JAMB Biology syllabus.

About this syllabus official

Summarised from the examining body's own published syllabus. 24 topics, verified 2026-10-24.

Current UTME syllabus as served by IBASS on 2026-10-24; JAMB does not print the applicable years in this document.

Structure (sections, topics, contents and objectives) summarised from JAMB's publicly published UTME syllabus, with citation and link. The document itself is not reproduced or redistributed.

Source: https://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/static/media/Biology.0075e70afd357d7a39ae.pdf

Source: https://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/e-syllabus

General objectives

• demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the concepts of the diversity, interdependence and unity of life
• account for continuity of life through reorganization, inheritance and evolution
• apply biological principles and concepts to everyday life, especially to matters affecting living things, the individual, society, the environment, community health and the economy

Topics

1. Living organisms (SS 1-3)

• characteristics
• cell structure and functions of cell components
• levels of organization: cell (e.g. Euglena, Paramecium), tissue (e.g. epithelial tissues, Hydra), organ (e.g. onion bulb), systems (e.g. reproductive, digestive, excretory), organisms (e.g. Chlamydomonas)

You should be able to:

• differentiate between the characteristics of living and non-living things
• identify the structures of plant and animal cells
• analyse the functions of the components of plant and animal cells
• compare and contrast the structure of plant and animal cells
• trace the levels of organization among organisms in their logical sequence

2. Evolution among living organisms (SS 1-3)

• Monera (prokaryotes), e.g. bacteria and blue-green algae
• Protista (protozoans and protophyta), e.g. Amoeba, Euglena, Paramecium
• Fungi, e.g. mushroom and Rhizopus
• Plantae: Thallophyta (e.g. Spirogyra); Bryophyta (mosses and liverworts, e.g. Brachymenium, Marchantia); Pteridophyta (ferns, e.g. Dryopteris); Spermatophyta (gymnosperms e.g. cycads, conifers; angiosperms: monocots e.g. maize, dicots e.g. water leaf)
• plants classified on the span of their life cycles
• Animalia: invertebrates (Coelenterata e.g. Hydra; Platyhelminthes e.g. Taenia; Nematoda; Annelida e.g. earthworm; Arthropoda e.g. mosquito, cockroach, housefly, bee, butterfly; Mollusca e.g. snails)
• Animalia: vertebrates (Pisces - cartilaginous and bony fish; Amphibia e.g. toads, frogs; Reptilia e.g. lizards, snakes, turtles; Aves; Mammalia)

You should be able to:

• analyse external features and characteristics of the listed organisms
• demonstrate increase in structural complexity
• trace the stages in the life histories of the listed organisms
• demonstrate gradual transition from life in water to life on land
• trace the evolution of the listed plants
• trace the advancement of the invertebrate animals
• determine the economic importance of the insects studied
• assess their values to the environment
• classify plants into annuals, biennials and perennials
• trace the advancement of multicellular animals (vertebrates)
• determine the economic importance of vertebrates

3. Structural, functional and behavioural adaptations of organisms (SS 1-3)

• adaptive colouration and its functions
• behavioural adaptations in social animals
• structural adaptations in organisms

You should be able to:

• describe how structures, functions and behaviour adapt organisms to their environment and way of life
• categorize countershading in fish, toads, snakes and warning colouration in mushrooms
• differentiate the castes in social insects such as termites and their functions in the colony
• account for basking in lizards, territorial behaviour, hibernation and aestivation
• account for adaptations for obtaining food (beaks and legs of birds; mouthparts of mosquito, butterfly, moth)
• account for adaptations for protection and defence (stick insects, praying mantis, toad)
• account for adaptations for securing mates (red-head male Agama lizard, display of feathers by birds)
• account for adaptations for regulating body temperature (skin, feathers, hairs) and conserving water (spines in plants, scales in mammals)

4. Internal structure of a flowering plant and of a mammal (SS 1-3)

• internal structure of a flowering plant: root, stem, leaf
• internal structure of a mammal

You should be able to:

• identify the transverse sections of root, stem and leaf
• relate the structure of these organs to their functions
• identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres)
• describe the distribution of supporting tissues in root, stem and leaf
• examine the arrangement of the mammalian internal organs
• describe the appearance and position of the digestive, reproductive and excretory organs

5. Nutrition (SS 1-3)

• modes of nutrition: autotrophic, heterotrophic
• types of nutrition: holozoic, parasitic, saprophytic, carnivorous plants
• plant nutrition: photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, mineral requirements (macro- and micro-nutrients)
• animal nutrition: classes of food substances (carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins, mineral salts, water)
• food tests (e.g. starch, reducing sugar, protein, oil, fat)
• the mammalian tooth (structures, types and functions)
• mammalian alimentary canal
• nutrition process: ingestion, digestion, absorption and assimilation

