NEET Botany Syllabus 2027: Chapter-Wise List & Weightage

Questions and marks

45 questions, 180 marks (25% of the 720-mark paper)

NCERT chapters

About 20: 11 from Class 11 and 9 from Class 12 (eSaral count, with Biomolecules placed here)

NMC units covered

9 of 10 (all except Human Physiology)

Marking

+4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one

Prescribed by

National Medical Commission (NMC); exam conducted by NTA

Status for 2027

Same list as 2026; no separate 2027 notice found as of 26 Oct 2026

1. Diversity in the Living World

The Living World

What is living; biodiversity; need for classification; taxonomy and systematics; species and taxonomic hierarchy; binomial nomenclature

1

Biological Classification ★

Five-kingdom system; Monera, Protista and Fungi; lichens; viruses and viroids

1

Plant Kingdom

Salient features and classification of algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes and gymnosperms (three to five features and two examples each)

2. Structural Organisation

Morphology of Flowering Plants

Root, stem, leaf, inflorescence (cymose and racemose), flower, fruit, seed; modifications; five families: Malvaceae, Cruciferae, Leguminosae, Compositae, Gramineae

2

Anatomy of Flowering Plants

Tissues and tissue systems; anatomy of root, stem and leaf (dicot and monocot); secondary growth as covered in NCERT

3. Cell Structure and Function

Cell: The Unit of Life ★

Cell theory; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cell; cell envelope, membrane and wall; organelles; endomembrane system; cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, centrioles; nucleus

3

Biomolecules ★

Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids; enzyme types, properties, action, classification and nomenclature

3

Cell Cycle and Cell Division ★

Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and their significance

4. Plant Physiology

Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

Site and pigments; light (photochemical) and biosynthetic phases; cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation; chemiosmotic hypothesis; photorespiration; C3 and C4 pathways; limiting factors

4

Respiration in Plants

Glycolysis; fermentation; TCA cycle; electron transport system; ATP yield; amphibolic pathway; respiratory quotient

4

Plant Growth and Development

Seed germination; phases and rate of growth; conditions of growth; differentiation, dedifferentiation, redifferentiation; auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA

6. Reproduction

Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Flower structure; male and female gametophytes; pollination types and agencies; outbreeding devices; pollen-pistil interaction; double fertilisation; endosperm, embryo, seed and fruit; apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony

7. Genetics and Evolution

Principles of Inheritance and Variation ★

Mendel’s laws and deviations; chromosomal theory; linkage; sex determination; mutation; pedigree analysis; Mendelian and chromosomal disorders

7

Molecular Basis of Inheritance ★

Genetic material and its search; DNA and RNA structure; packaging; replication; transcription; genetic code; translation and protein biosynthesis; gene regulation (lac operon); Human Genome Project; DNA fingerprinting

8. Human Welfare

Microbes in Human Welfare

Microbes in household and industrial products, sewage treatment, biogas, biocontrol and biofertilisers

9. Biotechnology

Biotechnology: Principles and Processes ★

Recombinant DNA technology; tools such as restriction enzymes and vectors; PCR; bioreactors; downstream processing

9

Biotechnology and Its Applications ★

Applications in health and agriculture; GM crops; biosafety

10. Ecology

Organisms and Populations ★

Organism and environment; population attributes and growth; life history variation; population interactions

10

Ecosystem ★

Structure, productivity, decomposition, energy flow, ecological pyramids

10

Biodiversity and Conservation ★

Patterns and loss of biodiversity; conservation, hotspots, extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, sacred groves

1. Diversity

Three domains of life; taxonomic aids (herbaria, botanical gardens); classification of angiosperms up to class level

Five kingdoms; algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms

4. Plant Physiology

Transport in plants; mineral nutrition, nitrogen cycle, nitrogen fixation, hydroponics; seed dormancy, vernalisation, photoperiodism

Photosynthesis, respiration, plant growth and PGRs

6. Reproduction

Reproduction in organisms (asexual reproduction, vegetative propagation)

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants

8. Human Welfare

Plant breeding, tissue culture, single cell protein, biofortification

Microbes in human welfare

10. Ecology

Habitat and niche; adaptations; ecological succession; nutrient cycling; ecological services; environmental issues (pollution, solid waste, ozone depletion, deforestation)

Populations, ecosystem, biodiversity and conservation

Cell: The Unit of Life

7

8

Biological Classification

5

5

Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

4 to 5

5

Morphology of Flowering Plants

Not in top list

4

Principles of Inheritance and Variation

Not in top list

4

Biotechnology: Principles and Processes

Not in top list

4

Organisms and Populations

Not in top list

4

Diversity (Living World, Classification, Plant Kingdom)

Build comparison tables for kingdoms and plant groups; memorise examples and life-cycle patterns.

Morphology and Anatomy

Redraw diagrams; learn floral formulae for the five families; compare dicot and monocot structures.

Cell, Biomolecules, Cell Division

Redraw organelles and mitosis/meiosis stages; learn enzyme classes. This is the top-scoring block.

Photosynthesis, Respiration, Growth

Write each pathway as a flowchart with inputs, outputs and locations; keep a PGR table.

Sexual Reproduction in Plants

Practise stage-wise diagrams of gametophytes, fertilisation, endosperm and embryo.

Genetics and Molecular Basis

Solve crosses and pedigrees daily; learn replication, transcription and translation in order.

Biotechnology and Ecology

Learn techniques step by step; memorise NCERT examples, numbers and tables.