Botany Syllabus for NEET Preparation

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET-UG, is an all-India pre-medical exam for students who choose a medical or dental degree for their undergraduation. There were a record-breaking 20.8 lakh applications for NEET-UG for 1.4 lakh seats in India in 2023. To clear NEET, aspirants must appear in three subjects - Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (divided into Botany and Zoology). In this article, let's look at the Botany syllabus for NEET.

NEET Botany Syllabus - Chapter Wise Weightage

The National Testing Agency or NTA has divided Biology into two categories - Botany and Zoology. 

Botany is a field that talks about plants and related things. Zoology, on the other hand, is about animals. Let’s look at the NEET Botany syllabus for your understanding. You can keep the NEET Botany syllabus handy while beginning your NEET preparations for your ease

The below tables discuss the Botany chapters for the NEET syllabus from Grade XI and XII. There will be 45 questions in the Botany section of the NEET exam, and they will consist of 180 marks.

Remember that the chapters' weightage is per the weightage allotted for the 2023 NEET exam. This weightage is mentioned for your understanding. It will help you know which chapters have the maximum questions or marks in the NEET Botany section.

Important Topics from NEET Botany Syllabus

Preparing for NEET is challenging, but knowing the important  topics is an excellent way for efficient preparation. Below is the list of Botany's important chapters for NEET and the  topics included under them. 

Chapter 1 - Diversity in Living World

• What is living?; Biodiversity; Three domains of life; Need for classification; Concept of species and taxonomic hierarchy; Taxonomy & Systematics; Tools for study of Taxonomy – Museums, Herbaria, Zoos, Botanical Gardens; Binomial nomenclature.
• Five kingdom classifications; salient features & classification of Monera; Protista & Fungi into major groups; Viruses and Viroids; Lichens.
• Salient features & classification of plants into major groups- Algae, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, & Angiosperms (three to five salient & distinguishing features & minimum of two examples of each category); Angiosperms classification up to characteristic features, class, & examples).

Chapter 2 - Structural Organization in Animals and Plants

• Morphology & modifications; Tissues; Anatomy & functions of different parts of flowering plants: Stem, Root, leaf, inflorescence- cymose & racemose, flower, fruit, & seed (To be dealt with along with the necessary Practical Syllabus).

Chapter 3 - Cell Structure and Function

• Structure of prokaryotic & eukaryotic cell; Cell theory & cell as the basic unit of life; Cell envelope, Plant cell; cell membrane, cell wall; Cell organelles-structure & function; mitochondria, ribosomes, plastids, microbodies; Cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, centrioles (ultrastructure & function); Endomembrane system-endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies, lysosomes, vacuoles; Nucleus-nuclear membrane, nucleolus, chromatin.
• Chemical constituents of living cells: Biomolecules-structure & function of proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids; Enzymes-types, enzyme action, properties.
• B Cell division: Cell cycle, meiosis, mitosis, and their significance.

Chapter 4 - Plant Physiology

• Transport in plants: Movement of water, gasses, & nutrients; Cell to cell transport-Facilitated Diffusion, diffusion, active transport; Long distance transport of water – Apoplast, absorption, symplast, transpiration pull, root pressure & guttation; Plant–water relations – Imbibition, water potential, osmosis, plasmolysis; Transpiration-Opening & closing of stomata; Uptake & translocation of mineral nutrients-Transport of food, phloem transport, Mass flow hypothesis; Diffusion of gasses.
• Mineral nutrition: Nitrogen metabolism-Nitrogen cycle, biological nitrogen fixation; Mineral toxicity; Elementary idea of Hydroponics to study mineral nutrition; Essential minerals, micronutrients, and macro & their role; Deficiency symptoms.
• Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis as Autotrophic nutrition; Site of photosynthesis; pigments involved in Photosynthesis (Elementary idea); Photochemical & biosynthetic phases of photosynthesis; Cyclic & non-cyclic & photophosphorylation; Chemiosmotic hypothesis; Photorespiration C3 & C4 pathways; Factors affecting photosynthesis.
• Respiration: Exchange gasses; Cellular respiration-glycolysis, fermentation (anaerobic); Energy relations- Number of ATP molecules generated; TCA cycle & electron transport system (aerobic); Respiratory quotient; Amphibolic pathways.
• Plant growth & development: Seed germination; Conditions of growth; Phases of Plant growth & plant growth rate; Sequence of developmental process in a plant cell; Differentiation, dedifferentiation, & redifferentiation; Growth regulators-auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA; Seed dormancy; Vernalisation; Photoperiodism.

Chapter 1 - Reproduction

• Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: Flower structure; Outbreeding devices; Development of male & female gametophytes; Pollen-Pistil interaction; Pollination-types, agencies, & examples; Significance of seed & fruit formation; Post fertilization events- Development of embryo & endosperm, development of seed & formation of fruit; Double fertilization; Special modes-apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony.
• Reproduction in organisms: Reproduction; Modes of reproduction – Asexual & sexual; Asexual reproduction; Modes-Binary fission, sporulation, budding, gemmule, fragmentation; vegetative propagation in plants.

Chapter 2 - Genetics and Evolution

• Molecular basis of Inheritance: Structure of DNA and RNA; Search for genetic material and DNA as genetic material; DNA packaging; Central dogma; Transcription, DNA replication; Gene expression and regulation- Lac Operon; genetic code, translation; DNA fingerprinting; Genome and human genome project.

Chapter 3 - Biology and Human Welfare

• Improvement in food production; Tissue culture, plant breeding, single cell protein.

Chapter 4 - Biotechnology & Its Applications

• Principles & process of Biotechnology: Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology).

Chapter 5 - Ecology and Environment

• Biodiversity & its conservation: Patterns of Biodiversity; Concept of Biodiversity; Importance of Biodiversity; Biodiversity conservation; Loss of Biodiversity; Hotspots, extinction, endangered organisms, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, Sanctuaries and National parks.
• Environmental issues: Air pollution & its control; Water pollution & 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.
• Ecosystem: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; Energy flow; Pyramids of number, biomass, energy; Nutrient cycling (carbon and phosphorous); Ecological succession; Ecological Services-Carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen release. 

Conclusion

NEET exam is of importance to every candidate who wishes to take MBBS or BDS courses in the future. Without clearing NEET, candidates will not be eligible to apply for their respective courses abroad or practice medicine in India. 

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