NEET Biology Syllabus 2026 (Botany & Zoology) with Weightage; PDF Download

NEET Biology Syllabus 2026 has been released by the NTA. Candidates preparing for exam must cover the NEET syllabus Biology 2026. The syllabus includes chapters from Botany and Zoology. Check below the NEET Biology chapter-wise weightage and download the syllabus PDF.

NEET Biology Syllabus 2025 with Chapter-Wise Weightage

The NTA has released the NEET 2026 syllabus for Biology. The syllabus remains the same as last year. The Biology section of NEET exam is of the highest weightage, with the most number of questions (90 MCQs). The NEET Biology section is segregated into Botany and Zoology, and each of these sections contain 45 questions. Candidates need to prepare the Biology section in detail by covering all the topics prescribed by the NTA. The total Biology chapters for NEET 2026 are 10. Check below the detailed NEET Biology syllabus 2026 along with the chapter-wise weightage. Candidates can refer to this article to learn how to prepare for the Biology section of the NEET exam.

NEET 2026 Biology Syllabus Overview

Although there is no segregation of syllabus for Class 11 and Class 12, for the convenience of students, the table below brings the total chapters in Biology Class 11 and 12 for NEET 2026. 

NEET Biology Syllabus 2026

In this section, we bring to you the topics under each unit of the chapter under the Biology syllabus for NEET.

Unit I: Diversity in Living World

• What is living?; Biodiversity; Need for classification; Taxonomy & Systematics; Concept of species and taxonomical hierarchy; Binomial nomenclature.

• Five kingdom classifications; salient features and classification of Monera; Protista and Fungi into major groups; Lichens; Viruses and Viroids.

• Salient features and classification of plants into major groups - Algae, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms (three to five salient and distinguishing features and at least two examples of each category);.

• Salient features and classification of animals-nonchordate up to phyla level and chordate up to classes level (three to five salient features and at least two examples)

Unit II: Structural Organisation in Animals and Plants

• Morphology and modifications; Tissues; Anatomy and functions of different parts of flowering plants: Root, stem, leaf, inflorescence- cymose and recemose, flower, fruit and seed (To be dealt along with the relevant practical of the Practical Syllabus). Family (malvaceae, Cruciferae, leguminoceae, compositae, graminae).

• Animal tissues; Morphology, anatomy and functions of different systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and reproductive) of an insect (frog). (Brief account only)

Unit III: Cell Structure and Function

• Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life; Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell; Plant cell and animal cell; Cell envelope, cell membrane, cell wall; Cell organelles-structure and function; Endomembrane system-endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies, lysosomes, vacuoles; mitochondria, ribosomes, plastids, micro bodies; Cytoskeleton, cilia, flagella, centrioles (ultra structure and function); Nucleus-nuclear membrane, chromatin, nucleolus.

• Chemical constituents of living cells: Biomolecules-structure and function of proteins, carbodydrates, lipids, nucleic acids; Enzymes-types, properties, enzyme action, classification and nomenclature of enzymes.

• B Cell division: Cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis and their significance.

Unit IV: Plant Physiology

• Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis as a means of Autotrophic nutrition; Site of photosynthesis take place; pigments involved in Photosynthesis (Elementary idea); Photochemical and biosynthetic phases of photosynthesis; Cyclic and non cyclic and photophosphorylation; Chemiosmotic hypothesis; Photorespiration C3 and C4 pathways; Factors affecting photosynthesis.

• Respiration: Exchange gases; Cellular respiration-glycolysis, fermentation (anaerobic), TCA cycle and electron transport system (aerobic); Energy relations- Number of ATP molecules generated; Amphibolic pathways; Respiratory quotient.

• Plant growth and development: Seed germination; Phases of Plant growth and plant growth rate; Conditions of growth; Differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation; Sequence of developmental process in a plant cell; Growth regulators-auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA.

Unit V: Human physiology

• Breathing and Respiration: Respiratory organs in animals (recall only); Respiratory system in humans; Mechanism of breathing and its regulation in humans-Exchange of gases, transport of gases and regulation of respiration Respiratory volumes; Disorders related to respiration-Asthma, Emphysema, Occupational respiratory disorders.

• Body fluids and circulation: Composition of blood, blood groups, coagulation of blood; Composition of lymph and its function; Human circulatory system-Structure of human heart and blood vessels; Cardiac cycle, cardiac output, ECG, Double circulation; Regulation of cardiac activity; Disorders of circulatory system-Hypertension, Coronary artery disease, Angina pectoris, Heart failure.

