ICSE or The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education is an autonomous body that caters to a vast section of students from India, living in the country or abroad, opting for a course in quality general education.ICSE conducts Class 10 Board exams for seven subjects, out of which four are compulsory subjects, and the rest three are choice-based. English, History, Commercial Studies, Science, Environmental Science, etc. some of the subjects taught under the ICSE board.
ICSE science is listed as one of the subjects from Group II of the syllabus and comprises three primary subjects that may define students’ careers in Science Stream. They are Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The Noon Academy would give the readers clear guidance towards preparation for the Class 10 Biology Exam. This seemingly popular and simple subject which is a favorite popular among students also proves to be quite tricky when scoring a good grade for the boards. But by following the guidelines step by step, students can do satisfactorily well.
The Biology Theory Exam is conducted for a duration of 1 ½ hrs, and the paper is divided into two sections :
| Section – A – Short compulsory questions worth 40 marks |
| Section – B – 6 questions out of which any 4 are to be solved worth 40 marks |
Theory Syllabus of ICSE Class X Bilogy
| Subject | Percentage External Examination | Marks Internal Examination |
| Biology | 80% | 20% |
ICSE Board syllabus is well-structured and aims to build analytical skills and practical knowledge among students. Though it is pretty vast, equal weightage is given to all subjects, stressing a detailed study of those subjects students choose themselves. Here the external and internal exams are designed so that a student has to do well over the year and must be familiar with the syllabus very well.
Of course, due to the Covid Pandemic, ICSE has reduced the syllabus by 30% for students from classes 6-10 for the 2020-2021 academic year, which has helped students reduce the stress and burden. Class 10 boards being one of the most important exams and a prerequisite for class 12 boards and competitive exams, Noon Academy aims to provide excellent knowledge of the topics included in the syllabus and the marking scheme. The ICSE syllabus for Class 10 Biology consists of the following chapters:
| Basic Biology | The Nervous System |
| Cell – The Structural and Functional Unit of Life | Sense Organs |
| Structure of Chromosomes, Cell Cycle and Cell Division | Endocrine Glands – The Producers of Chemical Messengers |
| Genetics – Some Basic Fundamentals | The Reproductive System |
| Absorption by Roots – The Processes Involved | Human Evolution |
| Transpiration | Population – The Increasing Numbers and Rising Problems |
| Photosynthesis – Provider of Food for All | Pollution – A Rising Environmental Problem |
| Chemical Coordination in Plants | Aids to Health |
| The Circulatory System | Health Organisations |
| The Excretory System [Elimination of Body Wastes] |
ICSE Class 10 Summary of Theory Syllabus
Based on the above chapters, students are taught in detail about:
1. Basic Biology
(i) Cell Cycle and Cell Division:
Cell Cycle – Interphase (G1, S, G2) and Mitotic Phase
Cell Division: Mitosis and its stages.
- A basic understanding of Meiosis as a reduction division (stages not required).
- A brief idea of homologous chromosomes and crossing over leading to variations.
- Significance and significant differences between mitotic and meiotic division.
(ii) Structure of chromosome:
The basic structure of chromosome with an elementary understanding of terms such as chromatin, chromatid, gene structure of DNA, and centromere.
(iii) Genetics: Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
- The three laws of Mendel.
- Monohybrid cross
- The following terms to be covered: gene, allele, heterozygous, homozygous, etc
- Inheritance in Humans – A few characters and their traits. Tongue rolling as an example of inheritance.
2. Plant Physiology
(i) Absorption by roots, imbibition, diffusion, and osmosis; osmotic pressure, root pressure; turgidity and flaccidity; plasmolysis and deplasmolysis; The rise of water up to the xylem; Forces responsible for ascent of sap.
(ii) Transpiration
(iii) Photosynthesis:
3. Human Anatomy and Physiology
(i) Circulatory System(ii) Excretory System
(iii) Nervous system
Sense organs – Eye: Structure, functions, defects, and corrective measures: Ear: Parts and functions of the ear.
(iv) Endocrine System: General study of the following glands: Adrenal, Pancreas, Thyroid, and Pituitary. Endocrine and Exocrine glands.
Class 10 ICSE Biology Practical Syllabus and List of Experiments
Biology being an application-based subject holds the key to enhanced knowledge as conducting experiments leads to a more profound interest in the subject among students. Practical work encourages active learning and problem-solving skills.ICSE Class 10 Biology practical syllabus helps students understand the theoretical concepts and engage them with the scientific method. Proper attention to both theory and practical can fetch good marks. Internal assessment or practicals is designed to test the ability of the candidates to make accurate observations from specimens of plants and animals. For this, the candidates should be familiar with using a hand lens of not less than x6 magnification. Candidates should be trained to make accurate and straightforward drawings and brief notes as a means of recording their observations. The practical examiners will assume that candidates would have carried out the experimental work outlined below.
Plant Life
(i) Observation of permanent slides of stages of mitosis.
(ii) Experiments demonstrating:
• Diffusion: Using potassium permanganate in water.
• Osmosis: Thistle Funnel experiment and potato osmoscope.
• Absorption: Using a small herbaceous plant.
(iii) Experiments on Transpiration:
• demonstration of the process using a Bell Jar.
• demonstration of unequal transpiration in a dorsiventral leaf using cobalt chloride paper. • demonstration of uptake of water and the rate of transpiration using Ganong’s photometer.
(iv) Experiments on Photosynthesis:
• to show the necessity of light, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
• to show the release of O2 during photosynthesis using hydrilla/elodea.
Animal Life
(i) Identification of the structures of the urinary system, heart, and kidney (internal structure), and brain (external view) through models and charts
(ii) The identification of different types of blood cells under a microscope.
(iii) Identification of the internal structure of the Ear and Eye (Through models and charts).
(iv) Identification and location of selected endocrine glands: Adrenal, Pancreas, Thyroid, and Pituitary glands with the help of a model or chart.
The above assignments/project work is evaluated by the subject teacher/Internal and an External Examiner. The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.
| Marks Awarded | 20 marks |
| Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) | 10 marks |
| External Examiner | 10 marks |
Frequently Asked Questions of Class X Biology
- What is the marking scheme of the Class 10 Biology exam conducted by the ICSE Board?
Marking Scheme followed by ICSE Biology for class 10 exam is THeory-80 Marks and Practical 20 Marks.
- What is the complete form of ICSE?
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education is its full form.
- What are the experiments conducted during the Biology practicals of Class 10?
Four sets of experiments on Plant and Animal life are listed in the practical section, which students have to perform and evaluate by examiners.
- What is the percentage of the Biology syllabus reduced in the year 2020-2021?
For 2020-2021,30% syllabus was reduced, but there is no such announcement for 2021-2022.
- How many marks can be awarded by the Internal Examiner in the Class 10 Biology Practical Exam?
The internal examiner awards ten marks, and the other ten marks are given by the external examiner.