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🇮🇳 ICSE Class 9 · subject
ICSE Class 9 Biology Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Biology examined in ICSE Class 9 — 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 9, not a summary of it.
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ICSE Class 9 Biology
5 topics- Cell - The Unit of Life
- Tissues
- The Flower
- Pollination and Fertilization
- Seeds: Structure and Germination
Biology flashcards for ICSE Class 9
22 of 50 cards from the Biology deck — real questions with worked answers.
Who first discovered cells, and in what material?
Robert Hooke (1665), in a thin slice of cork, where he saw box-like compartments he called 'cells'.
What is the cell theory, and who proposed it?
Proposed by Schleiden and Schwann (1838-39): all living organisms are made of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells (added by Rudolf Virchow).
State the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Prokaryotic cells lack a true (membrane-bound) nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus enclosed by a nuclear membrane and possess membrane-bound organelles.
List three structures present in a plant cell but absent in an animal cell.
Cell wall, large central vacuole, and plastids (e.g., chloroplasts).
What is the chemical composition and function of the plant cell wall?
Made mainly of cellulose; it gives the cell rigidity, shape, and protection, and is fully permeable.
What is the cell membrane (plasma membrane) made of and what is its key property?
Made of lipids and proteins; it is selectively (semi-) permeable, controlling the entry and exit of substances.
Why is the mitochondrion called the 'powerhouse of the cell'?
It is the site of aerobic respiration, releasing energy stored as ATP for cellular activities.
What is the function of ribosomes?
They are the sites of protein synthesis.
Distinguish between rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
Rough ER bears ribosomes and helps in protein synthesis/transport; smooth ER lacks ribosomes and synthesizes lipids and steroids.
What is the main function of the Golgi apparatus (Golgi body)?
Packaging, modification, and secretion of substances such as proteins and lipids; it also forms lysosomes.
Why are lysosomes called 'suicide bags' of the cell?
They contain digestive (hydrolytic) enzymes that can digest worn-out cell parts and, if the cell is damaged, can burst to digest the entire cell.
What pigment do chloroplasts contain and what process do they carry out?
They contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis.
What is the function of vacuoles in plant cells?
The large central vacuole stores cell sap, maintains turgidity (turgor pressure), and stores water, food, and waste.
What is the nucleus and what does it contain?
The control centre of the cell; bounded by a nuclear membrane, it contains chromatin (DNA), one or more nucleoli, and controls all cell activities and heredity.
What is the difference between chromatin and chromosomes?
Chromatin is the loose network of DNA and protein in a non-dividing nucleus; during cell division it condenses into thread-like chromosomes.
What is protoplasm, and what are its two main parts?
Protoplasm is the living substance of a cell; its two parts are the cytoplasm (jelly-like matrix outside the nucleus) and the nucleoplasm (inside the nucleus).
Define a tissue.
A tissue is a group of similar cells, having a common origin, that work together to perform a specific function.
Name the two broad types of plant tissues.
Meristematic (dividing) tissue and permanent (non-dividing) tissue.
What is meristematic tissue and where is it found?
Tissue of actively dividing cells responsible for growth; found at root tips and shoot tips (apical), in the cambium (lateral), and at the base of leaves/internodes (intercalary).
Classify meristematic tissue based on position.
Apical meristem (tips of roots and shoots - growth in length), lateral meristem/cambium (girth/thickness), and intercalary meristem (at internode bases - length).
Name the three types of simple permanent tissue in plants.
Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma.
What is parenchyma and its function?
Simple living tissue of thin-walled, loosely packed cells; functions in storage, photosynthesis (chlorenchyma), and buoyancy (aerenchyma).
Planning Biology for ICSE Class 9
Biology is about 10% of the ICSE Class 9 syllabus by topic count — 5 of 49 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 9) FAQ
What is in the ICSE Class 9 Biology syllabus?
Biology is split into 1 chapter — ICSE Class 9 Biology, containing 5 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How many chapters are there in Biology for ICSE Class 9?
1 chapters. Biology accounts for about 10% of the topics in the whole ICSE Class 9 syllabus (5 of 49).
How long should I spend on Biology for ICSE Class 9?
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 9 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.