Biology Syllabus for JAMB UTME

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UTME Biology Syllabus for JAMB Syllabus for JAMB UTME Subjects Links

New free Biology Syllabus for JAMB UTME Entrance Examination into Tertiary Institutions from Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO) available free download PDF-Schemeofwork.com

Comprehensive Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Tutorial Syllabus for Biology.

UTME Biology Syllabus for JAMB

It cover the official UTME syllabus topics for Biology twenty-two (22) weeks tutorials plan. It provides the teachers/tutors with a comprehensive approach to covering the UTME curriculum and yet comprehensible topic outlines for the students. It enhances quality teaching for tutors and provides an all-inclusive learning scope and excellence-oriented drift for students.

WEEK	SESSION TOPICS CONTENTS	OBJECTIVES
WEEK 1	LIVING ORGANISMS Characteristics Cell structure and functions of cell Components Level of organization Cell e.g. Amoeba, cheek cell Tissue, e.g. epithelial tissues Organ, e.g. leaf and heart Systems, e.g. reproductive Organisms e.g. Chlamydomonas Evolution among the following: MONERA (PROKARYOTES) e.g. bacteria and blue green algae. PROTISTA (PROTOZOANS AND PROTOPHYTA) e.g. Amoeba, Euglena and Paramecium FUNGI e.g. mushroom and Rhizopus.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* differentiate between the characteristics of living and non-living things; identify the cell structures; analyse the functions of the components of plants and animal cells; compare and contrast the structure of plant and animal cells; trace the levels of organization among organisms in their logical sequence in relation to the five kingdom classification of living organisms. analyse external features and characteristics of the listed organisms: apply the knowledge from (i) above to demonstrate increase in structural complexity; trace the stages in the life histories of the listed organisms;
WEEK 2 OCT. 14TH- OCT. 18TH	PLANTAE (PLANTS) Thallophyta (e.g. Spirogyra) Bryophyta (mosses and liveworts) e.g. Bryachymenium and Merchantia. Pteridophyta (ferns) e.g. Dryopteris. Spermatophyta (Gymnospermae and Angiospermae) Gymnosperms e.g. Cycads and conifers.Angiosperms (monocots, e.g. maize; dicots, e.g. water leaf) ANIMALIA (ANIMALS) I. INVERTEBRATES – coelenterate (e.g. Hydra)	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* analyse external features and characteristics of the listed organisms: apply the knowledge from (i) above to demonstrate increase in structural complexity; trace the stages in the life histories of the listed organisms; apply the knowledge of the life histories to demonstrate gradual transition from life in water to life on land; trace the evolution of the listed plants. i. trace the evolution of the invertebrate animals; ii. determine the economic importance of the insects studied; iii. asses their values to the environment;

	Platyhelminthes (flatworms) e.g. Taenia – Nematoda (roundworms)Annelida (e.g. earthworm)Arthropoda (insects) e.g. Millipedes, ticks, mosquito, cockroach, housefly, bee, butterflyMollusca (e.g. snails) II. MULTICELLULAR ANIMALS (VERTEBRATES) pisces (cartilaginous and bony fish)Amphibia (e.g. toads and frogs)Reptilia (e.g. lizards, snakes and turtles)Aves (birds)Mammalia (mammals)	trace the evolution of multi-cellular animals; determine their economic importance.
WEEK 3	STRUCTURAL/BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATIONS OF	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. describe how the various structures and behaviour adapt these organisms to their environment; i. identify the transverse sections of these organs; ii. relate the structure of these organs to their functions. Candidates should be able to: i. examine the arrangement of the mammalian internal organs; ii. describe the appearance and position of the digestive, reproductive and excretory organs.
	VERTEBRATES
	Structural/behavioural adaptations of vertebrates (bony fish, toad,
	lizard, bird, small mammal) to the environment.


	INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A FLOWERING PLANT
	i. Root
	ii. Stem
	iii. Leaf
	b. Internal structure of a mammal
WEEK 4	NUTRITION a. Modes of nutrition AutotrophicHeterotrophicTypes of nutrition	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* compare the photosynthetic and chemosynthetic modes of nutrition;provide examples from both flowering and non- flowering plants;compare autotropic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition.differentiate the following examples: – holozoic (sheep and man) – Parasitic (roundworm, tapeworm and Loranthus) – saprophytic (Rhizopus and mushroom) – carnivorous plants (sundew and bladderwort) – determine their nutritional value.
	b. PLANT NUTRITION
	i. Photosynthesis	i. analyse the light and dark reactions, materials and conditions necessary for photosynthesis; ii. determine the necessity of light, carbon (IV) oxide and chlorophyll in photosynthesis; iii. detect the presence of starch in a leaf as an evidence of photosynthesis.
	ii. Mineral requirements (macro and micro-nutrients)	i. identify macro-and micro-elements required by plants; ii. determine the deficiency symptoms of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium

WEEK 5	ANIMAL NUTRITION Classes of food substances; carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins, mineral salts and water Food tests (e.g. starch, reducing sugar, protein, oil, fat etc. The mammalian tooth (structures, types and functions) Mammalian alimentary canal Nutrition process (ingestion, digestion, absorption, and assimilation of digested food.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. indicate the sources of the various classes of food; ii. relate the importance of each class; iii. determine the importance of a balanced diet. students should be able to detect the presence of the listed food items from the result of a given experiment. i. describe the structure of a typical mammalian tooth; ii. differentiate the types of mammalian tooth and relate their structures to their functions. iii. compare the dental formulae of man, sheep, and dog. i. relate the structure of the various components of the alimentary canal and its accessory organs (liver, pancreas, and gall bladder) to their functions. identify the general characteristics of digestive enzymes;associate enzymes with digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats; iii. determine the end products of these classes of food.
WEEK 6	TRANSPORT Need for transportation Materials for transportation. Excretory products, gases, manufactured food, digested food, nutrient, water and hormones) Channels for transportation i. Mammalian circulatory system (heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries) ii Plant vascular system (phloem and xylem) d. Media and processes of mechanism for transportation.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. determine the relationship between increase in size and complexity and the need for the development of a transport system. i. determine the sources of materials and the forms in which they are transported. i. describe the general circulatory system; ii. compare specific functions of the hepatic portal vein, the pulmonary vein and artery, aorta, the renal artery and vein i. identify the organs of the plant vascular system; ii. compare the specific functions of the phloem and xylem i. identify media of transportation (e.g. cytoplasm, cell sap, body fluid, blood and lymph); ii. determine the composition of blood and lymph; iii. describe diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis and turgidity as mechanism of transportation in organisms; iv. compare the various mechanisms of open circulatory systems, transpiration pull, root pressure and active transport as mechanism of transportation in plants.
WEEK 7	RESPIRATION Respiration Respiratory organs and surfaces The mechanism of gaseous exchange in: PlantsMammals	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. examine the significance of respiration; ii. describe the process of glycolysis; iii. compare the similarities of the process in plants and animals; iv. deduce from an experimental set up, gaseous exchange and products, exchange and production of heat energy during respiration. i. describe the following respiratory organs and surfaces with organisms in which they occur; body surface, gill, trachea, lungs, stomata and lenticels; ii. relate the characteristics of the respiratory surfaces listed above to their functions. i. describe the mechanism for the opening and closing of the stomata; ii. determine respiratory movements in these animals.

