ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus

The students can refer to ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus on the Extramarks website. The syllabus offers ample information pertaining to the syllabus on each essential topic. Further, the students get useful information, including the concepts, theories, and mark distribution for each case. Each topic in ISC Biology Class 11 is well elaborated with examples and fundamental principles. 

To score more incoming first-term ISC board exams, students can refer to ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus to study. It is essential to have a good knowledge of the syllabus of the particular subject. Studying morphology, cytology, and scientific techniques is essential for a deep understanding. The students get to witness various theories in Biology. 

The students will learn about the biological classification, morphology, and anatomy of flowering plants. Further, they will also learn human physiology. They will understand the breathing and exchange of gases, body fluid and circulation, excretory products, and locomotion movements. 

Students may access the latest ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus on Extramarks.

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24 – Semester (1 & 2)

Studying from ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus helps students grasp the concepts with better understanding. It helps them score more in the exam and perform well. Further, there are three sections in ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus, including Section A, Section B, and Section C.

The below table offers the Class 11 Biology Syllabus and the Units under each section:

Sections Units
Section A  1. Diversity of Life
Section B 2. Plant Physiology
3. Multicellularity: Structure and Functions of Plants and Animals
4. Units of Life
Section C 5. Organisms and Environment

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus Section A:

  1. Diversity of Life
  • Taxonomy and phylogeny, three domains of life: binomial nomenclature.
  • Five-kingdom classification: characteristics, salient features, and examples.
  • Anatomy of different cockroach systems.

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus Section B:

  1. Plant Physiology
  • Mineral nutrition: macronutrients, micronutrients, criteria for the essentiality of elements, and nitrogen in plants. 
  • Plant growth, phases of development, measurement of plants.
  • Photomorphogenesis in plants. 
  1. Multicellularity: Structure of Plants and Animals
  • Plant Tissues: types of plant tissues, structure and functions of superficial tissues, types of vascular bundles.
  • Animal Tissues: epithelial, connective, muscular, nervous tissues. 
  • Nutrition: Calorific value of carbohydrates, organs of the digestive system, digestive process, and disorder of the digestive system. 
  • Respiration: Organs of the respiratory system, pulmonary gas exchange, transport of respiratory gases. Disorders of the respiratory system. 
  • Circulation: Closed and open vascular systems, the structure of the human heart, coagulation of blood. Disorders of the Circulatory system. 
  • Excretion: Structure of nephron, the role of skin and lungs in excretion, kidney functions. 
  • Endocrine system: Mechanism of hormone action, the effect of hyposecretion, feedback mechanism. 
  • Nervous system: Central, automatic, and peripheral, the structure of the brain and spinal cord, transmission of nerve impulse. 
  • Locomotion: Structure of skeletal muscle, sliding filament theory of muscle contraction. Disorder of muscular and skeletal system. 
  1. Units of Life
  • Biomolecules: Outline classification and functions of carbohydrates.
  • Enzymes: General properties, classification, mechanism of enzyme action. 
  • Cell membranes: Facilitated diffusion, membrane transport, passive and active transport. 
  • Cell structure: structure and functions of nucleus, cell wall, vacuoles, and cell inclusions. Prokaryotic cell and eukaryotic cell- a comparison.
  • Cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic fermentation, amphibolic pathway. 
  • Cell reproduction: cell cycle, mitosis, and meiosis. 

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus Section C:

  1. Organisms and Environment
  • Ecosystem: biotic and abiotic components, biochemical cycles, ecological pyramids. Productivity and decomposition.
  • Pollution: air, water, and soil pollution. 

Students may refer to the study material for Class 12 Biology on Extramarks by clicking on the chapter names. In addition to the notes, students may also access the following. 

ISC & ICSE Syllabus

ICSE Solutions for Class 12 Biology

ICSE sample question papers

ICSE revision notes

ICSE important questions

ICSE question paper

ISC Class 11 Biology Paper Pattern

As the exam approaches, students can revise the concepts, theories, and fundamental principles in biology. To score more, students can refer to ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus. It is essential to know what type of questions will be asked in the exam. Students have to attempt one paper of three hours duration. 

Part 1 (20 Marks) is a compulsory section, and students have to attempt short answer questions. This section will test the student’s knowledge, application, and skills relating to the fundamentals aspects of the biological concepts. 

Part 2 (50 Marks) consists of three sections, including A, B, and C. The students can attempt two out of three questions in Section A (each carries five marks). Further, in Section B, they can attempt two out of three questions, each carrying ten marks. Lastly, in Section C, the students can attempt two out of three questions, each having ten marks. Thus, a total of 6 questions are required to answer in Part 2. 

ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus & Study Materials 2023-24

To prepare for the ISC board exam and competitive exam, the student can refer to ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus. They can also refer to the study material available on the Extramarks website. The students will get a general idea of the morphology and physiology of plants and animals. Further, they will learn about binomial nomenclature and the anatomy of different systems. 

Plant physiology is one of the essential topics in ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus. The students will witness broader concepts such as mineral nutrition, macronutrients, and phases of plant growth. The structure and functions of plants and animals and other important topics are well elaborated on in the syllabus. 

ISC Biology Class 11 Syllabus

There are two papers in the subject: Paper I is Theory of 3 hours and 70 marks. There are five units in the syllabus.

1. Diversity of Living Organisms

(i) The Living World

What is living? 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, key.

(ii) Biological Classification

Five kingdom classification; salient features and classification of Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. Lichens, Viruses and Viroids.

