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JAMB guides/2027 guide/All syllabuses/Biology
2027 preparation · JAMB syllabus guide

JAMB Biology
Syllabus 2027

Know what to study. Understand what JAMB expects. Use the official Biology syllabus as your starting point, then take your learning into the study desk.

For 2027 preparation: This guide uses the current JAMB IBASS syllabus file, which is not separately labelled 2027. Check JAMB’s announcements for syllabus changes and the prescribed texts for your exam year before buying books.

Study Biology →Practise questions
A clear way forward

From syllabus to understanding.

  1. Choose a topic below.
  2. Study its contents and objectives.
  3. Practise, review and track progress.

Open the original JAMB PDF pages whenever you need exact notation, diagrams or source layout.

24 study unitsSource checked 18 Oct 2026Official topics + objectives
Your study map

Small steps. Clear learning targets.

Open each study unit to see what to cover. Some subjects organise several topics into broader sections.

Your syllabus

Explore the sections

  1. A. Variety of organisms
  2. B. Form and functions
  3. C. Ecology
  4. D. Heredity and variation
  5. E. Evolution

Open a topic to see its contents and learning objectives.

Original source

A. Variety of organisms

01

Living organisms

What to study

  • 1. Living organisms:
  • a. Characteristics
  • b. Cell structure and functions of cell components
  • c. Level of organization
  • i. Cell e.g. euglena and paramecium,
  • ii. Tissue e.g. epithelial tissues and hydra
  • iii. Organ e.g. onion bulb
  • iv. Systems e.g. reproductive, digestive and excretory
  • v. Organisms e.g. Chlamydomonas

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. differentiate between the characteristics of living and non-living
  • things.
  • ii. identify the structures of plant and animal cells.
  • iii. analyse the functions of the components of plant and animal
  • cells.
  • iv. compare and contrast the structure of plant and animal cells.
  • v. trace the levels of organization among organisms in their logical sequence in relation to the five levels of organization of living organisms.
Read original page 1 →Open the study desk →
02

Evolution among the following

What to study

  • 2. Evolution among the following:
  • a. Monera (prokaryotes), e.g. bacteria and blue green algae.
  • b. Protista (protozoans and protophyta),
  • e.g. Amoeba, Euglena and Paramecium.
  • c. Fungi, e.g. mushroom and Rhizopus.
  • d. Plantae (plants)
  • i. Thallophyta (e.g. Spirogyra).
  • ii. Bryophyta (mosses and liveworts) e.g. Brachmenium and Merchantia.
  • 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)
  • v. Plants classified on the span of their life cycles.
  • e. Animalia (animals)
  • i. Invertebrates
  • – coelenterate e.g. Hydra
  • – Platyhelminthes flatworms e.g. Taenia
  • – Nematoda (roundworms)
  • – Annelida e.g. earthworm
  • – Arthropoda e.g. mosquito, cockroach, housefly, bee, butterfly
  • – Mollusca 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)

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. analyse external features and characteristics of the listed
  • organisms.
  • ii. apply the knowledge from (i) above to demonstrate increase in structural complexity.
  • iii. trace the stages in the life histories of the listed organisms.
  • iv. apply the knowledge of the life histories to demonstrate gradual transition from life in water to life on land.
  • v. trace the evolution of the listed plants.
  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. trace the advancement of the invertebrate animals.
  • ii. determine the economic importance of the insects studied.
  • iii. assess their values to the environment.
  • iv. classify plants into animals, biennials and perennials
  • v. trace the advancement of multi-cellular animals.
  • vi. determine their economic importance.
Read original page 1 →Open the study desk →
03

Structural/functional and behavioural adaptations of organisms

What to study

  • 3. Structural/functional and behavioural adaptations of organisms:
  • a. adaptive colouration and its functions
  • b. Behavioural adaptations in social animals
  • c. Structural adaptations in organisms

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. describe how the various structures, functions and behaviour adapt these organisms to their environment, and way of life.
  • ii. Categorize countershading in fish, toads, snakes and warning colouration in mushrooms.
  • iii. Differentiate various castes in social insects like termites and their functions in their colony hive.
  • iv. Account for basking in lizards, territorial behavour of other animals under unfavourable conditions (hibernation and
  • aestivation).
  • 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).
Read original page 2 →Open the study desk →

B. Form and functions

04

Internal structure of a flowering plant

What to study

  • 1. Internal structure of a flowering plant
  • i. Root
  • ii. Stem
  • iii. Leaf
  • b. Internal structure of a mammal