You should be able to:

• compare autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition, with examples from flowering and non-flowering plants
• compare photosynthetic and chemosynthetic modes of nutrition
• differentiate holozoic (sheep, man), parasitic (roundworm, tapeworm, Loranthus), saprophytic (Rhizopus, mushroom) and carnivorous-plant (sundew, bladderwort) feeding
• differentiate the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis
• determine the necessity of light, carbon (IV) oxide and chlorophyll in photosynthesis
• detect the presence of starch in a leaf as evidence of photosynthesis
• identify macro- and micro-elements required by plants
• recognise the deficiency symptoms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
• indicate the sources of the various classes of food and determine their nutritional value
• relate the importance and deficiency (e.g. scurvy, rickets, kwashiorkor) of each class of food
• determine the importance of a balanced diet
• detect the presence of a food type from the result of a given experiment
• describe the structure of a typical mammalian tooth
• differentiate the types of mammalian teeth and relate their structures to their functions
• compare the dental formulae of man, sheep and dog
• relate the structure of the alimentary canal and its accessory organs (liver, pancreas, gall bladder) to their functions
• identify the general characteristics of digestive enzymes
• associate enzymes with digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats
• determine the end products of these classes of food

6. Transport (SS 1-3)

• need for transportation
• materials for transportation (excretory products, gases, manufactured food, digested food, nutrients, water, hormones)
• channels for transportation: mammalian circulatory system (heart, arteries, veins, capillaries); plant vascular system (phloem and xylem)
• media and processes of transportation

You should be able to:

• relate increase in size and complexity to the need for a transport system in plants and animals
• determine the sources of materials and the forms in which they are transported
• describe the general circulatory system
• compare the functions of the hepatic portal vein, pulmonary vein and artery, aorta, renal artery and vein
• identify the organs of the plant vascular system
• state the specific functions of the phloem and xylem
• identify media of transportation (cytoplasm, cell sap, body fluid, blood, lymph)
• state the composition and functions of blood and lymph
• describe diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis and turgidity as mechanisms of transportation
• compare open circulatory systems, transpiration pull, root pressure and active transport as transport mechanisms

7. Respiration (SS 1-3)

• respiratory organs and surfaces
• mechanism of gaseous exchange in plants and animals
• aerobic respiration
• anaerobic respiration

You should be able to:

• explain the significance of respiration
• outline the chemical processes of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle with reference to ATP production
• deduce gaseous exchange, products and heat production during respiration from an experimental set-up
• describe respiratory organs and surfaces (body surface, gill, trachea, lungs, stomata, lenticel) and the organisms in which they occur
• describe the mechanism for the opening and closing of the stomata
• determine respiratory mechanisms in plants and animals
• examine the role of oxygen in the liberation of energy
• explain the effect of insufficient supply of oxygen to the muscles
• use yeast cells and sugar solution to demonstrate fermentation
• state the economic importance of yeasts

8. Excretion (SS 1-3)

• types of excretory structures: contractile vacuole, flame cell, nephridium, Malpighian tubule, kidney, stoma and lenticel
• excretory mechanisms: kidneys, lungs, skin
• excretory products of plants

You should be able to:

• define and state the significance of excretion
• relate the characteristics of each excretory structure to its functions
• relate the structure of the kidneys to their excretory and osmoregulatory functions
• identify the functions and excretory products of the lungs and the skin
• deduce the economic importance of excretory products of plants (e.g. carbon (IV) oxide, oxygen, tannins, resins, gums, mucilage, alkaloids)

9. Support and movement (SS 1-3)

• 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

You should be able to:

• determine the need for support and movement in organisms
• identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem and phloem fibres)
• describe the distribution of supporting tissues in root, stem and leaf
• relate the response of plants to the stimuli of light, water, gravity and touch
• 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 layout of the mammalian skeleton to its supportive, locomotive and respiratory functions
• differentiate types of joints using appropriate examples
• apply the protective, supportive, locomotive and respiratory functions of the skeleton to the wellbeing of the animal

10. Reproduction (SS 1-3)

• asexual reproduction: fission (e.g. Paramecium), budding (e.g. yeast), natural and artificial vegetative propagation
• sexual reproduction in flowering plants: floral parts and functions, pollination and fertilization, products of sexual reproduction
• reproduction in mammals: structures and functions of male and female reproductive organs; fertilization and development (fusion of gametes)

