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;

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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.

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DETAILED SYLLABUS

A: VARIETY OF ORGANISMS

TOPICS / CONTENTS/ NOTES OBJECTIVES

1. Living organisms:

a. Characteristics gis Candidates should be able to:

i. differentiate between the characteristics of living and non-living

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things.
b. Cell structure and functions of cell components
ii. identify the structures of plant and animal cells.
c. Level of organization
i. Cell e.g. euglena and paramecium, iii. analyse the functions of the components of plant and animal
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cells.
ii. Tissue e.g. epithelial tissues and hydra
iv. compare and contrast the structure of plant and animal cells.
iii. Organ e.g. onion bulb
v. trace the levels of organization among organisms in their
iv. Systems e.g. reproductive, digestive and logical sequence in relation to the five levels of organization
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excretory of living organisms.

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v. Organisms e.g. Chlamydomonas

2. Evolution among the following: Candidates should be able to:

a. Monera (prokaryotes), e.g. bacteria and i. analyse external features and characteristics of the listed
blue green algae. organisms.
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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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iii. Pteridophyta (ferns) e.g. Dryopteris.

iv. Spermatophyta (Gymnospermae and

Angiospermae)
- Gymnosperms e.g. Cycads and conifers.
- Angiosperms (monocots, e.g. maize; dicots,
e.g. water leaf)

e. Animalia (animals) Candidates should be able to:

i. Invertebrates
- coelenterate e.g. Hydra i. trace the advancement of the invertebrate animals.

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- Platyhelminthes flatworms e.g. Taenia ii. determine the economic importance of the
- Nematoda (roundworms) insects studied.
- Annelida e.g. earthworm iii. assess their values to the environment.

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- Arthropoda e.g. mosquito, cockroach,
housefly, bee, butterfly iv. trace the advancement of multi-cellular animals.
- Mollusca e.g. snails
v. determine their economic importance.
ii. Multicellular animals (vertebrates)
- Pisces (cartilaginous and bony fish)
- Amphibia e.g. toads and frogs

- Aves (birds)
- Mammalia (mammals)
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- Reptilia e.g. lizards, snakes and turtles
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3. Structural/functional and behavioural Candidates should be able to:
adaptations of organisms:
i. describe how the various structures, functions and behaviour
adapt these organisms to their environment, and way of life.

a. adaptive colouration and its functions ii.Categorize countershading in fish, toads, snakes and warning
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colouration in mushrooms.

iii. Differentiate various castes in social insects like termites and

b. Behavioural adaptations in social animals their functions in their colony hive.
iv. Account for basking in lizards, territorial behavour of other
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animals under unfavourable conditions (hibernation and

aestivation).
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c. Structural adaptations in organisms i. 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
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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).

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B: FORM AND FUNCTIONS

TOPICS / CONTENTS/ NOTES OBJECTIVES

1. Internal structure of plants and animals Candidates should be able to:

a. Internal structure of a flowering plant i. identify the transverse sections of these

organs.
i. Root ii. relate the structure of these organs to their functions.

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ii. Stem
iii. Leaf iii. identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma)
sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres)
iv. describe the distribution of supporting tissues in roots, stem

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and leaf
b. Internal structure of a mammal v. examine the arrangement of the mammalian internal organs.
vi. describe the appearance and position of the digestive,
reproductive and excretory organs.

2. Nutrition Candidates should be able to:

a. Modes of nutrition
i. Autotrophic
ii. Heterotrophic
gis i. compare autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition.
ii. provide examples from both flowering and non- flowering
plants.
iii. compare the photosynthetic and chemosynthetic modes of
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nutrition;
iv. differentiate the following examples of heterotrophic feeding:
b. Types of Nutrition - holozoic (sheep and man)
- Parasitic (roundworm, tapeworm and Loranthus)
- saprophytic (Rhizopus and mushroom)
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- carnivorous plants (sundew and bladderwort)
c. Plant nutrition - determine their nutritional value.
i. Photosynthesis v. differentiate the light and dark reactions, of photosynthesis.
ii. Chemosynthesis vi. determine the necessity of light, carbon (IV) oxide and
iii. Mineral requirements chlorophyll in photosynthesis.
(macro and micro-nutrients) vii. detect the presence of starch in a leaf as an evidence of
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photosynthesis.
viii. identify macro-and micro-elements required by plants.
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ix. recognise the deficiency symptoms of nitrogen, phosphorous