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. identify the transverse sections of these
  • organs.
  • ii. relate the structure of these organs to their
  • functions.
  • iii. identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma) sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres)
  • iv. describe the distribution of supporting tissues in roots, stem and leaf
  • v. examine the arrangement of the mammalian internal organs.
  • vi. describe the appearance and position of the digestive, reproductive and excretory organs.
Read original page 3 →Open the study desk →
05

Nutrition

What to study

  • 2. Nutrition
  • a. Modes of nutrition
  • i. Autotrophic
  • ii. Heterotrophic
  • b. Types of Nutrition
  • c. Plant nutrition
  • i. Photosynthesis
  • ii. Chemosynthesis
  • iii. Mineral requirements (macro and micro-nutrients)
  • d. Animal nutrition
  • i. Classes of food substances; carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins, mineral salts and water
  • ii. Food tests (e.g. starch, reducing sugar, protein, oil, fat etc.)
  • iii. The mammalian tooth (structures, types and
  • functions)
  • iv. Mammalian alimentary canal
  • v. Nutrition process (ingestion, digestion, absorption, and assimilation of digested food).

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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 nutrition;
  • iv. differentiate the following examples of heterotrophic feeding:
  • – holozoic (sheep and man)
  • – Parasitic (roundworm, tapeworm and Loranthus)
  • – saprophytic (Rhizopus and mushroom)
  • – carnivorous plants (sundew and bladderwort)
  • – determine their nutritional value.
  • v. differentiate the light and dark reactions, of photosynthesis.
  • vi. determine the necessity of light, carbon (IV) oxide and chlorophyll in photosynthesis.
  • vii. detect the presence of starch in a leaf as evidence of
  • photosynthesis.
  • viii. identify macro-and micro-elements required by plants.
  • ix. recognise the deficiency symptoms of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
  • x. indicate the sources of the various classes of food;
  • 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.
  • xiv. detect the presence of a food type from the result of a given
  • experiment.
  • xv. describe the structure of a typical mammalian tooth
  • xvi. differentiate the types of mammalian tooth and relate their structures to their 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 gall bladder) to their functions.
  • xix. identify the general characteristics of digestive enzymes
  • xx. associate enzymes with digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats and
  • xxi. determine the end products of these classes of food.
Read original page 3 →Open the study desk →
06

Transport

What to study

  • 3. Transport
  • a. Need for transportation
  • b. Materials for transportation (Excretory products, gases, manufactured food, digested food, nutrient, water and hormones)
  • c. Channels for transportation
  • i. Mammalian circulatory system (heart, arteries, vein and capillaries)
  • ii Plant vascular system (phloem and xylem)
  • d. Media and processes of mechanism for transportation.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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 they are transported.
  • iii. describe the general circulatory system
  • 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.
  • vi. understand the specific functions of the phloem and xylem.
  • vii. identify media of transportation (e.g., cytoplasm, cell sap, body fluid, blood and lymph)
  • viii. state the composition and functions of blood and lymph
  • ix. describe diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis and 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 transportation in plants.
Read original page 4 →Open the study desk →
07

Respiration

What to study

  • 4. Respiration
  • a. Respiratory organs and surfaces
  • b. The mechanism of gaseous exchange in:
  • i. Plants
  • ii. Animals
  • c. Aerobic respiration
  • d. Anaerobic respiration

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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 products, exchange and production of heat energy during respiration from experimental set up.
  • iv. describe the following respiratory organs and surfaces with organisms in which they occur; body surface, gill, trachea, lungs, stomata and lenticel.
  • v. describe the mechanism for the opening and closing of the stomata
  • vi. determine respiratory mechanisms in plants and animals.
  • 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.
  • x. state the economic importance of yeasts.
Read original page 4 →Open the study desk →
08

Excretion

What to study

  • 5. Excretion
  • a. Types of excretory structures: contractile vacuole, flame cell, nephridium, Malpighian tubule, kidney, stoma and lenticel.
  • b. Excretory mechanisms:
  • i. Kidneys
  • ii. lungs
  • iii. skin
  • c. Excretory products of plants

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. define the meaning and state the significance of excretion
  • ii. relate the characteristics of each structure with functions.
  • iii. relate the structure of the kidneys to the excretory and osmo-regulatory functions.
  • iv. identify the functions and excretory products of the lungs and the skin.
  • v. deduce the economic importance of the excretory products of plants e.g., carbon (IV) oxide, oxygen, tannins, resins, gums, mucilage, alkaloids etc.
Read original page 5 →Open the study desk →
09