	c. Aerobic respiration d. Anaerobic respiration	iii. examine the role of oxygen in the liberation of energy for the activities of the living organisms; iv. deduce the effect of insufficient supply of oxygen to the muscles. i. use yeast cells and sugar solution to demonstrate the process of fermentation; ii. asses the economic importance of yeasts;
WEEK 8	EXCRETION Types of excretory structures: contractile vacuole, flamecell, nephridium, Malpighian tubule, kidney, stoma and lenticel. Excretory mechanisms: Kidneyslungsskin c. Excretory products of plants	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. Interpret the meaning and significance of excretion; ii. identify the characteristics of each structure. i. relate the structure of the kidneys to the excretory and osmo-regulatory functions. . identify the functions and excretory products of the lungs and the skin. i. deduce the economic importance of the excretory products of plants, carbon (IV) oxide, tannins, resins, gums, mucilage, alkaloids etc.
WEEK 9	SUPPORT AND MOVEMENT Supporting tissues in plants Tropic, tactic, nastic and sleep movements in plants supporting tissues in animals Types and functions of the skeleton Exoskeleton Endoskeleton Functions of the skeleton in animals	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. determine the need for support and movement in organisms; ii. identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres); iii. describe the distribution of supporting tissues in roots, stem, and leaf. i. relate the response of plants to the stimuli of light, water, gravity and touch; ii. identify the regions of growth in roots and shoots and the roles of auxins in tropism. relate the location of chitin, cartilage and bone to their supporting function; relate the structure and the general layout of the mammalian skeleton to their supportive, locomotive and respiratory function; iii. differentiate types of joints using appropriate examples. i. apply the protective, supportive, locomotive and respiratory functions of the skeleton to the wellbeing of the animal;
WEEK 10	REPRODUCTION	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. differentiate between asexual and sexual reproduction; ii. apply natural vegetative propagation in crop production and multiplication; iii. apply grafting, budding and layering in agricultural practices. relate parts of flower to their functions and reproductive process;deduce the advantages of cross pollination;
	a. A sexual reproduction
	Fission as in ParameciumBudding as in yeastNatural vegetative propagationArtificial vegetative propagation.
	b. sexual reproduction in flowering plants
	i. Floral parts and their functions
	ii. Pollination and fertilization

	iii. FRUITS :- products of sexual reproduction	iii. deduce the different types of placentation that develop into simple, aggregate, multiple and succulent fruits.
WEEK 11	REPRODUCTION IN MAMMALS	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to*
	i. structures and functions of the male and female reproductive	*know how to;* i. differentiate between male and female reproductive
	organs	organs; ii. relate their structure and function to the
		production of offspring.
	ii. Fertilization and development. (Fusion of gamates)	i. describe the fusion of gametes as a process of
		fertilization; ii. relate the effects of the mother’s health,
		nutrition and indiscriminate use of drugs on the developmental stages of the embryo up to birth.
	GROWTH
		i. apply the knowledge of the conditions necessary for
	a. meaning fo grwoth	germination on plants growth; ii. differentiate between epigeal
		and hypogeal germination.
	b. Germination of seeds and condition necessary for germination
	of seeds.
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS
WEEK 12	CO-ORDINATION AND CONTROL	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* apply the knowledge of the structure and function of the central nervous system in the coordination of body functions in organisms; illustrate reflex actions such as blinking of the eyes, knee jerk; etc.; differentiate between reflex and voluntary actions as well as conditioned reflexes such as salivation, riding a bicycle and swimming;
	a. Nervous coordination:
	i. the components, structure and functions of the central nervous system;

	ii. The components and functions of the peripheral nervous systems;
	iii. Mechanism of transmission of impulses;
	iv. Reflex action
WEEK 13	THE SENSE ORGANS	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;*
	i. skin (tactile)	i. associate the listed sense organs with their functions;
	ii. nose (olfactory)	ii. apply the knowledge of the structure and functions of these
	iii. tongue (taste)	sense organs in detecting an correcting their defects.
	iv. eye (sight)
	v. ear (auditory)

