CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24: Download Revised PDF

CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24: The Central Board of Secondary Education has released the official, revised Biology curriculum for Class 11 students, which is now available for download on www.cbseacademic.nic.in. Biology is a fascinating subject that explores the intricacies of living organisms and their biological processes. For students aspiring to build careers in medicine, pharmacy, life sciences, healthcare, or biotechnology, this syllabus serves as a critical academic roadmap. Furthermore, the Class 11 Biology curriculum establishes the essential foundation for competitive examinations like NEET and AIIMS. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the CBSE Class 11 Biology syllabus for the 2023-24 academic session.

CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24

The primary objective of the updated curriculum is to connect biological concepts to real-world applications, emphasizing advancements in biotechnology and their impact on our environment, health, and agriculture. The total weightage for the CBSE Class 11 Biology course is 100 marks, divided into 70 marks for the theory paper and 30 marks for practical assessments. The syllabus is structured across 5 core units; please refer to the detailed breakdown provided below.

CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24
S.No.	Title	Marks
I.	Diversity of Living Organisms	15
II.	Structural Organization in Plants and Animals	10
III.	Cell: Structure and Function	15
IV.	Plant Physiology	12
V.	Human Physiology	18
Total		70
Practical Work		30
Grand Total		100

CBSE 11th Biology Syllabus 2023-24 (In detail)

Students are strongly encouraged to review the syllabus thoroughly to streamline their study schedule and improve their board exam preparation. Familiarizing yourself with the revised CBSE Class 11 Biology Syllabus 2023-24 is essential for approaching your final exams with confidence. The following list outlines the chapters included in each unit for your reference.

Unit-I Diversity of Living Organisms

Chapter-1: The Living World 

• Biodiversity
• Need for classification; three domains of life;
• Taxonomy and systematics;
• The concept of species and taxonomical hierarchy;
• Binomial nomenclature

Chapter-2: Biological Classification 

• Five kingdom classification;
• Salient features and classification of Monera, Protista, and Fungi into major groups; Lichens, Viruses, and Viroids.

Chapter-3: Plant Kingdom 

• Classification of plants into major groups;
• Salient and distinguishing features
• Few examples of Algae, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae (Topics excluded – Angiosperms, Plant Life Cycle, and Alternation of Generations)

Chapter-4: Animal Kingdom 

• Salient features and classification of animals,
• Non-chordates up to phyla level and chordates up to class level (salient features and at a few examples of each category). (No live animals or specimens should be displayed.)

Unit-II Structural Organization in Animals and Plant

Chapter-5: Morphology of Flowering Plants 

• Morphology of different parts of flowering plants: root, stem, leaf, inflorescence, flower, fruit, and seed.
• Description of family Solanaceae

Chapter-6: Anatomy of Flowering Plants 

• Anatomy and functions of tissue systems in dicots and monocots.

Chapter-7: Structural Organisation in Animals 

• Morphology, Anatomy, and functions of different systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, and reproductive) of the frog.

Unit-III Cell: Structure and Function 

Chapter-8: Cell-The Unit of Life 

• Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life, structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells;
• Plant cell and animal cell;
• Cell envelope;
• Cell membrane, cell wall;
• Cell organelles - structure and function;
• Endomembrane system,
• The endoplasmic reticulum,
• Golgi bodies,
• Lysosomes, vacuoles,
• Mitochondria,
• Ribosomes,
• Plastids,
• Microbodies;
• Cytoskeleton,
• Cilia, flagella,
• Centrioles (ultrastructure and function);
• Nucleus.

Chapter-9: Biomolecules 

• Chemical constituents of living cells: biomolecules, structure, and function of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids;
• Enzyme - types, properties, enzyme action. (Topics excluded: Nature of Bond Linking Monomers in a Polymer, Dynamic State of Body Constituents – Concept of Metabolism, Metabolic Basis of Living, The Living State)

Chapter-10: Cell Cycle and Cell Division 

• Cell Cycle
• Cell Division Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, and their significance

Unit-IV Plant Physiology 

Chapter-13: Photosynthesis in Higher Plants 

• Photosynthesis as a means of autotrophic nutrition;
• Site of photosynthesis, pigments involved in photosynthesis (elementary idea);
• Photochemical and biosynthetic phases of photosynthesis;
• Cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation;
• Chemiosmotic hypothesis; photorespiration;
• C3 and C4 pathways;
• Factors affecting photosynthesis.

Chapter-14: Respiration in Plants 

• Exchange of gases;
• Cellular respiration - glycolysis, fermentation (anaerobic), TCA cycle, and electron transport system (aerobic);
• Energy relations - number of ATP molecules generated; amphibolic pathways;
• Respiratory quotient.

