Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Biology Curriculum

4. Respiration:

WAEC 2024 - Join Now

Topics: a. Respiration b. Respiratory Organs and Surfaces c. Mechanism of Gaseous Exchange in: i. Plants ii. Mammals d. Aerobic Respiration e. Anaerobic Respiration

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. Significance of Respiration:

• Examine the significance of respiration.

ii. Chemical Processes:

• Describe a simplified outline of the chemical process involved in glycolysis and Kreb’s cycle with reference to the role of ATP.
• Deduce, from an experimental setup, gaseous exchange, products, and the exchange and production of heat energy during respiration.

iii. Respiratory Organs and Surfaces:

• Describe respiratory organs and surfaces, including body surface, gill, trachea, lungs, stomata, and lenticel, with reference to organisms in which they occur.

iv. Mechanism and Movements:

• Describe the mechanism for the opening and closing of stomata.
• Determine respiratory movements in animals.

v. Oxygen and Muscles:

• Examine the role of oxygen in the liberation of energy for the activities of living organisms.
• Deduce the effect of insufficient oxygen supply to the muscles.

vi. Fermentation and Yeast:

• Use yeast cells and sugar solution to demonstrate the process of fermentation.
• Understand the economic importance of yeasts.

5. Excretion:

Topics: a. Types of Excretory Structures: i. Contractile vacuole ii. Flame cell iii. Nephridium iv. Malpighian tubule v. Kidney vi. Stoma and lenticel b. Excretory Mechanisms: i. Kidneys ii. Lungs iii. Skin c. Excretory Products of Plants

Objectives:

i. Meaning and Significance of Excretion:

• Define the meaning and state the significance of excretion.
• Relate the characteristics of each excretory structure to its functions.

ii. Structure and Functions:

• Relate the structure of the kidneys to excretory and osmoregulatory functions.
• Identify the functions and excretory products of the lungs and the skin.

iii. Economic Importance of Plant Excretory Products:

• Deduce the economic importance of excretory products of plants, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, tannins, resins, gums, mucilage, alkaloids, etc.

6. Support and Movement:

Topics: 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

Objectives:

i. Need for Support and Movement:

• Determine the need for support and movement in organisms.

ii. Supporting Tissues in Plants:

• Identify supporting tissues in plants (collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem, and phloem fibers).
• Describe the distribution of supporting tissues in roots, stem, and leaf.

iii. Plant Responses to Stimuli:

• Relate the response of plants to stimuli such as light, water, gravity, and touch.
• Identify regions of growth in roots and shoots and the roles of auxins in tropism.

iv. Animal Skeleton and Joints:

• Relate the location of chitin, cartilage, and bone to their supporting function.
• Relate the structure and general layout of the mammalian skeleton to its supportive, locomotive, and respiratory functions.
• Differentiate types of joints using appropriate examples.

v. Functions of the Skeleton:

• Apply the protective, supportive, locomotive, and respiratory functions of the skeleton to the well-being of the animal.

7. Reproduction:

Topics: a. Asexual Reproduction i. Fission as in Paramecium ii. Budding as in 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 Male and Female Reproductive Organs ii. Fertilization and Development (Fusion of Gametes)

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. Asexual Reproduction:

• Differentiate between asexual and sexual reproduction.
• Apply natural vegetative propagation in crop production and multiplication.
• Apply grafting, budding, and layering in agricultural practices.

ii. Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants:

• Relate parts of the flower to their functions and the reproductive process.
• Deduce the advantages of cross-pollination.
• Deduce different types of placentation leading to simple, aggregate, multiple, and succulent fruits.

iii. Reproduction in Mammals:

• Differentiate between male and female reproductive organs.
• Relate their structure and function to the production of offspring.

iv. Fertilization and Development:

• Describe the fusion of gametes as the process of fertilization.
• Relate the effects of the mother’s health, nutrition, and indiscriminate use of drugs on the developmental stages of the embryo up to birth.
• Explore modern methods of regulating reproduction, e.g., in vitro fertilization and birth control.

8. Growth:

Topics: a. Meaning of Growth b. Germination of Seeds and Conditions Necessary for Germination of Seeds

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. Growth:

• Apply the knowledge of the conditions necessary for germination to plant growth.
• Differentiate between epigeal and hypogeal germination.

9. Co-ordination and Control:

Topics: a. Nervous Co-ordination i. Components, Structure, and Functions of the Central Nervous System ii. 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

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. Nervous Co-ordination:

• Apply the knowledge of the structure and function of the central nervous system in coordinating body functions in organisms.
• Illustrate reflex actions such as blinking of the eyes, knee jerk, etc.
• Differentiate between reflex and voluntary actions and recognize conditioned reflexes such as salivation, riding a bicycle, and swimming.

ii. Sense Organs:

• Associate the listed sense organs with their functions.
• Apply the knowledge of the structure and functions of these sense organs in detecting and correcting their defects.

iii. Hormonal Control:

• Locate the listed endocrine glands in animals.
• Relate the hormone produced by each of these glands to their functions.
• Examine the effects of various phytohormones (e.g., auxins, gibberellin, cytokinin, and ethylene) on growth, tropism, flowering, fruit ripening, and leaf abscission.

iv. Homeostasis:

• Relate the function of hormones to regulating the levels of materials inside the body.