d. Animal nutrition and potassium.
i. Classes of food substances; carbohydrates, proteins, x. indicate the sources of the various classes of food;
fats and oils, vitamins, mineral salts and water xi. determine the nutritional value of food
xii. relate the importance and deficiency (e.g. scurvy, rickets,
kwashiorkor etc.) of each class of food;
xiii. determine the importance of a balanced diet.
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ii. Food tests (e.g. starch, reducing sugar, protein, oil, xiv. detect the presence of a food type from the result of a given
fat etc.) experiment.
xv. describe the structure of a typical mammalian tooth
xvi. differentiate the types of mammalian tooth and relate their
iii. The mammalian tooth (structures, types and structures to their functions.
functions) xvii. compare the dental formulae of man, sheep and dog.
xviii. relate the structure of the various components of the
alimentary canal and its accessory organs (liver, pancreas and
iv. Mammalian alimentary canal gall bladder) to their functions.
xix. identify the general characteristics of digestive enzymes
xx. associate enzymes with digestion of carbohydrates, proteins
v. Nutrition process (ingestion, digestion, absorption, and fats and
and assimilation of digested food). xxi. determine the end products of these classes of food.

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3. Transport Candidates should be able to:

a. Need for transportation i. determine the relationship between increase in size and
complexity; and the need for the development of a transport
system in plants and animals.
ii. determine the sources of materials and the forms in which
b. Materials for transportation they are transported.
(Excretory products, gases, manufactured food, iii. describe the general circulatory system
digested food, nutrient, water and hormones) iv. compare specific functions of the hepatic portal vein, the
pulmonary vein and artery, aorta, the renal artery and vein.
v. identify the organs of the plant vascular system.

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c. Channels for transportation vi. understand the specific functions of the phloem and xylem.

i. Mammalian circulatory system (heart, arteries, vii. identify media of transportation (e.g. cytoplasm,

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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

4. Respiration
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d. Media and processes of mechanism for transportation. transportation in plants.

Candidates should be able to:

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a. Respiratory organs and surfaces i. explain the significance of respiration;
ii. describe a simplified outline of the chemical processes
involved in glycolysis and krebs cycle with reference to
ATP production
iii deduce gaseous exchange and
b. The mechanism of gaseous exchange in: products, exchange and production of heat energy during
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respiration from experimental set up.

i. Plants
ii. Animals iv. describe the following respiratory organs and surfaces with
organisms in which they occur; body surface, gill, trachea,
lungs, stomata and lenticel.
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c. Aerobic respiration
v. describe the mechanism for the opening and closing of the
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stomata
vi. determine respiratory mechanisms in plants and animals.
d. Anaerobic respiration vii. examine the role of oxygen in the liberation of
energy for the activities of the living organisms
viii. explain the effect of insufficient supply of oxygen to the
muscles.
ix. use yeast cells and sugar solution to demonstrate
the process of fermentation.
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x. state the economic importance of yeasts.

5. Excretion Candidates should be able to:

a. Types of excretory structures: i. define the meaning and state the significance of excretion
contractile vacuole, flame cell, ii. relate the characteristics of each structure with functions.
nephridium, Malpighian tubule, kidney, iii. relate the structure of the kidneys to the excretory
stoma and lenticel. and osmo-regulatory functions.
b. Excretory mechanisms: iv. identify the functions and excretory products of
i. Kidneys the lungs and the skin.
ii. lungs v. deduce the economic importance of the excretory
iii. skin products of plants e.g. carbon (IV) oxide, oxygen, tannins,
resins, gums, mucilage, alkaloids etc.
c. Excretory products of plants

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6. Support and movement Candidates should be able to:

i. determine the need for support and movement in
a. Tropic, tactic, nastic and sleep organisms
movements in plants ii. identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma,
sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres)
iii. describe the distribution of supporting tissues in
root, stem and leaf.
iv. relate the response of plants to the stimuli of light,
b. supporting tissues in animals water, gravity and touch
v. identify the regions of growth in roots and shoots

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and the roles of auxins in tropism.
vi. relate the location of chitin, cartilage and bone to
c. Types and functions of the skeleton their supporting function.

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i. Exoskeleton vii. relate the structure and the general layout of the
ii. Endoskeleton mammalian skeleton to their supportive, locomotive and
iii. Functions of the skeleton in animals respiratory function.
viii. differentiate types of joints using appropriate
examples.
ix. apply the protective, supportive, locomotive and
respiratory functions of the skeleton to the well being of the

7. Reproduction
gis animal.

Candidates should be able to:

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a. Asexual reproduction i. differentiate between asexual and sexual reproduction
i. Fission (e.g. Paramecium) ii. apply natural vegetative propagation in crop production and
ii. Budding (e.g. yeast) multiplication.
iii. Natural vegetative propagation iii. apply grafting, budding and layering in agricultural practices.
iv. Artificial vegetative propagation iv. relate parts of flower to their functions and reproductive
process.
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b. Sexual reproduction in flowering plants v. state the advantages of cross pollination.