You should be able to:

• differentiate between asexual and sexual reproduction
• apply natural vegetative propagation in crop production and multiplication
• apply grafting, budding and layering in agricultural practices
• relate parts of a flower to their functions and the reproductive process
• state the advantages of cross-pollination
• deduce the types of placentation that develop into simple, aggregate, multiple and succulent fruits
• differentiate between male and female reproductive organs and relate their structure and function to the production of offspring
• describe the fusion of gametes as fertilization
• relate the effects of the mother's health, nutrition and indiscriminate use of drugs on the embryo up to birth
• explain modern methods of regulating reproduction (e.g. in vitro fertilization, birth control)

11. Growth (SS 1-3)

• meaning of growth
• germination of seeds and conditions necessary for germination

You should be able to:

• apply the knowledge of the conditions necessary for germination to plant growth
• differentiate between epigeal and hypogeal germination

12. Co-ordination and control (SS 1-3)

• nervous co-ordination: central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, transmission of impulses, reflex action
• sense organs: skin (tactile), nose (olfactory), tongue (taste), eye (sight), ear (auditory)
• hormonal control: animal hormonal system (pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal gland, pancreas, gonads); plant hormones (phytohormones)
• homeostasis: body temperature regulation; salt and water regulation

You should be able to:

• apply the structure and function of the central nervous system to the coordination of body functions
• illustrate reflex actions such as blinking and knee jerk
• differentiate between reflex and voluntary actions and conditioned reflexes (e.g. salivation, riding a bicycle, swimming)
• relate the listed sense organs to their functions
• apply knowledge of the sense organs to detecting and correcting their defects
• state the location of the listed endocrine glands in animals
• relate the hormone produced by each gland to its functions
• examine the effects of phytohormones (auxins, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene) on growth, tropism, flowering, fruit ripening and leaf abscission
• relate the function of hormones to homeostasis

13. Factors affecting the distribution of organisms (SS 1-3)

• abiotic factors
• biotic factors

You should be able to:

• relate the effects of temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, altitude, salinity, turbidity, pH and edaphic conditions on the distribution of organisms
• use appropriate equipment (Secchi disc, thermometer, rain gauge) to measure abiotic factors
• describe how the activities of plants and animals (particularly humans) affect the distribution of organisms

14. Symbiotic interactions of plants and animals (SS 1-3)

• energy flow in the ecosystem: food chains, food webs and trophic levels
• nutrient cycling in nature: carbon cycle, water cycle, nitrogen cycle

You should be able to:

• determine examples of symbiosis, parasitism, saprophytism, commensalism, mutualism, amensalism, competition, predation and cooperation
• explain the distribution of organisms with food chains and food webs in particular habitats
• define food chains and webs
• describe the carbon cycle and its significance, including the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon (IV) oxide and global warming
• assess the effects of the water cycle on other nutrient cycles
• relate the roles of bacteria and leguminous plants in the cycling of nitrogen

15. Natural habitats (SS 1-3)

• aquatic (e.g. ponds, streams, lakes, seashores, mangrove swamps)
• terrestrial/arboreal (e.g. tree-tops, abandoned farmland, dry grassy (savanna) field, burrow or hole)

You should be able to:

• associate plants and animals with each habitat
• relate adaptive features to the habitats in which organisms live

16. Local (Nigerian) biomes (SS 1-3)

• tropical rainforest
• Guinea savanna (southern and northern)
• Sudan savanna
• desert
• highlands of montane forests and grasslands of the Obudu, Jos and Mambilla Plateaus

You should be able to:

• locate biomes in regions
• apply the features of the listed biomes to determining the characteristics of different regions of Nigeria

17. The ecology of populations (SS 1-3)

• population density and overcrowding
• adaptation for survival: factors that bring about competition; intra- and inter-specific competition; relationship between competition and succession
• factors affecting population sizes: biotic (food, pest, disease, predation, competition, reproductive ability) and abiotic (temperature, space, light, rainfall, topography, pressure, pH)
• ecological succession: primary and secondary

You should be able to:

• determine the reasons for rapid changes in human population and the consequences of overcrowding
• calculate density as the number of organisms per unit area
• relate increase in population, diseases, shortage of food and space to intra- and inter-specific competition
• determine niche differentiation as a means of reducing intra-specific competition
• relate competition to succession
• deduce the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on population size
• determine interactions between biotic and abiotic factors (e.g. drought leading to food shortage)
• trace the sequence in succession to the climax stage of stability in plant population