Support and movement

What to study

  • 6. Support and movement
  • a. Tropic, tactic, nastic and sleep movements in plants
  • b. supporting tissues in animals
  • c. Types and functions of the skeleton
  • i. Exoskeleton
  • ii. Endoskeleton
  • iii. Functions of the skeleton in animals

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able 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 root, stem and leaf.
  • iv. relate the response of plants to the stimuli of light, water, gravity and touch
  • v. identify the regions of growth in roots and shoots and the roles of auxins in tropism.
  • vi. relate the location of chitin, cartilage and bone to their supporting function.
  • vii. relate the structure and the general layout of the mammalian skeleton to their supportive, locomotive and respiratory function.
  • viii. differentiate types of joints using appropriate
  • examples.
  • ix. apply the protective, supportive, locomotive and respiratory functions of the skeleton to the wellbeing of the
  • animal.
Read original page 5 →Open the study desk →
10

Reproduction

What to study

  • 7. Reproduction
  • a. Asexual reproduction
  • i. Fission (e.g., Paramecium)
  • ii. Budding (e.g., yeast)
  • iii. Natural vegetative propagation
  • iv. Artificial vegetative propagation
  • b. Sexual reproduction in flowering plants
  • i. Floral parts and their functions
  • ii. Pollination and fertilization
  • iii. products of sexual reproduction
  • c. Reproduction in mammals
  • i. Structures and functions of the male and female reproductive organs
  • ii. Fertilization and development. (Fusion of gametes)

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able 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.
  • iv. relate parts of flower to their functions and reproductive
  • process.
  • v. state the advantages of cross pollination.
  • vi. deduce the different types of placentation that develop into simple, aggregate, multiple and succulent fruits.
  • vii. differentiate between male and female reproductive organs.
  • viii. relate their structure and function to the production of
  • offspring.
  • ix. describe the fusion of gametes as a process of
  • fertilization.
  • x. relate the effects of the mother’s health, nutrition and indiscriminate use of drugs on the developmental stages of the embryo up to birth.
  • xi. explain the modern methods of regulating reproduction on
  • e.g., invitro fertilization and birth control
Read original page 5 →Open the study desk →
11

Growth

What to study

  • 8. Growth
  • a. Meaning of growth
  • b. Germination of seeds and condition necessary for germination of seeds.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. apply the knowledge of the conditions necessary for germination on plant growth.
  • ii. differentiate between epigeal and hypogeal germination.
Read original page 6 →Open the study desk →
12

Co-ordination and control

What to study

  • 9. Co-ordination and control
  • a. Nervous coordination:
  • i. the components, structure and functions of the central nervous system
  • ii. The components and functions of the peripheral nervous system
  • iii. Mechanism of transmission of impulses
  • iv. Reflex action
  • b. The sense organs
  • i. Skin (tactile)
  • ii. Nose (olfactory)
  • iii. Tongue (taste)
  • iv. Eye (sight)
  • v. Ear (auditory)
  • c. Hormonal control
  • i. animal hormonal system (Pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, gonads)
  • ii. Plant hormones (phytohormones)
  • d. Homeostasis
  • i. Body temperature regulation
  • ii. Salt and water regulation

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. apply the knowledge of the structure and function of the central nervous system in the coordination of body functions in organisms.
  • ii. illustrate reflex actions such as blinking of the eyes, knee jerk etc.
  • iii. differentiate between reflex and voluntary actions as well as conditioned reflexes such as salivation, riding a bicycle and
  • swimming.
  • iv. relate the listed sense organs with their functions.
  • v. apply the knowledge of the structure and functions of these sense organs in detecting and correcting their defects.
  • vi. state the location of the listed endocrine glands in animals.
  • vii. relate the hormone produced by each of these glands to their
  • functions.
  • viii. examine the effects of various phytohormones (e.g., auxins, gibberellin, cytokinin, and ethylene) on growth, tropism, flowering, fruit ripening and leaf abscission.
  • ix. relate the function of hormones in homeostasis.
Read original page 6 →Open the study desk →

C. Ecology

13

Factors affecting the distribution of Organisms

What to study

  • 1. Factors affecting the distribution of Organisms
  • i. Abiotic
  • ii. Biotic

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. relate the effects of temperature; rainfall, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, altitude, salinity, turbidity, pH and edaphic (soil) conditions on the distribution of organisms.
  • ii. use appropriate equipment ( secchi disc, thermometer, rain gauge) to measure abiotic
  • factors.
  • iii. describe how the activities of plants/animals (particularly human) affect the distribution of
  • organisms.
Read original page 6 →Open the study desk →
14