• Excretory products and their elimination: Modes of excretion- Ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism; Human excretory system-structure and fuction; Urine formation, Osmoregulation; Regulation of kidney function-Renin-angiotensin, Atrial Natriuretic Factor, ADH and Diabetes insipidus; Role of other organs in excretion; Disorders; Uraemia, Renal failure, Renal calculi, Nephritis; Dialysis and artificial kidney.

• Locomotion and Movement: Types of movement- ciliary, fiagellar, muscular; Skeletal musclecontractile proteins and muscle contraction; Skeletal system and its functions (To be dealt with the relevant practical of Practical syllabus); Joints; Disorders of muscular and skeletal systemMyasthenia gravis, Tetany, Muscular dystrophy, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Gout.

• Neural control and coordination: Neuron and nerves; Nervous system in humanscentral nervous system, peripheral nervous system and visceral nervous system; Generation and conduction of nerve impulse; Reflex action; Sense organs; Elementary structure and function of eye and ear.

• Chemical coordination and regulation: Endocrine glands and hormones; Human endocrine systemHypothalamus, Pituitary, Pineal, Thyroid, Parathyroid, Adrenal, Pancreas, Gonads; Mechanism of hormone action (Elementary Idea); Role of hormones as messengers and regulators, Hypo-and hyperactivity and related disorders (Common disorders e.g. Dwarfism, Acromegaly, Cretinism, goiter, exopthalmic goiter, diabetes, Addison’s disease). (Imp: Diseases and disorders mentioned above to be dealt in brief.)

Unit VI: Reproduction

• Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: Flower structure; Development of male and female gametophytes; Pollination-types, agencies and examples; Outbreeding devices; Pollen-Pistil interaction; Double fertilization; Post fertilization events- Development of endosperm and embryo, Development of seed and formation of fruit; Special modes-apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony; Significance of seed and fruit formation.

• Human Reproduction: Male and female reproductive systems; Microscopic anatomy of testis and ovary; Gametogenesis-spermatogenesis & oogenesis; Menstrual cycle; Fertilisation, embryo development upto blastocyst formation, implantation; Pregnancy and placenta formation (Elementary idea); Parturition (Elementary idea); Lactation (Elementary idea).

• Reproductive health: Need for reproductive health and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD); Birth control-Need and Methods, Contraception and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP); Amniocentesis; Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies – IVF, ZIFT, GIFT (Elementary idea for general awareness)

Unit VII: Genetics and Evolution

• Heredity and variation: Mendelian Inheritance; Deviations from Mendelism- Incomplete dominance, Co-dominance, Multiple alleles and Inheritance of blood groups, Pleiotropy; Elementary idea of polygenic inheritance; Chromosome theory of inheritance; Chromosomes and genes; Sex determination-In humans, birds, honey bee; Linkage and crossing over; Sex linked inheritance-Haemophilia, Colour blindness; Mendelian disorders in humans-Thalassemia; Chromosomal disorders in humans; Down’s syndrome, Turner’s and Klinefelter’s syndromes.

• Molecular basis of Inheritance: Search for genetic material and DNA as genetic material; Structure of DNA and RNA; DNA packaging; DNA replication; Central dogma; Transcription, genetic code, translation; Gene expression and regulation- Lac Operon; Genome and human genome project; DNA finger printing, protein biosynthesis. 

• Evolution: Origin of life; Biological evolution and evidences for biological evolution from Paleontology, comparative anatomy, embryology and molecular evidence); Darwin’s contribution, Modern Synthetic theory of Evolution; Mechanism of evolution-Variation (Mutation and Recombination) and Natural Selection with examples, types of natural selection; Gene flow and genetic drift; Hardy-Weinberg’s principle; Adaptive Radiation; Human evolution.

Unit VIII: Biology and Human Welfare

• Health and Disease; Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (Malaria, Filariasis, Ascariasis. Typhoid, Pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm); Basic concepts of immunologyvaccines; Cancer, HIV and AIDS; Adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse, Tobacco abuse.

• Improvement in food production; Plant breeding, tissue culture, single cell protein, Biofortification; Apiculture and Animal husbandry.

• Microbes in human welfare: In household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment, energy generation and as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers.

Unit IX: Biotechnology and Its Applications

• Principles and process of Biotechnology: Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology).

• Application of Biotechnology in Health and Agriculture: Human insulin and vaccine production, gene therapy; Genetically modified organisms-Bt crops; Transgenic Animals; Biosafety issuesBiopiracy and patents.

Unit X: Ecology and Environment

• Organisms and environment: Population interactions-mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; Population attributes-growth, birth rate and death rate, age distribution.