i. Floral parts and their functions vi. deduce the different types of placentation that develop into
ii. Pollination and fertilization simple, aggregate, multiple and succulent fruits.
iii. products of sexual reproduction vii. differentiate between male and female reproductive organs.
viii. relate their structure and function to the production of
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offspring.
c. Reproduction in mammals ix. describe the fusion of gametes as a process of
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i. Structures and functions of the male and female fertilization.

reproductive organs x. relate the effects of the mother’s health, nutrition
and indiscriminate use of drugs on the developmental
ii. Fertilization and development. stages of the embryo up to birth.
(Fusion of gametes) xi. explain the modern methods of regulating reproduction on
e.g. invitro fertilization and birth control

8. Growth Candidates should be able to:

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a. Meaning of growth i. apply the knowledge of the conditions necessary for

germination on plant growth.
b. Germination of seeds and condition ii. differentiate between epigeal and hypogeal germination.
necessary for germination of seeds.

9. Co-ordination and control Candidates should be able to:

a. Nervous coordination: i. apply the knowledge of the structure and function of the
i. the components, structure and functions central nervous system in the coordination of body
of the central nervous system functions in organisms.
ii. The components and functions of the ii. illustrate reflex actions such as blinking of the eyes, knee
peripheral nervous system jerk etc.
iii. Mechanism of transmission of impulses iii. differentiate between reflex and voluntary actions as well as
iv. Reflex action conditioned reflexes such as salivation, riding a bicycle and

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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,

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parathyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, gonads) ix. relate the function of hormones in homeostasis.
ii. Plant hormones (phytohormones)

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d. Homeostasis
i. Body temperature regulation
ii. Salt and water regulation

TOPICS - CONTENTS - NOTES

gis C: ECOLOGY

OBJECTIVES
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1. Factors affecting the distribution of Candidates should be able to:
Organisms i. relate the effects of temperature; rainfall, relative
humidity, wind speed and direction, altitude, salinity,
i. Abiotic turbidity, pH and edaphic (soil) conditions on the
distribution of organisms.
ii. use appropriate equipment (secchi disc,
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thermometer, rain gauge) to measure abiotic

factors.
iii. describe how the activities of plants/animals
ii. Biotic (particularly human) affect the distribution of
organisms.
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2. Symbiotic interactions of plants Candidates should be able to:

and animals

(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
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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.

3. Natural Habitats Candidates should be able to:

i. associate plants and animals with each of these
(a) Aquatic (e.g. ponds, streams, lakes, habitats.
seashores and mangrove swamps)

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ii. relate adaptive features to the habitats in which organisms

(b) Terrestrial/arboreal (e.g. tree-tops, abandoned live.
farmland or a dry grassy (savanna) field, and
burrow or hole.

4. Local (Nigerian) Biomes Candidates should be able to:

i. locate biomes in regions
a. Tropical rainforest ii. apply the knowledge of the features of the listed local
b. Guinea savanna (southern and northern) biomes in determining the characteristics of different
c. Sudan Savanna regions of Nigeria.
d. Desert

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e. Highlands of montane forests and grasslands of
the Obudu -, Jos -, Mambilla - Plateaus.

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5. The Ecology of Populations Candidates should be able to:
(a) Population density and overcrowding. i. determine the reasons for rapid changes in human
population and the consequences of overcrowding.
ii. compute/calculate density as the number of
(b) Adaptation for survival organisms per unit area.
i. Factors that bring about competition iii. Relate increase in population, diseases, shortage of
food and space with intra- and inter-specific

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ii. Intra and inter-specific competition iv.

v.
competition.
Determine niche differentiation as a means of
reducing intra-specific completion.
Relate competition to succession.
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iii. Relationship between competition and vi. deduce the effect of these factors on the size of
succession. population.

(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
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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.

(d) Ecological succession

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i. primary succession
ii. secondary succession
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6. SOIL Candidates should be able to:

i. identify physical properties of different soil types
a. Characteristics of different types based on simple measurement of particle size,
of soil (sandy, loamy, clayey) porosity or water retention ability.
i. soil structure ii. determine the amounts of air, water, humus and
ii. porosity, capillarity and humus capillarity in different soil types experimentally.
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content iii. relate soil characteristics, types and components to

the healthy growth of plants
b. Components of the soil iv. relate such factors as loss of inorganic matter,
i. inorganic compaction, leaching, erosion of the top soil and
ii. organic repeated cropping with one variety.
iii. soil organisms v. apply the knowledge of the practice of contour
iv. soil air ridging, terracing, mulching, poly-cropping, strip-
v. soil water cropping, use of organic and inorganic fertilizers,
crop rotation, shifting cultivation, etc. to enhance
soil conservation.
c. Soil fertility
i. loss of soil fertility
ii. renewal and maintenance of soil fertility

