Jamb Biology
Jamb Biology
Jamb Biology
org
Biology
BIOLOGY
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus in Biology is to prepare
the candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course
objectives, which are to:
1. demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the concepts of the diversity, interdependence and unity of life;
2. account for continuity of life through reorganization, inheritance and evolution;
3. apply biological principles and concepts to everyday life, especially to matters affecting living
things, individual, society, the environment, community health and the economy.
DETAILED SYLLABUS
A: VARIETY OF ORGANISMS
a. Monera (prokaryotes), e.g. bacteria and i. analyse external features and characteristics of the listed
blue green algae. organisms.
b. Protista (protozoans and protophyta), ii. apply the knowledge from (i) above to demonstrate increase in
e.g. Amoeba, Euglena and Paramecium. structural complexity.
c. Fungi, e.g. mushroom and Rhizopus. iii. trace the stages in the life histories of the listed organisms.
d. Plantae (plants) iv. apply the knowledge of the life histories to demonstrate gradual
transition from life in water to life on land.
i. Thallophyta (e.g. Spirogyra).
v. trace the evolution of the listed plants.
ii. Bryophyta (mosses and liverworts) e.g.
Brachmenium and Merchantia.
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a. adaptive colouration and its functions ii.Categorize countershading in fish, toads, snakes and warning
colouration in mushrooms.
c. Structural adaptations in organisms i. account for adaptation in organisms with respect to the
following:
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i. Mammalian circulatory system (heart, arteries, vii. identify media of transportation (e.g. cytoplasm,
vein and capillaries) cell sap, body fluid, blood and lymph)
viii. state the composition and functions of blood and lymph
ix. describe diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis and
ii Plant vascular system (phloem and xylem) turgidity as mechanisms of transportation in organisms.
x. compare the various mechanisms of open
circulatory systems in animal, transpiration pull, root
pressure and active transport as mechanisms of
d. Media and processes of mechanism for transportation. transportation in plants.
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swimming.
iv. relate the listed sense organs with their functions.
b. The sense organs v. apply the knowledge of the structure and functions of these
i. Skin (tactile) sense organs in detecting and correcting their defects.
ii. Nose (olfactory) vi. state the location of the listed endocrine glands in animals.
iii. Tongue (taste) vii. relate the hormone produced by each of these glands to their
iv. Eye (sight) functions.
v. Ear (auditory) viii. examine the effects of various phytohormones (e.g. auxins,
gibberellin, cytokinin, and ethylene) on growth, tropism,
c. Hormonal control flowering, fruit ripening and leaf abscission.
i. animal hormonal system (Pituitary, thyroid,
parathyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, gonads) ix. relate the function of hormones in homeostasis.
ii. Plant hormones (phytohormones)
d. Homeostasis
i. Body temperature regulation
ii. Salt and water regulation
C: ECOLOGY
(a) Energy flow in the ecosystem: food chains, i. determine appropriate examples of symbiosis,
food webs and trophic levels. parasitism, saprophytism, commensalism, mutualism,
(b) Nutrient cycling in nature. amensalism, competition, predation and cooperation
among organisms.
i. carbon cycle ii. explain the distribution of organisms with food chains
and food webs in particular habitats.
iii. define chains and webs
iv. describe the carbon cycle and its significance including
ii. water cycle the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon (IV)
oxide and global warming.
v. assess the effects of water cycle on other nutrient cycles.
iii. Nitrogen cycle vi. relate the roles of bacteria and leguminous plants in the
cycling of nitrogen.
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(c) Factors affecting population sizes: vii. determine the interactions between biotic and abiotic
i. Biotic (food, pest, disease, predation, factors, (e.g. drought or scarcity of water which leads
competition and reproductive ability). to food shortage and lack of space which causes
increase in disease rates).
ii. Abiotic (temperature, space, light, rainfall, viii. trace the sequence in succession to the climax stage
topography, pressure, pH) etc. of stability in plant population.
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and weights.
(iii) Fingerprints v. observe and record various colour patterns in some
plants and animals.
b. Physiological variation vi. apply classification of fingerprints in identity
(i) Ability to roll tongue detection.
(ii) Ability to taste vii. identify some specific examples of
phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) physiological variation among human population.
(iii) Blood groups viii. categorize people according to their physiological
variation.
c. Application of discontinuous
variation in crime detection,
blood transfusion and ix. apply the knowledge of blood groups in
determination of paternity. blood transfusion and determination of paternity.
x. use discontinuous variation in crime detection.
e) Sex – linked characters e.g. baldness, ix. apply the knowledge of heredity in marriage
haemophilia, colour blindness, etc. counselling with particular reference to blood
grouping, sickle-cell anaemia and the Rhesus
factors.
x. describe the significance of using recombinant DNA
materials in the production of important medical
products such as insulin, interferon and enzymes.
xi. identify characters that are sex linked.
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E: EVOLUTION
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RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Ndu, F.O. C. Ndu, Abun A. and Aina J.O. (2001) Senior Secondary School Biology:
Books 1 -3, Lagos: Longman
Ogunniyi M.B. Adebisi A.A. and Okojie J.A. (2000) Biology for Senior Secondary Schools: Books 1 – 3, Macmillan
Ramalingam, S.T. (2018) Modern Biology, SS Science Series. New Edition, AFP
Stan. (2004) Biology for Senior Secondary Schools. Revised Edition, Ibadan: Heinemann
Stone R.H. and Cozens, A.B.C. (1982) Biology for West African Schools. Longman
Usua, E.J. (1997) Handbook of practical Biology 2nd Edition, University Press, Limited
Micheal, M.C. (2018) Essential Biology for Senior Secondary Schools. TONAD Publishers Ltd.
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