 11 - Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

• The Chromosomal Theory.
• Chromosomes.
• Linkage and Crossing Over.
• Sex-linked Inheritance (Haemophilia and color blindness).
• Sex Determination in Human being, birds, honey bee.Mendelian disorders in humans-Thalassemia. Chromosomal disorders in humans: Down’s syndrome, Turner’s syndrome, and Klinfelter’s
• syndrome.

Unit 2: Biotechnology and its Application

Chapter 12- Genetic Engineering and Genomics

• DNA Finger Printing.
• Genomics and Human Genome Project.
• Biotechnological Applications in Health:
• Human insulin and vaccine production,
• Gene Therapy. Transgenic animals

Unit 3: Biology and Human Welfare

Chapter 13- Human Health and Diseases

• Concepts of Immunology: Immunity Types, Vaccines,
• Structure of Antibody, Antigen-Antibody
• Complex, Antigens on blood cells.
• Pathogens and Parasites (Amoebiasis, Malaria, Filariasis, Ascariasis, Typhoid, Pneumonia, Common cold, and ringworm).
• Adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse.
• Cancer and AIDS.

Chapter 14- Animal Husbandry

• Management of Farms and Farm Animals. Dairy. Poultry. Animal Breeding. Bee-Keeping. Fisheries. Sericulture Lac culture

Unit 4: Human Physiology

Chapter 15- Circulation

• Blood composition and coagulation, Blood groups.
• Structure and pumping action of Heart.
• Blood Vessels.
• Pulmonary and Systemic Circulation.
• Heart beat and Pulse. Rhythmicity of Heart beat. Cardiac output, Regulation of cardiac activity.
• Blood-related disorders: Hypertension, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, and heart failure.
• ECG, Lymphatic System (Brief idea):
• Composition of lymph and its functions.

Chapter 16- Excretion and osmoregulation

• Modes of excretion-Ammonotelism,
• ureotelism, uricotelism.
• Excretory System.
• Composition and formation of urine.
• Role of Kidney in Osmoregulation.
• Regulation of kidney function: renin-angiotensin, atrial natriuretic factor,
• ADH and Diabetes inspidus, the role of other organs in excretion.
• Disorders; Kidney failure, Dialysis, Kidney stone (renal calculi). Transplantation.
• Uraemia, nephritis.

Chapter 17- Control and Coordination

• Nervous System
• Structure and functions of brain and
• Spinal cord, brief idea about PNS and ANS.
• Transmission of nerve impulse.
• Reflex action.
• Sensory receptors (eye and ear), Sensory perception, and the general idea of other sense organs.
• Endocrine System
• Endocrine glands
• Hormones and their functions
• Mechanism of hormone action.
• Hormones as messengers and regulators.
• Hormonal imbalance and diseases:
• Common disorders (Dwarfism,
• Acromegaly, cretinism, goiter,
• exophthalmic goiter, Diabetes mellitus, Addison’s disease)

Unit 5: Reproduction in Organisms

Chapter 18- Human Reproduction

• Reproductive system in male and female.
• Histology of testis and ovary. Reproductive cycle.
• Production of gametes, fertilization, implantation.
• Embryo development up to three germinal layers.
• Pregnancy, placenta, parturition, and
• lactation (Elementary idea).
• Reproductive health-birth control,
• Contraception, and sexually transmitted Diseases.
• MTP, Amniocentesis; Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies IVF, ZIFT, GIFT (elementary idea for general awareness).

Unit 6: Ecology and Environment

Chapter 19- Organisms and Environment-II

• Population and ecological adaptations: population interactions,
• competition, predation, parasitism,
• population attributes- growth, birth rate and death rate, age distribution.
• Biodiversity and its conservation
• Biodiversity- concept, patterns, importance, loss. Threats to and need for biodiversity conservation, Hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, red data book, biosphere reserves, national parks, and sanctuaries. Environmental issues: air pollution and its control, water pollution and its control, and radioactive waste management. (Case studies any two)