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7. Humans and Environment Candidates should be able to:

i. identify ecological conditions that favour the spread of
(a) Diseases: common endemic and potentially epidemic diseases e.g.
(i) Common and endemic diseases malaria, meningitis, drancunculiasis, schistosomiasis,
onchocerciasis, typhoid fever and cholera.
ii. relate the biology of the vector or agent of each disease
with its spread and control
iii. use the knowledge of the causative organisms, mode of
ii. Easily transmissible diseases and transmission and symptoms of the listed diseases to their
disease syndrome such as: prevention - treatment - control

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- poliomyelitis iv. apply the principles of inoculation and vaccination
- cholera on disease prevention.
- tuberculosis v. categorize pollution into air, water and soil

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- sexually transmitted disease/syndrome vi. relate the effects of common pollutants to human
(gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS, etc.) health and environmental degradation.
vii. determine the methods by which each pollutant may
be controlled.
viii. explain the importance of sanitation with emphasis on
b. Pollution and its control solid waste, sewage disposal, community health and
(i) Sources, types, effects and methods personal hygiene.
of control.

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(ii) Sanitation and sewage
ix. assess the roles and functions of international and
national health agencies e.g. World Health
Organization (WHO), United Nations International
Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF),
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International Red Cross Society (IRCS) and the
ministries of health and environment.
x. apply the various methods of conservation of both
the renewable and non-renewable natural resources
c. Conservation of Natural Resources for the protection of our environment for present
and future generations.
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xi. outline the benefits of conserving natural

resources, prevention of desertification.
xii. identify the bodies responsible for the conservation
of resources at the national and international levels
e.g. Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF),
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Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria National

Parks, World Wildlife Foundation (WWF),
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International Union for Conservation of Nature

(IUCN), United Nations Environmental
Programme (UNEP) and their activities.
d. Game reserves and National parks xiii identify and state the location and importance of
game reserves and National parks in Nigeria
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D: HEREDITY AND VARIATIONS

TOPICS - CONTENTS - NOTES OBJECTIVES

(I) Variation In Population Candidates should be able to:

a. Morphological variations in the physical i. differentiate between continuous and discontinuous

appearance of individuals. variations with examples.
ii. relate the role of environmental conditions, habitat
(i) size (height and weight) and the genetic constitution to variation.
iii. measure heights and weights of pupils of the same
(ii) Colour (skin, eye, hair, coat of age group
animals, scales and feathers). iv. plot graphs of frequency distribution of the heights
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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,

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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.

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2. Heredity Candidates should be able to:
i. determine heritable and non-heritable characters
a) Inheritance of characters in organisms with examples.
(i) Heritable characters ii. illustrate simple structure of DNA
(ii) Non-heritable characters

(i) Structure gis

b) Chromosomes – the basis of heredity
iii. 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.
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(ii) Process of transmission of hereditary
characters from parents to offsprings. iv. deduce that segregation of genes occurs during
gamete formation and that recombination of genes
c) Probability in genetics and sex at fertilization is random in nature.
determination.
v. analyze data on cross-breeding experiments.
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d) Application of the principles of heredity in: vi. apply the principles of heredity in the production of
new varieties of crops and livestock through cross-
i) Agriculture breeding.
vii. deduce advantages and disadvantages of out-
(ii) Medicine breeding and in-breeding.
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viii. analyze elementarily the contentious issues of

genetically modified organisms (GMO) and gene
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therapy and biosafety.

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
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products such as insulin, interferon and enzymes.

xi. identify characters that are sex linked.

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E: EVOLUTION

TOPICS - CONTENTS - NOTES OBJECTIVES

1. Theories of evolution Candidates should be able to:

a) Lamarck’s theory i. relate organic evolution as the sum total of all
b) Darwin’s theory adaptive changes that have taken place over a
c) organic theory long period of time resulting in the diversity of
forms, structures and functions among

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organisms.
ii. explain the contributions of Lamarck and Darwin
to the theory of evolution.
iii. state the evidences in support of organic evolution

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2. Evidence of evolution iv. mention the evidences for evolution such as
fossil records, comparative anatomy, physiology
and embryology.

v. trace evolutionary trends in plants and animals.

gis vi. state the evidence of modern evolutionary

theories such as genetic studies and the role of
mutation.
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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

Odunfa, S.A. (2001) Essential of Biology, Ibadan: Heinemann

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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

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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

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Idodo – Umeh, G (2015) College Biology. Idodo – Umeh Publishers Ltd.

Micheal, M.C. (2018) Essential Biology for Senior Secondary Schools. TONAD Publishers Ltd.
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