CUET Biology Syllabus 2023: Check Important Topics, Latest Exam Pattern, Books, and Preparation Strategy Here

Candidates who aspire to continue their education in biology at the undergraduate level must check the CUET Biology syllabus. Check out the latest CUET Biology syllabus and exam pattern here!

CUET Biology Syllabus 2023: The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is conducted for the admission of eligible candidates into all UG programmes in all Central Universities. The CUET syllabus is divided into three parts i.e. Section 1 (Section I A and Section II A Languages), Section 2-Domain, and Section 3-General Test.

Section 2 covers the list of 27 Domains specific subjects, out of which the CUET biology section is one of the domain subjects of the CUET 2023 entrance exam. Aspirants who will opt for biology as their domain need to check the detailed CUET biology syllabus and exam pattern to understand the topics, weightage distribution, and other related factors. As per the previous trend and analysis, the overall difficulty level of this biology question has been found to be moderate. 

In this article, we have discussed the CUET biology syllabus along with the exam pattern, preparation tips, and best books in detail.

CUET Biology Syllabus 2023 PDF

Before applying, candidates can download the official CUET biology syllabus PDF link shared below to know the topics that are important from the exam perspective. Download the CUET biology syllabus in Hindi and English version below:

CUET Biology Syllabus 2023-Unit Wise

Biology is one of the domain subjects in Section 2 of the CUET 2023 exam. However, a candidate can pick any subject out of the 27 domain specific-subjects as desired by the applicable university or universities. Furthermore, the CUET biology syllabus is based on the syllabus for Class 12. Check the unit-wise syllabus in detail below:

Unit I: Reproduction 

• Reproduction in organisms: Reproduction, a characteristic feature of all organisms for continuation of species; Modes of reproduction –Asexual and sexual; A sexual reproduction; Modes- Binary fission, sporulation, budding, gemmule, fragmentation; vegetative propagation in plants. 
• Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: Flower structure; Development of male and female gametophytes; Pollination–types, agencies, and examples; Outbreedings 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; Significance of seed and fruit formation.
• Human Reproduction: Male and female reproductive systems; Microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary; Gametogenesis- spermatogenesis & oogenesis; Menstrual cycle; Fertilisation, embryo development upto blastocyst formation, implantation; Pregnancy and placenta formation (Elementary idea); Parturition (Elementary idea); Lactation (Elementary idea). 
• Reproductive health: Need for reproductive health and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD); 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).

Unit II: Genetics and Evolution 

• 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; Chromosome theory of inheritance; Chromosomesandgenes; Sex determination–Inhumans, birds, honeybee; Linkage and crossing over; Sex-linked inheritance- Haemophilia, Colour blindness; Mendelian disorders in humans– Thalassemia; Chromosomal disorders in humans; Down syndrome, Turner’s and Klinefelter’ssyndromes. 
• 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; Genome and human genome project; DNA fingerprinting.
• Evolution: Origin of life; Biological evolution and evidence for biological evolution (Paleontological, comparative anatomy, embryology, and molecular evidence); Darwin’s contribution, Modern Synthetic theory of Evolution; Mechanism of evolution–Variation(Mutation and Recombination) and natural Selection with examples, types of natural selection; Geneflowandgeneticdirft; Hardy-Weinberg’sprinciple; Adaptive Radiation; Human evolution.

Unit III: Biology and Human Welfare 

• Health and Disease: Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (Malaria, Filariasis, Ascariasis, Typhoid, Pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm); Basic concepts of immunology–vaccines; Cancer, HIV, and AIDs; Adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse. Improvement in food production: Plant breeding, tissue culture, single cell protein, Biofortification; Apiculture and Animal husbandry. 
• Microbes in human welfare: In household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment, energy generation, and as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers.

Unit IV: Biotechnology and Its Applications 

• Principles and process of Biotechnology: Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology). 
• Application of Biotechnology in Health and Agriculture: Human insulin and vaccine production, gene therapy; Genetically modified organisms-Bt crops; transgenic animals; biosafety issues–Biopiracy and patents. 

Unit V: Ecology and Environment 

• Organisms and environment: Habitat and niche; Population and ecological adaptations; Population interactions– mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; Population attributes–growth, birth rate and death rate, age distribution. 
• Ecosystems: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; Energy flow; Pyramids of number, biomass, energy; Nutrient cycling (carbon and phosphorous); Ecological succession; EcologicalServices– Carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen release.
• 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, and sanctuaries. 
• Environmental issues: Air pollution and its control; Water pollution and its control; Agrochemicals and their effects; Solid waste management; Radioactive waste management; Greenhouse effect and global warming; Ozone depletion; Deforestation; Any three case studies as success stories addressing environmental issues.

CUET Biology Exam Pattern 2023

After analysing the syllabus, one should check the CUET biology exam pattern to understand the exam format, weightage distribution, and marking scheme. There shall be one question paper that will have 50 questions, of which 40 need to be attempted. Let’s look at the exam pattern in detail below:

• The section will carry objective-type multiple-choice questions
• As per the CUET Biology marking scheme, 5 marks will be awarded for every correct answer, and there will be a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer in the test.

How do I prepare for CUET Biology?

There are numerous ways to prepare for biology for CUET, but one should follow the approach that aligns the preparation with the exam requirements. Even though the CUET biology syllabus comprises 5 units, you need to prepare each sub-topic in a detailed manner as the syllabus tends to be massive. Here is the list of the best preparation strategies to excel in the CUET biology section.

• Go through the CUET biology syllabus and exam pattern thoroughly before starting the preparation. This will help you to get insights into topics and sub-topics that need to be covered for the entrance exam.
• If you pick up a unit such as Reproduction, cover all the possible sub-topics of the unit prescribed in the syllabus so that you can solve every question asked from this unit.
• Questions asked in biology are both conceptual and theoretical based, you should build a strong grip on the basic concepts. With this, you should also be thorough with the diagrams of Biology as any question can be asked from within the diagrams.
• Pick the NCERTs books to clear the basic concepts and then refer to the other reference books to cover the advanced-level topics.
• Solve previous year’s question papers, CUET sample papers, and mock tests to identify your strong and weak areas. It will also help you revise the entire syllabus and concepts in the last leg of preparation.

Best Books for CUET Biology Syllabus

Candidates should pick the highly recommended CUET Biology books that are based on the latest trends and patterns to prepare well for this section. The right books will help them understand the concepts of all the topics mentioned in the CUET Biology syllabus. The expert-recommended books for the biology sections are shared below:

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