Topics:

i. Abiotic ii. Biotic

Objectives:

A. Abiotic and Biotic Factors: i. Deduce 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 (e.g., secchi disc, thermometer, rain gauge, etc.) to measure abiotic factors.

B. Human Impact on Distribution: Describe how the activities of plants/animals (particularly human) affect the distribution of organisms.

2. Symbiotic Interactions of Plants and Animals:

Topics: (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

Objectives:

i. Symbiotic Interactions: i. Determine appropriate examples of symbiosis, parasitism, saprophytism, commensalism, mutualism, amensalism, competition, predation, and cooperation among organisms. ii. Associate the distribution of organisms with food chains and food webs in particular habitats.

ii. Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling: i. Describe food chains and webs. ii. Describe the cycle and its significance, including the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon (IV) oxide, and global warming. iii. Assess the effects of the water cycle on other nutrient cycles. iv. Relate the roles of bacteria and leguminous plants in the cycling of nitrogen.

3. Natural Habitats:

Topics: (a) Aquatic (e.g., ponds, streams, lakes, seashores, and mangrove swamps) (b) Terrestrial/Arboreal (e.g., tree-tops of oil palm, abandoned farmland or a dry grassy (savanna) field, and burrow or hole.

Objectives:

i. Associate plants and animals with each of these habitats. ii. Relate adaptive features to the habitats in which organisms live.

4. Local (Nigerian) Biomes:

Topics: 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 Plateau.

Objectives:

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.

5. The Ecology of Populations:

Topics: (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 (e.g., food, pest, disease, predation, competition, reproductive ability). ii. Abiotic (e.g., temperature, space, light, rainfall, topography, pressure, pH, etc.) (d) Ecological succession i. Primary succession ii. Secondary succession

Objectives:

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.

i) Relate the increase in population, diseases, shortage of food and space with intra- and inter-specific competition. ii) Determine niche differentiation as a means of reducing intra-specific competition. iii) Relate competition to succession.

i. Deduce the effect of these factors on the size of the population. ii. Determine the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, e.g., drought or scarcity of water leading to food shortages and lack of space causing an increase in disease rates.

i. Trace the sequence in succession to the climax stage of stability in plant population.

6. Soil

Topics:

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

Objectives:

Candidates should be able to:

i. Soil Characteristics: i. Identify physical properties of different soil types based on simple measurements of particle size, porosity, or water retention ability. ii. Determine the amounts of air, water, humus, and capillarity in different soil types experimentally.

ii. Healthy Plant Growth: i. Relate soil characteristics, types, and components to the healthy growth of plants.

iii. Factors Affecting Soil Fertility: i. Relate factors such as loss of inorganic matter, compaction, leaching, erosion of the topsoil, and repeated cropping with one variety to soil fertility.

iv. Soil Conservation Practices: i. 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.

7. Humans and Environment:

Topics:

a) Diseases: (i) Common and Endemic Diseases. ii. Easily Transmissible Diseases and Disease Syndromes such as:

• Poliomyelitis
• Cholera
• Tuberculosis
• Sexually Transmitted Disease/Syndrome (Gonorrhea, Syphilis, AIDS, etc.)

b. Pollution and Its Control: (i) Sources, Types, Effects, and Methods of Control. (ii) Sanitation and Sewage

c) Conservation of Natural Resources

d) Game Reserves and National Parks

Objectives:

i. Disease Spread and Control: i. Identify ecological conditions that favor the spread of common endemic and potentially epidemic diseases, e.g., malaria, meningitis, dracunculiasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, typhoid fever, and cholera, etc. ii. Relate the biology of the vector or agent of each disease with its spread and control.

ii. Disease Prevention and Control: i. Use the knowledge of the causative organisms, mode of transmission, and symptoms of the listed diseases for their prevention/treatment/control. ii. Apply the principles of inoculation and vaccination in disease prevention.

iii. Pollution and Control: i. Categorize pollution into air, water, and soil pollution. ii. Relate the effects of common pollutants to human health and environmental degradation. iii. Determine the methods by which each pollutant may be controlled.

iv. Sanitation and Health Agencies: i. Examine the importance of sanitation with emphasis on solid waste sewage disposal, community health, and personal hygiene. ii. 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.

v. Conservation of Natural Resources: (i) Apply various methods of conservation of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources for the protection of our environment for present and future generations. (ii) Outline the benefits of conserving natural resources, prevention of desertification. (iii) 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 assess their activities.

vi. Game Reserves and National Parks: i. Know the location and importance of game reserves and National parks in Nigeria.

D: Heredity and Variations (I) Variation in Population