WEEK 14	HORMONAL CONTROL i. animal hormonal system Pituitarythyroidparathyroidadrenal glandpancreasgonads ii. Plant hormones (phytohormones)	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. locate the listed endocrine glands in animals; ii. relate the hormone produced by each of these glands to their functions. i. examine the effects of various phytohormones (e.g. auxins, gibberellin, cytokinin, and ethylene) on growth, tropism, flowering, fruit ripening and leaf abscission.
WEEK 15	HOMEOSTASIS Body temperature regulationSalt and water regulation ECOLOGY: FACTORS AFFECTING THE DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANISMS Abiotic Biotic	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. relate the function of hormones to regulating the levels of materials inside the body. deduce the effects of temperature; rainfall, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, altitude, salinity, turbidity, pH and edaphic (soil) conditions on the distribution of organismsuse appropriate equipment (e.g. sechi disc, thermometer, rain gauge etc) to measure abiotic factors. i. describe how the activities of plants/animals (particularly human) affect the distribution of organisms.
WEEK 16	SYMBIOTIC INTERACTIONS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS – Symbiosis Food chains, food webs and trophic levelsEnergy flow in the ecosystem. Nutrient cycling in nature carbon cyclewater cycleNitrogen cycle NATURAL HABITATS Aquatic (e.g. ponds, streams, lakes seashores and mangrove swamps) Terrestrial/arboreal (e.g. tree-tops of oil palm, abandoned farmland or a dry grassy (savanna) field, and burrow or hole.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* determine appropriate examples of symbiosis, parasitism, saprophytism, comensalism, mutualism, amensalism, competition, predation and cooperation among organisms; associate the distribution of organisms with food chains and food webs in particular habitats. i. interpret the ecological pyramids of numbers, biomass and energy. i. describe the cycle and its significance including the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon (IV) oxide. i. assess the effects of water cycle on other nurtrient cycles. i. relate the roles of bacteria and leguminous plants in the cycling of nitrogen. i. associate plants and animals with each of these habitats. i. relate adaptive features to the habitats in which an organisms lives.

WEEK 17	LOCAL (NIGERIAN) BIOMES Tropical rainforest Guinea savanna (southern and northern) Sudan Savanna Desert Highlands of montane forests and grasslands of the Obudu, Jos, Mambilla Plateau. THE ECOLOGY OF POPULATION Population density and overcrowding. Factors affecting population sizes: Biotic (e.g. food, pest, disease, predation, competition, reproductive ability).Abiotic (e.g. temperature, space, light, rainfall, topography, pressure, pH, etc. c. Ecological succession primary successionsecondary succession SOIL ECOLOGY a) (i) characteristics of different types of soil (sandy, loamy, clayey) soil structureporosity, capillarity and humus contentComponents of the soil i. inorganic ii. organic iii. soil organisms b) Soil fertility: loss of soil fertility Renewal and maintenance of soil fertility	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* locate biomes to regions apply the knowledge of the features of the listed local biomes in determining the characteristics of different regions of Nigeria. i. determine the reasons for rapid changes in human population and the consequences of overcrowding; ii. compute/calculate density as the number of organisms per unit area; iii. apply modern methods to control human population; i. deduce the effect of these factors on the size of population. i. determine the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, e.g. drought or scarcity of water which leads to food shortage and lack of space which causes increase in disease rates; i. trace the sequence in succession to the climax stage of stability in plant population. i. identify physical properties of different soil types based on simple measurement of particle size, porosity or water retention ability; ii. determine the amounts of air, water, humus and capillarity in different soil types experimentally. i. relate soil characteristics, types and components to the healthy growth of plant. i. relate such factors as loss of inorganic matter, compaction, leaching, erosion of the top soil and repeated cropping with one variety. i. apply the knowledge of the practice of contour ridging, terracing, mulching, poly-cropping, strip-cropping, use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, crop rotation, shifting cultivation, etc to enhance soil conservation.
WEEK 18	HUMANS AND ENVIRONMENT (a) Diseases: (i) Common and endemic diseases. ii. Easily transmissible diseases and disease syndrome such as: – poliomyelitis – cholera – tuberculosis – sexually transmitted disease/syndrome (gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS, etc.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. identify ecological conditions that favour the spread of common endemic and potentially epidemic disease e.g. malaria, meningitis, drancunculiasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, typhoid fever and cholera etc.; ii. relate the biology of the vector or agent of each disease with its spread and control; use the knowledge of the causative organisms, mode of transmission and symptoms of the listed diseases to their prevention/treatment/control.apply the principles of inoculation and vaccination on disease prevention.

