ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus
Introduction to ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus
The CISCE Board conducts the Examination for ISC Class 12 every year in the months of February-March. Only students enrolled in CISCE-affiliated schools are eligible to take this Examination. Another stipulation is that students can only take the Examination for the subjects they choose in 11th grade.
CISCE holds the Examination for three separate streams:
- Science
- Commerce
- Arts.
In any student’s life, the 12th grade represents a watershed moment. Their marks in Class 12 help them secure admission to some of India’s most prestigious schools. On the other hand, Biology students usually intend to pursue a career in medicine in the future. As a result, a solid understanding of the Biology topic is required. The ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus and the mark-by-mark weighting for each chapter can be found here. The curriculum is also available to access through the sources provided below.
ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus 2023-24 – Semester (1 & 2)
The Biology theory paper is worth 70 marks with 3 hours of Examination time.
| S. No. | Unit | Total Weightage |
| 1. | Reproduction | 16 Marks |
| 2. | Genetics and Evolution | 15 Marks |
| 3. | Biology and Human Welfare | 14 Marks |
| 4. | Biotechnology and its Applications | 10 Marks |
| 5. | Ecology and Environment | 15 Marks |
| Total | 70 Marks |
The internal choice will be offered in two two-mark questions, two three-mark questions, and three five-mark questions.
ISC Class 12 Biology Paper Pattern
There will be two papers on the subject.
Paper I: Theory: 3 hours – 70 marks
Paper-II: Practical: 3 hours – 20 marks
Project Work – 7 marks
Practical File – 3 marks
There will be one three-hour paper separated into two sections.
Part I (20 marks) will consist of mandatory short answer questions to assess knowledge, application, and skills related to the entire fundamental features of ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus.
Part II (50 points) will be broken down into Sections A, B, and C. Students must answer two out of three questions provided in Section A (each worth five marks), two out of three questions from Section B (each worth ten marks), and two out of three questions from Section C (each worth ten marks). Therefore, Part II will consist of six questions to be answered.
Access ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus & Study Materials 2023-24
Biology is crucial for students who wish to do well in their Class 12 Board Examination. To pass the Examination with good grades, candidates must comprehend the Syllabus thoroughly and the most important topics that need to be covered.
The complete Syllabus for the year 2023-24 session, along with a few other relevant links important for preparation purposes, are given below:
ISC Class 12 Biology – Syllabus
ISC Class 12 Biology – Textbooks
ISC Class 12 Biology – Study Notes
ISC Class 12 Biology – Sample papers
ISC Class 12 Biology Syllabus Benefits:
- It helps students know what chapters they will read ahead and plan accordingly.
- It helps students keep track of their studies, thus facilitating time management.
- Whilst preparing, students will learn about the Examination pattern and marks distribution in the Question Paper.
- This Syllabus created by Extramarks summarises all the chapters and topics relevant to your coursework.
- It also keeps the students updated about the latest changes and amendments in the curriculum.
ISC Biology Class 12 Syllabus
Theory paper is of 3 hours duration and 70 marks. divided into two parts. There are five units in the syllabus: (i) Reproduction (ii) Genetics and Evolution (iii) Biology and Human Welfare (iv) Biotechnology and its Applications (v) Ecology and Environment.
1. Reproduction
(i) Sexual reproduction in flowering plants
Development of male and female gametophytes; outbreeding 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.
(ii) Human Reproduction
Male and female reproductive systems; microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary; gametogenesis – spermatogenesis and oogenesis; menstrual cycle; fertilisation, embryo development upto blastocyst formation, implantation; pregnancy and placenta formation (elementary idea); parturition (elementary idea); lactation (elementary idea).
(iii) 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).
2. Genetics and Evolution
(i) Principles of inheritance and 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; chromosomal theory of inheritance; chromosomes and genes; sex determination – in humans, fruit fly, birds, honey bee and grasshopper; linkage and crossing over; mutation; sex linked inheritance: Mendelian disorders in humans; chromosomal disorders in humans.
(ii) Molecular basis 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; human genome project;
DNA fingerprinting.
(iii) Evolution
Origin of life; biological evolution and evidences for biological evolution (palaeontology, comparative anatomy, embryology and molecular evidences); 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.
3. Biology and Human Welfare
(i) Human Health and Diseases
Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (common cold, dengue, chikungunya, typhoid, pneumonia, amoebiasis, malaria, filariasis, ascariasis, ring worm) and their control; Basic concepts of immunology – vaccines; cancer, HIV and AIDS; Adolescence – drug and alcohol abuse.
(ii) Microbes in Human Welfare
In household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment, energy generation and microbes as biocontrol agents and biofertilisers. Antibiotics.
4. Biotechnology and its Applications
(i) Biotechnology – Principles and processes Genetic Engineering (recombinant DNA technology).
(ii) Biotechnology and its applications
Applications 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 biopatents.
5. Ecology and Environment
(i) Organisms and Populations
Population interactions – mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; population attributes – birth rate and death rate, age distribution.
(ii) Ecosystem
Ecosystems: patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; energy flow; pyramids of number, biomass, energy.
(iii) Biodiversity and its Conservation
Concept of biodiversity; patterns of biodiversity; importance of biodiversity; loss of biodiversity; biodiversity conservation; hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries and Ramsar sites.
ISC Class 12 Subject-Wise Syllabus
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Where can I download the ISC Biology Syllabus for Class 12 in 2023-24?
The entire Syllabus is available via the online links provided in this paper. Extramarks, a well-known online learning platform that delivers high-quality, dependable study materials to help students perform well in Examination, has the latest validated curriculum published by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations.
2. What is the best way to do well on the ISC Biology Board Examination?
Follow your textbook and the dependable Extramarks study material, which covers all your Syllabus topics. To do well in Biology, you must have a thorough understanding of the material to memorise it. Revision Notes are an excellent way to remember concepts. Write your answers in bullet points and provide pictorial/graphical illustrations in the Examination (diagrams, tables, charts, etc.). Last but not the least, have faith in your abilities. All the best to you!
3. Where can I get ISC Biology answers for Class 12?
Biology can be challenging at times, and students want solutions to refer to a specific question or to understand a problem. The solutions assist students in establishing a solid foundation in the subject’s principles. ISC textbooks are the finest publications for Examination preparation. Extramarks Solutions are written in the same academic style as ISC textbooks to be as simple as feasible.
4. What will be covered in ISC Class 12 Biology Unit 5 - Environmental Issues?
Definitions of pollution and pollutants, air pollution and its control, noise pollution: harmful effects and control, agrochemicals, solid waste management, radioactive waste management, climate change and the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, e-waste, waste management, the impact of global warming, the ozone hole, case studies: Chipko Movement, Joint Forest Management, Ahmed Khan of Bangalore’s contribution.