Symbiotic interactions of plants and animals

What to study

  • 2. Symbiotic interactions of plants and animals
  • (a) Energy flow in the ecosystem: food chains, food webs and trophic levels.
  • (b) Nutrient cycling in nature.
  • i. carbon cycle
  • ii. water cycle
  • iii. Nitrogen cycle

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. determine appropriate examples of symbiosis, parasitism, saprophytism, commensalism, mutualism, amensalism, competition, predation and cooperation among organisms.
  • 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 the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon (IV) oxide and global warming.
  • v. assess the effects of water cycle on other nutrient cycles
  • vi. relate the roles of bacteria and leguminous plants in the cycling of nitrogen.
Read original page 7 →Open the study desk →
15

Natural Habitats

What to study

  • 3. Natural Habitats
  • (a) Aquatic (e.g., ponds, streams, lakes, seashores and mangrove swamps)
  • (b) Terrestrial/arboreal (e.g., tree-tops, abandoned farmland or a dry grassy (savanna) field, and burrow or hole.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. associate plants and animals with each of these
  • habitats.
  • ii. relate adaptive features to the habitats in which organisms live.
Read original page 7 →Open the study desk →
16

Local (Nigerian) Biomes

What to study

  • 4. Local (Nigerian) Biomes
  • a. Tropical rainforest
  • b. Guinea savanna (southern and northern)
  • c. Sudan Savanna
  • d. Desert
  • e. Highlands of montane forests and grasslands of the Obudu -, Jos -, Mambilla – Plateaus.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. locate biomes in regions
  • ii. apply the knowledge of the features of the listed local biomes in determining the characteristics of different regions of Nigeria.
Read original page 7 →Open the study desk →
17

The Ecology of Populations

What to study

  • 5. The Ecology of Populations
  • (a) Population density and overcrowding.
  • (b) Adaptation for survival
  • i. Factors that bring about competition
  • ii. Intra and inter-specific competition
  • iii. Relationship between competition and
  • succession.
  • (c) Factors affecting population sizes:
  • i. Biotic (food, pest, disease, predation, competition and reproductive ability).
  • ii. Abiotic (temperature, space, light, rainfall, topography, pressure, pH) etc.
  • (d) Ecological succession
  • i. primary succession
  • ii. secondary succession

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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. Relate increase in population, diseases, shortage of food and space with intra- and inter-specific
  • competition.
  • iv. Determine niche differentiation as a means of reducing intra-specific completion.
  • v. Relate competition to succession.
  • vi. deduce the effect of these factors on the size of
  • population.
  • vii. 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).
  • viii. trace the sequence in succession to the climax stage of stability in plant population.
Read original page 7 →Open the study desk →
18

Soil

What to study

  • 6. SOIL
  • a. Characteristics of different types of soil (sandy, loamy, clayey)
  • i. soil structure
  • ii. porosity, capillarity and humus content
  • b. Components of the soil
  • i. inorganic
  • ii. organic
  • iii. soil organisms
  • iv. soil air
  • v. soil water
  • c. Soil fertility
  • i. loss of soil fertility
  • ii. renewal and maintenance of soil fertility

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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.
  • iii. relate soil characteristics, types and components to the healthy growth of plants
  • iv. relate such factors as loss of inorganic matter, compaction, leaching, erosion of the top soil and repeated cropping with one variety.
  • v. 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.
Read original page 8 →Open the study desk →
19

Humans and Environment

What to study

  • 7. 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.)
  • b. Drug abuse:
  • i. Drug addiction
  • ii. Commonly abused drugs
  • iii. Prevention of drug abuse
  • c. Pollution and its control
  • (i) Sources, types, effects and methods of control.
  • (ii) Sanitation and sewage
  • d. Conservation of Natural Resources
  • e. Game reserves and National parks

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. identify ecological conditions that favour the spread of common endemic and potentially epidemic diseases e.g. 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. define drug abuse and addiction
  • iv. list the commonly abused drugs
  • v. state the effects of drug abuse on human health
  • vi. use the knowledge of the causative organisms, mode of transmission and symptoms of the listed diseases to their prevention – treatment – control
  • vii. apply the principles of inoculation and vaccination on disease prevention.
  • viii. categorize pollution into air, water and soil
  • ix. relate the effects of common pollutants to human health and environmental degradation.
  • x. determine the methods by which each pollutant may be controlled.
  • xi. explain the importance of sanitation with emphasis on solid waste, sewage disposal, community health and personal hygiene.
  • xii. 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.
  • xiii. 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.
  • xiv. outline the benefits of conserving natural resources, prevention of desertification.
  • xv. 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. xvi identify and state the location and importance of game reserves and National parks in Nigeria
Read original page 8 →Open the study desk →