	b. Pollution and its control sources, types, effects and methods of control. Sanitation and sewage	i. categorize pollution into air, water and soil pollution; ii. relate the effects of common pollutants to human health and environmental degradation; iii. determine the methods by which each pollutant may be controlled. i. examine the importance of sanitation with emphasis on sewage disposal, community health and personal hygiene; ii assess the roles and functions of international and national health agencies (e.g. World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), International Red Cross Society (IRCS), and the ministries of health and environment.
WEEK 19 WEEK 20	CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Conservation of Natural Resources	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* apply the various methods of conservation of both the renewable and non-renewable natural resources for the protection of our environment for present and future generations;outline the benefits of conserving natural resources;identify the bodies responsible for the conservation of resources at the national and international levels (e.g. Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria National Parks, World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and their activities;asses their activities .
	VARIATION IN POPULATION a. Morphological variations in the physical appearance of individuals. size (height, weight) Colour (skin, eye, hair, coat of animals, scales and feathers. Fingerprints b. Physiological variation Ability to roll tongueAbility to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC)Blood groups b. Application of discontinuous variation in crime detection, blood transfusion and determination of paternity.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* differentiate between continuous and discontinuous variations with examples; relate the role of environmental conditions, habitat and the genetic constitution to variation. i) measure heights and weight of pupils of the same age group; ii) plot graphs of frequency distribution of the heights and weights. i) observe and record various colour patterns in some plants and mammals. i) apply classification of fingerprints in identity detection. i) identify some specific examples of physiological variation among human population; ii) categorize people according to their physiological variation. i) apply the knowledge of blood groups in blood transfusion and determination of paternity; ii) use discontinuous variation in crime detection.

WEEK 21	GENETICS AND HEREDITY a) Inheritance of characters in organisms; i) Heritable and non-heritable characters. b) Chromosomes – the basis of heredity; (i) Structure (ii) Process of transmission of hereditary characters from parents to offspring. c) Probability in genetics and sex determination. a) Application of the principles of heredity in: i) Agriculture (ii) Medicine b. Sex – linked characters e.g. baldness, haemophilia, colour blindness, etc.	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i. determine heritable and non-heritable characters with examples. i. illustrate simple structure of DNA i. illustrate segregation of genes at meiosis and recombination of genes at fertilization to account for the process of transmission of characters from parents to offsprings. i) deduce that segregation of genes occurs during gamete formation and that recombination of genes at fertilization is random in nature. i. analyze data on cross-breeding experiments; ii. apply the principles of heredity in the production of new varieties of crops and livestock through cross-breeding; iii. deduce advantages and disadvantages of out-breeding and in- breeding; iv. analyze elementarily the contentious issues of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and gene therapy. i) apply the knowledge of heredity in marriage counselling with particular reference to blood grouping, sickle-cell anaemia and the Rhesus factors b. Sex – linked characters e.g. baldness, haemophilia, colour blindness, etc.
WEEK 22	ADAPTATION FOR SURVIVAL: Factors that bring about competition. Intra and inter-specific competition Relationship between competition and succession. Structural adaptations in organisms Adaptive colouration and its functions Behavioural adaptations in social animals	*At the end of this topic(s), tutorial students are expected to know how to;* i) relate increase in population, diseases, shortage of food and space with intra- and inter-specific competition. i) determine niche differentiation as a means of reducing intra- specific competition. i) relate competition to succession. Students should be able to account for adaptation in organisms with respect to the following: obtaining food (beaks and legs of birds; mouthparts of insects, especially mosquito, butterfly and moth.)protection and defence (stick insects, praying mantis and toad.securing mates (redhead male and female Agama lizards, display of feathers by birds).regulating body temperature (skin, feathers and hairs).conserving water (spines in plants and scales in mammals). i. categorize countershading in fish, toads and snakes and warning colouration in mushrooms. i.) differentiate various castes in social insects like termites and their functions in their colony/hive;

THEORIES OF EVOLUTION i) Lamarck’s theory ii) Darwin’s theory EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION

ii.) account for basking in lizards, territorial behaviour of other animals under unfavourable conditions (hibernation and aestivation). i) relate organic evolution as the sum total of all adaptive changes that have taken place over a long period of time resulting in the diversity of forms, structure and functions among organisms. ii.) examine the contributions of Lamarck and Darwin to the theory of evolution. i.) provide evidences for evolution such as fossil records, comparative anatomy, physiology and embryology; ii.) trace evolutionary trends in plants and animals; iii.) provide evidence for modern evolutionary theories such as genetic studies and the role of mutation

References

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB IBASS website, Nigeria

https://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/syllabus