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🇮🇳 ICSE Class 10 · subject
ICSE Class 10 Biology Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Biology examined in ICSE Class 10 — 1 chapter, 5 topics, plus 50 flashcards written against it.
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 ICSE Class 10, not a summary of it.
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ICSE Biology
5 topics- Cell Biology
- Physiology of Plants and Animals
- Reproduction and Genetics
- Ecology
- Health and Hygiene
Biology flashcards for ICSE Class 10
22 of 50 cards from the Biology deck — real questions with worked answers.
Who coined the term 'cell' and in which year?
Robert Hooke, in 1665, while observing thin slices of cork under his microscope.
State the three main points of the cell theory.
1) All living organisms are made of cells, 2) the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life, and 3) all cells arise from pre-existing cells.
What is the key structural difference between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell?
A prokaryotic cell lacks a true (membrane-bound) nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, whereas a eukaryotic cell has a well-defined nucleus enclosed by a nuclear membrane and membrane-bound organelles.
Why are mitochondria called the 'powerhouse of the cell'?
Because they carry out aerobic respiration and release energy stored in food in the form of ATP.
What is the function of ribosomes?
Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis in the cell.
Name three structures present in a plant cell but absent in an animal cell.
Cell wall, chloroplasts (plastids), and a large central vacuole.
Define osmosis.
Osmosis is the movement of solvent (water) molecules from a region of higher water potential (dilute/lower solute) to a region of lower water potential (concentrated/higher solute) through a semi-permeable membrane.
What happens to an animal cell when placed in a hypotonic solution?
Water enters the cell by endosmosis, causing it to swell and possibly burst (haemolysis), as it has no rigid cell wall.
What is plasmolysis?
Plasmolysis is the shrinkage of the protoplasm (cytoplasm) away from the cell wall when a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution and loses water by exosmosis.
Differentiate between diffusion and active transport.
Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules from higher to lower concentration without energy; active transport moves molecules against the concentration gradient and requires energy (ATP).
Write the balanced overall equation for photosynthesis.
6CO2 + 12H2O --(sunlight, chlorophyll)--> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O.
Name the raw materials and products of photosynthesis.
Raw materials: carbon dioxide and water (with sunlight and chlorophyll). Products: glucose and oxygen.
What is transpiration?
Transpiration is the loss of water in the form of water vapour from the aerial parts of a plant, mainly through the stomata of leaves.
State the function of guard cells.
Guard cells surround each stoma and regulate the opening and closing of the stomatal pore, thus controlling gaseous exchange and transpiration.
What is the difference between transport of water and food in plants?
Water and minerals are transported upward through xylem (transpiration pull); food (sucrose) is transported through phloem in all directions by translocation.
Define respiration and write its equation in living cells.
Respiration is the oxidation of food to release energy. Aerobic: C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (ATP).
Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of oxygen, fully oxidises glucose to CO2 and water, releasing a large amount of energy; anaerobic respiration occurs without oxygen, partially breaks down glucose (to lactic acid or alcohol + CO2), releasing little energy.
Name the components of human blood.
Plasma (fluid matrix) plus the formed elements: red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leucocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes).
What is the function of haemoglobin?
Haemoglobin, the red pigment in RBCs, transports oxygen (as oxyhaemoglobin) from the lungs to the tissues and helps carry some carbon dioxide back to the lungs.
Trace the path of blood through the four chambers of the human heart.
Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium, passes to the right ventricle, then to the lungs; oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium, passes to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the body via the aorta.
What is the functional unit of the kidney called and what is its role?
The nephron; it filters blood and forms urine through ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption, and tubular secretion.
Name the parts of a neuron.
Cell body (cyton), dendrites, axon, and nerve endings (axon terminals); the axon may be covered by a myelin sheath.
Planning Biology for ICSE Class 10
Biology is about 9% of the ICSE Class 10 syllabus by topic count — 5 of 53 topics, spread over 1 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 4 hours.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
Biology (ICSE Class 10) FAQ
What is in the ICSE Class 10 Biology syllabus?
Biology is split into 1 chapter — ICSE Biology, containing 5 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How many chapters are there in Biology for ICSE Class 10?
1 chapters. Biology accounts for about 9% of the topics in the whole ICSE Class 10 syllabus (5 of 53).
How long should I spend on Biology for ICSE Class 10?
Budget around 4 hours for a first pass through Biology — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 5 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for ICSE Class 10 Biology?
Yes — a 50-card Biology deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.