D. Heredity and variation

20

Variation in population

What to study

  • (I) Variation In Population
  • a. Morphological variations in the physical appearance of individuals.
  • (i) size (height and weight)
  • (ii) Colour (skin, eye, hair, coat of animals, scales and feathers).
  • (iii) Fingerprints
  • b. Physiological variation
  • (i) Ability to roll tongue
  • (ii) Ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC)
  • (iii) Blood groups
  • c. Application of discontinuous variation in crime detection, blood transfusion and determination of paternity.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. differentiate between continuous and discontinuous variations with examples.
  • ii. relate the role of environmental conditions, habitat and the genetic constitution to variation.
  • iii. measure heights and weights of pupils of the same age group
  • iv. plot graphs of frequency distribution of the heights and weights.
  • v. observe and record various colour patterns in some plants and animals.
  • vi. apply classification of fingerprints in identity
  • detection.
  • vii. identify some specific examples of physiological variation among human population.
  • viii. categorize people according to their physiological
  • variation.
  • ix. apply the knowledge of blood groups in blood transfusion and determination of paternity.
  • x. use discontinuous variation in crime detection.
Read original page 9 →Open the study desk →
21

Heredity

What to study

  • 2. Heredity
  • a) Inheritance of characters in organisms
  • (i) Heritable characters
  • (ii) Non-heritable characters
  • b) Chromosomes – the basis of heredity
  • (i) Structure
  • (ii) Process of transmission of hereditary characters from parents to offsprings.
  • c) Probability in genetics and sex
  • determination.
  • d) Application of the principles of heredity in:
  • i) Agriculture
  • (ii) Medicine
  • e) Sex – linked characters e.g. baldness, haemophilia, colour blindness, etc.

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. determine heritable and non-heritable characters with examples.
  • ii. illustrate simple structure of DNA
  • 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.
  • iv. deduce that segregation of genes occurs during gamete formation and that recombination of genes at fertilization is random in nature.
  • v. analyze data on cross-breeding experiments.
  • vi. apply the principles of heredity in the production of new varieties of crops and livestock through cross-
  • breeding.
  • vii. deduce advantages and disadvantages of out- breeding and in-breeding.
  • viii. analyze elementarily the contentious issues of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and gene therapy and biosafety.
  • ix. apply the knowledge of heredity in marriage 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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22

Biotechnology

What to study

  • 3. Biotechnology
  • a) Application of Biotechnology in
  • (i) Agriculture
  • (ii) Medicine
  • (iii) Pharmaceuticals, and
  • (iv) Food industry

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • i. define biotechnology
  • ii. list some applications in agriculture, medicine, pharmaceutical and food industries
Read original page 10 →Open the study desk →

E. Evolution

23

Theories of evolution

What to study

  • 1. Theories of evolution
  • a) Lamarck’s theory
  • b) Darwin’s theory
  • c) organic theory

Your learning objectives

  • Candidates should be able to:
  • 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, structures and functions among
  • organisms.
  • ii. explain the contributions of Lamarck and Darwin to the theory of evolution.
  • iii. state the evidences in support of organic evolution
Read original page 11 →Open the study desk →
24

Evidence of evolution

What to study

  • 2. Evidence of evolution

Your learning objectives

  • iv. mention the evidences for evolution such as fossil records, comparative anatomy, physiology and embryology.
  • v. trace evolutionary trends in plants and animals.
  • vi. state the evidence of modern evolutionary theories such as genetic studies and the role of
  • mutation.
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Go deeper

Textbooks & prescribed reading

Use JAMB’s reading list alongside the syllabus. Check the original pages when selecting editions or prescribed texts.

Explore the reading list
Reading list · source page 12
                                                                                           Biology





                      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

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

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

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





                                          39
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JAMB guides →Find help with subject choices, registration, results and admission.Your 2027 guide →Check the information available for the upcoming exam cycle.All subject syllabuses →Explore the official study requirements for all 25 subjects.

Source: JAMB IBASS syllabus PDF, checked 18 October 2026. The file is not separately labelled 2027. CampusNinja is an independent education resource. Original practice questions and study notes are still growing; available coverage is shown in the study app. Progress is saved in your current browser.

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