(iii) Plant Kingdom

  1. Algae
  2. Bryophyta
  3. Pteridophyta
  4. Gymnosperms
  5. Angiosperms
  6. Comparison of life cycle patterns of different plant groups

(iv) Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom: animal construction – body plan (cell aggregate plan, blind-sac plan and tube-within-tube plan), symmetry (spherical, radial and bilateral symmetry), coelom development (diploblastic and triploblastic organisation in animals, acoelomate, pseudocoelomate, coelomate and haemocoelomate), segmentation.

2. Structural Organisation in Animals and Plants

(i) Morphology of Flowering Plants

(a) Morphology and modifications of root, stem, leaf.

(b) Morphology of flower, fruit and seed. Structure of a typical flower, types of inflorescence (racemose and cymose).

(ii) Anatomy of Flowering Plants

(a) Plant Tissues: types of plant tissues: Meristematic tissues: classification of meristematic tissue. Permanent Tissues: structure and function of simple tissues (parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma) and complex tissues (xylem and phloem), tissue system. Internal structure of root, stem, and leaf.

(b) Secondary growth in dicot stem and dicot root

(iii) Structural Organisation in Animals

(a) Animal tissues

(b) Cockroach

3. Cell: Structure and Function

(i) Cell – the Unit of Life

Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life: Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Plant cell and animal cell; cell envelope; cell membrane, cell wall (including definition of plasmodesmata); cell organelles – ultrastructure and function; endomembrane system (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies, lysosomes, vacuoles), mitochondria, ribosomes, plastids, microbodies; cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, centrioles; nucleus, nuclear membrane, chromatin, nucleolus.

(ii) Biomolecules

Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, enzymes.

(iii) Cell Cycle and Cell Division

Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and their significance.

4. Plant Physiology

(i) 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; diffusion of gases.

(ii) 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.

(iii) Photosynthesis in higher plants

Photosynthesis as a mean of autotrophic nutrition; site of photosynthesis, pigments involved in photosynthesis (elementary idea); photochemical and biosynthetic phases of photosynthesis; cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation; chemiosmotic hypothesis; photorespiration; C3 and C4 pathways; factors affecting photosynthesis.

(iv) Respiration in Plants

Exchange of gases; cellular respiration – glycolysis, fermentation (anaerobic), TCA cycle and electron transport system (aerobic); energy relations – number of ATP molecules generated; amphibolic pathways; respiratory quotient.

(v) Plant Growth and Development

Seed germination; phases of plant growth; differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation; sequence of developmental processes in a plant cell; growth regulators – auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA; seed dormancy; vernalisation; photoperiodism.

5. Human Physiology

(i) Digestion and Absorption

Alimentary canal and digestive glands, role of digestive enzymes; peristalsis, digestion, absorption and assimilation of proteins, carbohydrates and fats; calorific values of proteins, carbohydrates and fats; egestion; nutritional and digestive disorders.

(ii) Breathing and exchange of gases

Respiratory organs in animals (recall only); Respiratory system in humans; mechanism of breathing and its regulation -exchange of gases, transport of gases and regulation of respiration, respiratory volumes; disorders related to respiration.

(iii) Body fluids and circulation

Composition of blood, blood groups, coagulation of blood; composition of lymph and its function; human circulatory system
– structure of human heart and blood vessels; cardiac cycle, cardiac output, ECG; double circulation; regulation of cardiac activity; disorders of circulatory system.

(iv) Excretory products and their elimination

Modes of excretion – ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism; human excretory system – structure and function; urine formation, osmoregulation; regulation of kidney function, renin – angiotensin, atrial natriuretic factor, ADH and diabetes insipidus; role of erythropoietin; role of other organs in excretion; disorders of the excretory system – uraemia, renal failure,
renal calculi, nephritis; dialysis and artificial kidney.

(v) Locomotion and Movement

Types of movement – ciliary, flagellar, muscular; skeletal muscles – contractile proteins and muscle contraction; skeletal system and its functions; joints; disorders of muscular and skeletal system.

(vi) Neural Control and Coordination

Neuron and nerves; nervous system in humans – central nervous system; peripheral nervous system and visceral nervous system; generation and conduction of nerve impulse; reflex action; sensory perception; sense organs; elementary structure and functions of eye and ear.

(vii) Chemical Co-ordination and Integration

Endocrine glands and hormones; human endocrine system – hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, gonads; mechanism of hormone action (elementary idea); role of hormones as messengers and regulators, hypo – and hyperactivity and related disorders; dwarfism, acromegaly, cretinism, goitre, exophthalmic goitre, diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus, Grave’s disease, Addison’s disease.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How many sections are there in ISC Biology Syllabus Class 11?

There are three sections in the ISC Biology Syllabus Class 11, A, B, and C. The students will learn about the morphology and anatomy of different systems of cockroaches. Further, they will understand plant physiology and the structure of the plants and animals. 

2. What are the advantages of studying from ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus?

The students can refer to ISC Class 11 Biology Syllabus to score more on the ISC board. They can benefit from a detailed explanation of the complex concepts. The syllabus has been segregated into sections A, B, and C. Each section has well elaborated and fundamental principles. 

3. Which are the important topics in the Class 11 ICSE Biology Syllabus?

In the Class 11 Biology Syllabus, almost every important topic has weightage. Essential topics include morphology, plant physiology, organisms, and functions of animals.