CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus

Biology syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Biology in CBSE Class 11, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Diversity in Living World

   4 topics

   • What is Living?
   • Diversity in the Living World
   • Taxonomic Categories
   • Taxonomical Aids
2. 2

   Structural Organisation in Animals and Plants

   3 topics

   • Morphology of Flowering Plants
   • Anatomy of Flowering Plants
   • Structural Organisation in Animals
3. 3

   Cell Structure and Function

   5 topics

   • Cell Theory
   • Overview of Cell
   • Cell Wall
   • Cell Organelles
   • Cell Division
4. 4

   Plant Physiology

   5 topics

   • Transport in Plants
   • Mineral Nutrition
   • Photosynthesis in Higher Plants
   • Respiration in Plants
   • Plant Growth and Development
5. 5

   Human Physiology

   7 topics

   • Digestion and Absorption
   • Breathing and Exchange of Gases
   • Body Fluids and Circulation
   • Excretory Products and their Elimination
   • Locomotion and Movement
   • Neural Control and Coordination
   • Chemical Coordination and Integration

Biology flashcards for CBSE Class 11

22 of 73 cards from the Biology deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the two defining metabolic/biological properties that all living organisms share?

   Metabolism (the sum of all chemical reactions occurring in the body, all of which produce molecules and reactions that do not occur outside the body) and self-consciousness/cellular organisation with the capacity for self-replication, growth, development and response to stimuli. The most defining property of living organisms is self-replication (reproduction) and metabolism; consciousness is regarded as the defining property of higher organisms and humans.

2. Why is growth NOT considered a defining property of living organisms?

   Because non-living things (like mountains, crystals, sand mounds) also grow by accumulation of material on the outside, whereas living organisms grow from the inside by cell division. Also, dead organisms do not grow. Hence growth is not a reliable defining feature of life.

3. Define metabolism and state why it is the defining feature of all living organisms.

   Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions (anabolic + catabolic) occurring in the body. It is the defining feature because no non-living object exhibits metabolism, and all living organisms — even isolated cells — show metabolic reactions. Cellular organisation is the defining feature of life forms.

4. What is biodiversity, and roughly how many species have been described so far?

   Biodiversity is the number and types of organisms present on earth. About 1.7–1.8 million species have been described and named so far, though the actual number is far larger.

5. What is binomial nomenclature, who proposed it, and what are its components?

   Binomial nomenclature is the scientific naming system giving each organism a two-part Latinised name: the genus (generic name) followed by the species (specific epithet). It was proposed by Carolus Linnaeus. Example: Mangifera indica (mango).

6. List the universal rules of biological (scientific) nomenclature.

   Names are Latin/Latinised and written in italics; the first word (genus) starts with a capital letter while the species name is in lowercase; when handwritten both words are separately underlined; and the author's name (abbreviated) is written after the species name in roman (e.g. Mangifera indica Linn.).

7. List the taxonomic categories (hierarchy) from largest to smallest.

   Kingdom → Phylum (Division in plants) → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species. As we move from species to kingdom, the number of common characters decreases and the number of organisms increases.

8. What is a species in taxonomy, and how is it the basic unit of classification?

   A species is a group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, and is distinguishable from other closely related species by morphological differences. It is the lowest and basic taxonomic category. Example: in Panthera leo, leo is the species.

9. Name the four major taxonomical aids used by biologists and their purposes.

   Herbarium (collection of dried, pressed, preserved plant specimens on sheets), Botanical Gardens (living plant collections for reference), Museums (preserved plant/animal specimens), and Zoological Parks/Zoos (live wild animals). Keys (taxonomic keys) and monographs/flora/manuals are also taxonomical aids for identification.

10. What is a herbarium and what label information must each herbarium sheet carry?

    A herbarium is a store house of collected plant specimens that are dried, pressed and preserved on sheets, arranged according to a universally accepted system of classification. Each sheet bears a label providing the date and place of collection, English/local/botanical names, family, collector's name, etc.

11. Name the parts of a typical flowering plant's root system and the two main root types.

    The root system includes the primary root and its branches. The two main types are the tap root system (one main primary root with lateral branches, e.g. dicots like mustard) and the fibrous root system (cluster of thin roots from the base of the stem, e.g. monocots like wheat). Some plants have adventitious roots (e.g. grass, banyan).

12. Differentiate racemose and cymose inflorescence.

    In a racemose inflorescence the main axis continues to grow and flowers are borne laterally in acropetal succession (oldest at base, youngest at top). In a cymose inflorescence the main axis terminates in a flower, growth is limited, and flowers are borne in basipetal order (oldest at top/centre).

13. Define aestivation and name its four types in a flower.

    Aestivation is the mode of arrangement of sepals or petals in a floral bud with respect to other members of the same whorl. The four types are: valvate, twisted, imbricate, and vexillary.

14. What is placentation? Name its main types.

    Placentation is the arrangement of ovules within the ovary. Types are: marginal, axile, parietal, basal, central, and free central.

15. What are the components of the four floral whorls of a flower?

    Calyx (sepals), Corolla (petals), Androecium (stamens — the male reproductive whorl), and Gynoecium/Pistil (carpels — the female reproductive whorl). Calyx and corolla are accessory (non-essential) whorls; androecium and gynoecium are essential reproductive whorls.

16. Name the three tissue systems in flowering plants and what each comprises.

    Epidermal tissue system (epidermis, stomata, trichomes, root hairs), Ground tissue system (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma — cortex, pith, etc.), and Vascular tissue system (xylem and phloem).

17. Differentiate xylem and phloem in structure and function.

    Xylem conducts water and minerals upward from roots to other parts and provides mechanical support; its elements are tracheids, vessels, xylem fibres and xylem parenchyma (mostly dead). Phloem translocates food (sugars) bidirectionally; its elements are sieve tube elements, companion cells, phloem fibres and phloem parenchyma (mostly living).

18. Differentiate dicot and monocot stem anatomy regarding vascular bundles.

    In a dicot stem the vascular bundles are conjoint, open (with cambium), arranged in a ring, and few in number. In a monocot stem the vascular bundles are conjoint, closed (no cambium), scattered throughout the ground tissue, and numerous, each surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath.

19. Name the four basic types of animal tissues.

    Epithelial tissue (covering/lining and glandular), Connective tissue (e.g. blood, bone, cartilage, adipose, areolar), Muscular tissue (skeletal, smooth, cardiac), and Neural (nervous) tissue.

20. State the postulates of the Cell Theory and who formulated it.

    The cell theory was given by Schleiden (plants) and Schwann (animals) and later expanded by Rudolf Virchow. Postulates: (1) all living organisms are composed of cells and products of cells; (2) the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life; (3) all cells arise from pre-existing cells (Omnis cellula-e cellula, Virchow).

21. Differentiate prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

    Prokaryotic cells (bacteria, cyanobacteria, mycoplasma, PPLO) lack a true membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; their genetic material is a single naked circular DNA (nucleoid) and ribosomes are 70S. Eukaryotic cells have a true membrane-bound nucleus, membrane-bound organelles, linear DNA with histones, and 80S ribosomes (70S in their organelles).

22. Describe the structure and chemical composition of the bacterial cell wall.

    The bacterial cell wall is made of peptidoglycan (murein). Based on cell wall composition, bacteria are classified by Gram staining into Gram-positive (thick peptidoglycan, retain crystal violet) and Gram-negative (thin peptidoglycan with an outer lipopolysaccharide membrane). The cell wall gives shape, structural support, and prevents bursting/lysis.

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