18. Soil (SS 1-3)

• characteristics of soil types (sandy, loamy, clayey): soil structure; porosity, capillarity and humus content
• components of the soil: inorganic, organic, soil organisms, soil air, soil water
• soil fertility: loss of soil fertility; renewal and maintenance of soil fertility

You should be able to:

• identify physical properties of soil types by simple measurement of particle size, porosity or water retention
• determine experimentally the amounts of air, water, humus and capillarity in different soil types
• relate soil characteristics, types and components to healthy plant growth
• relate loss of inorganic matter, compaction, leaching, topsoil erosion and repeated cropping with one variety to loss of fertility
• apply contour ridging, terracing, mulching, poly-cropping, strip-cropping, fertilizers, crop rotation and shifting cultivation to soil conservation

19. Humans and environment (SS 1-3)

• diseases: common and endemic diseases; easily transmissible diseases and syndromes (poliomyelitis, cholera, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases/syndromes e.g. gonorrhoea, syphilis, AIDS)
• drug abuse: drug addiction, commonly abused drugs, prevention of drug abuse
• pollution and its control: sources, types, effects and control; sanitation and sewage
• conservation of natural resources
• game reserves and national parks

You should be able to:

• identify ecological conditions that favour the spread of endemic and potentially epidemic diseases (e.g. malaria, meningitis, dracunculiasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, typhoid fever, cholera)
• relate the biology of the vector or agent of each disease to its spread and control
• define drug abuse and addiction, list commonly abused drugs and state their effects on health
• use knowledge of causative organisms, transmission and symptoms in prevention, treatment and control of the listed diseases
• apply the principles of inoculation and vaccination to disease prevention
• categorize pollution into air, water and soil
• relate common pollutants to human health and environmental degradation and determine methods of control
• explain the importance of sanitation (solid waste, sewage disposal, community health, personal hygiene)
• assess the roles of health agencies (WHO, UNICEF, IRCS, ministries of health and environment)
• apply methods of conserving renewable and non-renewable natural resources
• outline the benefits of conserving natural resources and preventing desertification
• identify conservation bodies (e.g. NCF, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria National Parks, WWF, IUCN, UNEP) and their activities
• identify the location and importance of game reserves and national parks in Nigeria

20. Variation in population (SS 1-3)

• morphological variation: size (height and weight), colour (skin, eye, hair, coat, scales, feathers), fingerprints
• physiological variation: ability to roll tongue, ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), blood groups
• application of discontinuous variation in crime detection, blood transfusion and determination of paternity

You should be able to:

• differentiate between continuous and discontinuous variation with examples
• relate environmental conditions, habitat and genetic constitution to variation
• measure heights and weights of pupils of the same age group
• plot graphs of frequency distribution of heights and weights
• observe and record colour patterns in some plants and animals
• apply classification of fingerprints in identity detection
• identify examples of physiological variation in human populations and categorize people accordingly
• apply blood groups in blood transfusion and determination of paternity
• use discontinuous variation in crime detection

21. Heredity (SS 1-3)

• inheritance of characters: heritable and non-heritable characters
• chromosomes - the basis of heredity: structure; transmission of hereditary characters from parents to offspring
• probability in genetics and sex determination
• application of the principles of heredity in agriculture and medicine
• sex-linked characters (e.g. baldness, haemophilia, colour blindness)

You should be able to:

• determine heritable and non-heritable characters with examples
• illustrate the simple structure of DNA
• illustrate segregation of genes at meiosis and recombination at fertilization
• deduce that segregation occurs during gamete formation and recombination at fertilization is random
• analyse data on cross-breeding experiments
• apply heredity to producing new crop and livestock varieties by cross-breeding
• deduce advantages and disadvantages of out-breeding and in-breeding
• analyse elementarily the issues of genetically modified organisms (GMO), gene therapy and biosafety
• apply heredity in marriage counselling (blood grouping, sickle-cell anaemia, Rhesus factor)
• describe the significance of recombinant DNA in producing insulin, interferon and enzymes
• identify sex-linked characters

22. Biotechnology (SS 1-3)

• application of biotechnology in agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals and the food industry

You should be able to:

• define biotechnology
• list applications in agriculture, medicine, pharmaceutical and food industries

23. Theories of evolution (SS 1-3)

• Lamarck's theory
• Darwin's theory
• organic theory

You should be able to:

• relate organic evolution to the sum of adaptive changes over a long period resulting in diversity of forms, structures and functions
• explain the contributions of Lamarck and Darwin to the theory of evolution
• state the evidences in support of organic evolution

24. Evidence of evolution (SS 1-3)

You should be able to:

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

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