Sri Lanka Advanced Level Examination Syllabus - Biology (For Bio Science)

This syllabus, implemented from 2017, aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of biological concepts and their applications in various fields. It emphasizes practical skills, investigative processes, and problem-solving abilities. The syllabus is structured around several units, each covering a specific area of biology.

Unit 1: Introduction to Biology (5 periods)

This unit introduces the scope and importance of biology, exploring its multidisciplinary nature and addressing challenges faced by mankind. It covers the characteristics of living organisms, hierarchical levels of organization, and the cell as the basic unit of life.

Unit 2: Chemical & Cellular Basis of Life (85 periods)

This unit delves into the chemical composition of living matter, including the importance of water and the structure and function of organic compounds (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids). It also covers microscopy, cell theory, cell structure and function, cell cycle, cell division (mitosis and meiosis), metabolism, enzymes, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration.

Unit 3: Evolution and Diversity of Organisms (61 periods)

This unit explores theories of the origin of life, evolution of biological diversity, and natural selection. It also covers the classification and nomenclature of organisms, the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya), and the diversity of organisms within each kingdom.

Unit 4: Plant Form and Function (77 periods)

This unit examines plant tissues, growth, and development, including primary and secondary growth. It also covers resource acquisition and transport in vascular plants, gaseous exchange, transpiration, nutrition, reproduction (including alternation of generations and sexual reproduction in flowering plants), movements in plants, and plant responses to internal and external signals.

Unit 5: Animal Form and Function (193 periods)

This unit covers animal tissues, heterotrophic nutrition, the human digestive system, circulation and gas exchange, blood, the human respiratory system, immunity, osmoregulation and excretion, the human urinary system, nervous coordination, the human nervous system, nerve impulse conduction, sensory structures, the human skin, the endocrine system, homeostasis, reproduction, and the skeletal system and movement.

Unit 6: Genetics (22 periods)

This unit explores Mendelian heredity, human Mendelian characteristics, non-Mendelian inheritance, population genetics, and plant and animal breeding.

Unit 7: Molecular Biology & Recombinant DNA Technology (42 periods)

This unit covers the structure and function of DNA and RNA, gene expression, mutations, DNA manipulation techniques, gene technology, DNA analysis, and genetically modified organisms.

Unit 8: Environmental Biology (41 periods)

This unit introduces environmental biology, ecosystem structure and function, biomes, ecosystems in Sri Lanka, biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, global environmental problems, and methods of biodiversity and environmental conservation.

Unit 9: Microbiology (50 periods)

This unit covers the diversity and handling of microorganisms, microorganisms as human pathogens, methods of controlling microbial populations, the use of microorganisms in industry, agriculture, and the environment, and the role of soil microorganisms.

Unit 10: Applied Biology (24 periods)

This unit explores ornamental fish cultivation, nursery management, horticultural practices, vector-borne diseases (dengue and filaria), food preservation and postharvest losses, and emerging technologies in biology (nanobiology, stem cell therapy, and the Human Genome Project).