Chapter-15: Plant - Growth and Development 

• Seed germination;
• Phases of plant growth and plant growth rate;
• Conditions of growth;
• Differentiation, differentiation, and redifferentiation;
• The sequence of developmental processes in a plant cell;
• Growth regulators - auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA;

Unit-V Human Physiology

Chapter-17: Breathing and Exchange of Gases 

• Respiratory organs in animals (recall only);
• Respiratory system in humans; mechanism of breathing and its regulation in humans - exchange of gases, transport of gases and regulation of respiration, respiratory volume;
• Disorders related to respiration - asthma, emphysema, occupational respiratory disorders.

Chapter-18: Body Fluids and Circulation 

• Composition of the blood, blood groups, coagulation of blood;
• Composition of lymph and its function;
• Human circulatory system - Structure of human heart and blood vessels;
• Cardiac cycle, cardiac output,
• ECG;
• Double circulation;
• Regulation of cardiac activity;
• Disorders of the circulatory system - hypertension, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, heart failure.

Chapter-19: Excretory Products and their Elimination

• Modes of excretion - ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism;
• Human excretory system –structure and function;
• Urine formation, osmoregulation;
• Regulation of kidney function - renin-angiotensin, atrial natriuretic factor, ADH, and diabetes insipidus;
• Role of other organs in excretion;
• Disorders - uremia, renal failure, renal calculi, nephritis;
• Dialysis and artificial kidney, a kidney transplant.

Chapter-20: Locomotion and Movement

• Types of movement - ciliary, flagellar, muscular; skeletal muscle, contractile proteins, and muscle contraction;
• Skeletal system and its functions;
• Joints;
• Disorders of muscular and skeletal systems - myasthenia gravis, tetany, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, osteoporosis, gout.

Chapter-21: Neural Control and Coordination

• Neuron and nerves;
• The nervous system in humans - central nervous system; the peripheral nervous system and the visceral nervous system;
• Generation and conduction of nerve impulse

Chapter-22: Chemical Coordination and Integration

• Endocrine glands and hormones;
• Human endocrine system - hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, gonads;
• Mechanism of hormone action (elementary idea);
• Role of hormones as messengers and regulators, hypo - and hyperactivity
• Related disorders; Dwarfism, acromegaly, cretinism, goiter, exophthalmic goiter, diabetes, and Addison's disease.

Practicals Works

Practicals
Evaluation Scheme	Marks
One Major Experiment Part A (Experiment No- 1,3,7,8)	5
One Minor Experiment Part A (Experiment No- 6,9,10,11,12,13)	4
Slide Preparation Part A (Experiment No- 2,4,5)	5
Spotting Part B	7
Practical Record + Viva Voce	4
Project Record + Viva Voce	5
Total	30 Marks

A: List of Experiments 

1. Study and describe locally available common flowering plants, from the family Solanaceae (Poaceae, Asteraceae, or Brassicaceae can be substituted in case of particular geographical location) including dissection and display of floral whorls, anther, and ovary to show the number of chambers (floral formulae and floral diagrams), type of root (tap and adventitious); type of stem (herbaceous and woody); leaf (arrangement, shape, venation, simple and compound)
2. Preparation and study of T.S. of dicot and monocot roots and stems (primary).
3. Study of osmosis by potato osmometer.
4. Study of plasmolysis in epidermal peels (e.g. Rhoeo/lily leaves or flashy scale leaves of onion bulb).
5. Study of distribution of stomata on the upper and lower surfaces of leaves.
6. Comparative study of the rates of transpiration in the upper and lower surfaces of leaves.
7. Test for the presence of sugar, starch, proteins, and fats in suitable plant and animal materials.
8. Separation of plant pigments through paper chromatography.
9. Study of the rate of respiration in flower buds/leaf tissue and germinating seeds.
10. Test for the presence of urea in urine.
11. Test for the presence of sugar in the urine.
12. Test for the presence of albumin in the urine.
13. Test for the presence of bile salts in urine.

B. Study and Observe the following (spotting)

1. Parts of a compound microscope.
2. Specimens/slides/models and identification with reasons - Bacteria, Oscillatoria, Spirogyra, Rhizopus, mushroom, yeast, liverwort, moss, fern, pine, one monocotyledonous plant, one dicotyledonous plant, and one lichen.
3. Virtual specimens/slides/models and identifying features of - Amoeba, Hydra, liver fluke, Ascaris, leech, earthworm, prawn, silkworm, honey bee, snail, starfish, shark, rohu, frog, lizard, pigeon, and rabbit.
4. Mitosis in onion root tip cells and animal cells (grasshopper) from permanent slides.
5. Different types of inflorescence (cymose and racemose).
6. Human skeleton and different types of joints with the help of virtual images/models only

Prescribed Books

1. Biology Class-XI, Published by NCERT
2. Other related books and manuals brought out by NCERT (consider multimedia also)