ISC Biotechnology Class 11 Syllabus 2025-26

There is one paper of three hours duration divided into two parts. Part 1 (20 marks) consists of compulsory short answer questions, testing knowledge, application and skills relating to elementary/fundamental aspects of the entire syllabus. Part 2 (50 marks) consists of eight questions out of which you are required to answer five questions. Each question in this part carries 10 marks.

1. Introduction to Biotechnology

(i) Historical background; definition; a brief introduction of the traditional and modern techniques of Biotechnology and their applications.

(ii) Scope and importance of biotechnology: different branches of biotechnology and different regulatory guidelines; ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) that a biotechnologist comes across while doing the work. Various organisations in the field of biotechnology.

(iii) Basic concepts of Biochemical technology and biostatistics: What does the biochemical technology mean? An understanding of various statistical methods involved in biotechnology.

2. Cell Biology

(i) Cell: Justification of cell as a basic unit of life. Prokaryotic cell and eukaryotic cell; A brief note on the cell components with
special reference to nucleus. Various cytological techniques used in identifying the cell and chromosomes.

(ii) Cell Division and cell cycle: types of cell divisions and various other activities of cell such as biochemical transformations.

(iii) Errors in cell division: what happens if the cell does not divide normally? An understanding of different numerical and structural abnormalities.

3. Biomolecules and related techniques

(i) Introduction to biomolecules - definition and types. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins and enzymes - their structure and properties.

(ii) Techniques used for separation of biomolecules

4. Developmental Biology and Immunology

(i) Animal and plant development: development of an organism from zygotic cell in both plants and animals.

(ii) An understanding of defence strategies in living organisms.

5. Genetics

(i) Laws of Inheritance: An account of Mendel’s experiments. Different types of genetic inheritance.

(ii) Gene Mapping: mapping of genes on chromosomes using linkage analysis. Cancer and its genetics.

(iii) Genes in populations: how do genes behave in populations from generation to generation? Various ways of studying population genetics.