• Ecosystem: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; Energy flow; Pyramids of number, biomass, energy.

• Biodiversity and its conservation: Concept of Biodiversity; Patterns of Biodiversity; Importance of Biodiversity; Loss of Biodiversity; Biodiversity conservation; Hotspots, endangered organisms, extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, National parks and sanctuaries, Sacred Groves.

• Environmental issues: Air pollution and its control; Water pollution and its control; Agrochemicals and their effects; Solid waste management; Radioactive waste management; Greenhouse effect and global warming; Ozone depletion; Deforestation; Any three case studies as success stories addressing environmental issues.

NEET Biology Syllabus PDF 2026

With the NEET 2026 scheduled on May 3, 2026, it is high time that aspirants should complete the Biology syllabus. Download the NEET Biology syllabus PDF 2026 below.

NEET Syllabus Biology 2026 for Botany & Zoology

The Biology section of NEET exam is segregated into Botany and Zoology. Have a look at the NEET Botany and Zoology topics below-

NEET Biology Chapter Wise Weightage 2026

The table brings the topics from the NEET Biology syllabus in NEET along with their weightage. 

Note: The above table carries topic-wise weightages based on last year's NEET exam. Candidates may use it for reference by omitting the removed topics.

List of Deleted Chapters of NEET Biology Syllabus

The chapters were removed from the NEET Biology syllabus in 2024. 

Best Books to Prepare for NEET Biology Syllabus

The best books to prepare for the NEET Biology syllabus are given below:

• NCERT Biology Books for Class 11 and Class 12
• Biology by Trueman (Volume 1 and 2)
• Objective Botany by Ansari
• Pradeep Guide on Biology
• G R Bathla publications for Biology
• Moderns ABC of Biology for XI and XII by B B Arora, A K Sabharwal (Modern Publishers)
• Exploring Biology (Vol 1 and 2) by Sanjay Sharma and Sudhakar Banerjee (Arihant Publications)
• Objective Biology (Vol 1, 2 and 3) by K N Bhatia/ K Bhatia (Dinesh Publications)
• Medical Entrances Biology (Vol 1, 2 and 3) Mamta R Solanki and Lalita Ghotik (Target Publications)
• Together with Biology by S Venugopal

NEET Biology Syllabus 2026 Analysis

As per the NEET exam analysis, Biology questions in NEET are mostly NCERT-based. Questions were mostly from topics such as Human Physiology, Genetics, and Plant Physiology. Unlike previous years, this year's question papers featured six figure-based and three direction-based questions, along with 30 'match the following' and 17 statement-based questions. As 30 per cent of the questions were of the 'match the following' type, some students found the paper a bit lengthy. The infographic brings the weightage of NEET Biology questions for Class 11 and Class 12.

How to Prepare for NEET Biology 2026?

Biology is one of the easiest subjects of NEET and studying for the NEET 2025 Biology syllabus would require sincerity and determination, along with conceptual clarity. Here are a few tips for NEET 2025 Biology preparation. 

• Refer to the right books: Students must complete the NCERT Biology textbooks first to develop the foundational knowledge, or to complete fundamental preparation. After that, they may move on to other advanced books,
• Use visual learning techniques: Since Biology is all about diagrams, using visual learning techniques like using flashcards, drawing diagrams and labelling important parts, making notes and highlighting the important points, to name a few. 
• Solving NEET previous years questions, mock tests: NEET question papers give the right exposure to students in terms of the question types and topics covered in the NEET Biology syllabus. It also serves as a proper practice material, along with taking regular NEET mock tests. 
•  Regular revision: Regular revision is the key to any exam preparation. As soon as you complete a topic, you should revise and brush up on the knowledge acquired. Regular revision will ensure that you do not forget the topics that you had prepared a while ago. 
• Make a timetable: Since NEET preparation involves studying multiple subjects, it is of utmost importance to strike a balance. Here, preparing a timetable comes in handy, wherein students will allot a proper schedule to study, revise, and practice the NEET Biology syllabus. 

The NEET exam pattern has undergone changes. Instead of 200 minutes, the exam will now have 180 minutes. There will not be any optional questions in the NEET exam, unlike the previous years. The NEET question paper will carry 180 questions, all of which are mandatory to attempt. Each subject will have 45 questions. The Biology subject will have 90 questions in total, wherein Botany and Zoology will have 45 questions each. 

Read More:

• NEET Biology Question Papers
• NEET Physics Syllabus with Chapter-wise Weightage
• NEET Chemistry Syllabus with Chapter-wise Weightage