Class IX Biology Exam Suggestions

1. Basic Biology

• The Cell:
  • Key Concepts: Cell as the unit of life, protoplasm. Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Differences between animal and plant cells.
  • Important Topics: Cell theory. Structure and functions of various cell organelles (Protoplasm, Cytoplasm, Cell Wall, Cell Membrane, Nucleus, Nucleolus, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ribosome, Golgi bodies, Plastids, Lysosomes, Centrosome, Vacuole). Major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Differences between plant and animal cells focusing on cell wall, centrosome, vacuoles, and plastids.
• Tissues:
  • Key Concepts: Types of plant and animal tissues.
  • Important Topics: Location, basic structure, and functions of plant and animal tissues with examples. Role of tissues in different physiological processes in plants and animals.

2. Flowering Plants

• Flower:
  • Key Concepts: Structure of a bisexual flower, functions of various parts. Complete and incomplete flowers. Essential and non-essential whorls of a bisexual flower (parts and functions). Inflorescence and placentation (meaning only).
• Pollination:
  • Key Concepts: Self and cross-pollination (explanation, advantages, disadvantages). Agents of pollination (insects, wind, water) and characteristic features of flowers pollinated by them. How nature favors cross-pollination.
• Fertilisation:
  • Key Concepts: Events from pollination to fertilization leading to zygote formation in the embryo sac. Double fertilization and triple fusion (brief explanation). Fruit and seed (definition and significance).

3. Plant Physiology

• Seeds and Germination:
  • Key Concepts: Structure of dicot and monocot seeds. Germination of seeds (types, conditions).
  • Important Topics: Structure and germination of Bean seed and Maize grain. Differences between monocot and dicot seeds. Differences between hypogeal and epigeal germination. Conditions for seed germination (explained and supported by experiments).
• Respiration in Plants:
  • Key Concepts: Outline of the process of respiration, gaseous exchange.
  • Important Topics: Glycolysis, Krebs cycle (significance). Aerobic and anaerobic respiration (chemical equations). Experiments on gaseous exchange and heat production.

4. Diversity in Living Organisms

• Five Kingdom Classification:
  • Key Concepts: Outline of the five Kingdom classification.
  • Important Topics: Main characteristics of each kingdom with suitable examples (Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae - Thallophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Spermatophyta, Animalia - non-chordates from Porifera to Echinodermata, and Chordates - all five Classes).
• Economic Importance of Bacteria:
  • Key Concepts: Useful and harmful roles of bacteria.
  • Important Topics: Useful roles (medicine - antibiotics, serums, vaccines; agriculture - nitrogen cycle including nitrogen fixing, nitrifying, denitrifying bacteria; industry - curing of tea, tanning of leather). Harmful roles (spoilage of food, diseases in plants and animals, bio-weapons).
• Economic Importance of Fungi:
  • Key Concepts: Useful roles of fungi.
  • Important Topics: Role of fungi in breweries, bakeries, cheese processing, mushroom cultivation (processes of manufacture not required).

5. Human Anatomy and Physiology

• Nutrition:
  • Key Concepts: Classes of food, balanced diet. Malnutrition and deficiency diseases.
  • Important Topics: Functions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, mineral salts (calcium, iodine, iron, sodium), vitamins, and water. Sources of vitamins, their functions, and deficiency diseases. Meaning and importance of a 'Balanced Diet'. Role of cellulose. Causes, symptoms, and prevention of Kwashiorkor and Marasmus.
• Teeth:
  • Key Concepts: Structure of a tooth, different types of teeth.
  • Important Topics: Structure of a tooth (with diagram). Functions of different types of teeth. Dental formula of an adult.
• Digestive System:
  • Key Concepts: Organs, digestive glands, and their functions (including enzymes, digestion, absorption, assimilation).
  • Important Topics: Organs and glands of the digestive system and their functions. Brief idea of peristalsis.
• Skeleton - Movement and Locomotion:
  • Key Concepts: Functions of human skeleton. Axial and Appendicular Skeleton. Types of joints (immovable, slightly movable, freely movable - hinge, ball and socket, gliding, pivot).
• Skin:
  • Key Concepts: Structure and functions of skin.
  • Important Topics: Various parts of the skin and their functions. Special derivatives (sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hair, nails, mammary glands). Heat regulation (vasodilation, vasoconstriction).
• Respiratory System:
  • Key Concepts: Organs, mechanism of breathing, tissue respiration, heat production.
  • Important Topics: Structures of the respiratory system. Differences between anaerobic respiration in plants and humans. Role of diaphragm and intercostal muscles in breathing. Brief idea of gaseous transport and tissue respiration. Brief understanding of respiratory volumes. Effect of altitude on breathing, asphyxiation, and hypoxia.

6. Health and Hygiene

• Good Health:
  • Key Concepts: Introduction to maintaining good health. Personal hygiene, public hygiene, and sanitation.
• Diseases:
  • Key Concepts: Communicable, non-communicable, endemic, epidemic, pandemic, and sporadic diseases (brief introduction, modes of transmission).
  • Important Topics: Meaning of each disease type with examples. Modes of transmission (air-borne, water-borne, vectors - housefly, mosquito, cockroach).
• Specific Diseases:
  • Key Concepts: Bacterial, Viral, Protozoan, Helminthic diseases (symptoms, control measures).
  • Important Topics: Bacterial (Cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis). Viral (AIDS, Chickenpox, Hepatitis). Protozoan (Malaria, Amoebic Dysentery, Sleeping sickness). Helminthic (Ascariasis, Taeniasis, Filariasis). (Scientific names of causative agents not required).
• Aids to Health:
  • Key Concepts: Active and passive immunity.
  • Important Topics: Meaning of active and passive immunity. Use and action of vaccination, immunization, antitoxin, serum, antiseptics, disinfectants, antibiotics. Local defense system and its merits. Differences between antiseptics and disinfectants.
• Health Organizations:
  • Key Concepts: Red Cross, WHO.
  • Important Topics: Major activities of the Red Cross and WHO.

7. Waste Generation and Management

• Sources of Waste:
  • Key Concepts: Domestic, industrial, agricultural, commercial, and other establishments.
  • Important Topics: Domestic waste (paper, glass, plastic, rags, kitchen waste). Industrial waste (mining, cement, oil refineries, construction). Agricultural waste (plant remains, animal waste, processing waste). Municipal sewage (degradable, non-degradable). E-waste (brief idea).
• Methods of Safe Disposal:
  • Key Concepts: Segregation, dumping, composting, drainage, treatment of effluents, incineration, scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators.
  • Important Topics: Segregation of domestic waste (biodegradable, non-biodegradable). Garden waste to compost. Sewage treatment plants.