NEET Zoology Syllabus 2026

Complete chapter-wise Zoology syllabus for NEET 2026. All 19 chapters with official NTA topics, marks weightage, key facts and difficulty level.

19 chapters180 marks45 questions14 high-priority chapters

High-Priority Chapters — Study These First

These 14 chapters contribute 2+ questions per paper on average. Prioritise them for maximum marks impact.

All 19 Chapters — NEET Zoology

1

Animal Kingdom

Basis of classification: symmetry, coelom, segmentation, notochord · Classification of Non-chordates: Porifera, Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Aschelminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Hemichordata · Classification of Chordates: Urochordata, Cephalochordata, Vertebrata · +3 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
2

Structural Organisation in Animals

Tissues: epithelial, connective, muscular, neural · Types of epithelial tissue: squamous, cuboidal, columnar, ciliated, glandular · Types of connective tissue: loose, dense, specialised (bone, cartilage, blood) · +3 more

Easy2–4%~1 Q/paper
3

Digestion and Absorption

Alimentary canal: mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine · Digestive glands: salivary glands, gastric glands, liver, pancreas, intestinal glands · Digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats · +4 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
4

Breathing and Exchange of Gases

Respiratory organs in different animals · Human respiratory system: conducting zone and respiratory zone · Mechanism of breathing: inspiration and expiration; respiratory volumes and capacities · +4 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
5

Body Fluids and Circulation

Blood: composition — plasma and formed elements (RBC, WBC, platelets) · Blood groups: ABO system and Rh grouping · Coagulation of blood · +5 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
6

Excretory Products and their Elimination

Modes of excretion: ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism · Human excretory system: kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra · Structure of nephron: Bowman's capsule, PCT, Loop of Henle, DCT, collecting duct · +5 more

Hard4–6%~2 Q/paper
7

Locomotion and Movement

Types of movement: amoeboid, ciliary, muscular · Skeletal muscle structure: myofilaments, sarcomere, sarcoplasmic reticulum · Sliding filament theory of muscle contraction · +4 more

Medium2–4%~1 Q/paper
8

Neural Control and Coordination

Neuron: structure and types (sensory, motor, interneuron) · Generation and conduction of nerve impulse; resting membrane potential, action potential · Synaptic transmission: neurotransmitters · +4 more

Hard4–6%~2 Q/paper
9

Chemical Coordination and Integration

Endocrine glands and their hormones · Hypothalamus: releasing and inhibiting hormones · Pituitary gland: adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis hormones · +5 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
10

Human Reproduction

Male reproductive system: testes, accessory ducts, glands, penis · Female reproductive system: ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, external genitalia · Gametogenesis: spermatogenesis and oogenesis · +4 more

Hard7–10%~3 Q/paper
11

Reproductive Health

Reproductive health: problems and strategies · Population explosion and birth control · Contraception: natural, barrier, IUDs, oral pills, injectables, implants, surgical methods · +4 more

Easy2–4%~1 Q/paper
12

Principles of Inheritance and Variation

Mendel's laws: law of dominance, segregation, independent assortment · Inheritance of one and two genes: monohybrid and dihybrid crosses · Extensions of Mendelism: incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, pleiotropy · +5 more

Hard12–15%~6 Q/paper
13

Molecular Basis of Inheritance

DNA: structure, packaging, and the double helix model · DNA replication: semi-conservative, enzymes involved · Transcription: template strand, mRNA synthesis, RNA polymerase · +5 more

Hard10–12%~5 Q/paper
14

Evolution

Origin of life: Oparin-Haldane hypothesis, Miller-Urey experiment · Theories of evolution: Lamarckism, Darwinism, modern synthetic theory · Evidences of evolution: palaeontology, comparative anatomy, biogeography, molecular · +5 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
15

Human Health and Disease

Pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, helminths · Common diseases: typhoid, pneumonia, malaria, amoebiasis, ascariasis, elephantiasis, ringworm · Immune system: innate and adaptive immunity; antibody structure · +4 more

Medium7–10%~3 Q/paper
16

Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity: levels — genetic, species, ecosystem diversity · Patterns of biodiversity: latitudinal gradients, species-area relationship · Importance of biodiversity: direct and indirect values · +4 more

Easy2–4%~1 Q/paper
17

Environmental Issues

Air pollution: pollutants, sources, effects; greenhouse effect and global warming · Water pollution: BOD, eutrophication, biomagnification · Soil pollution: pesticides, radioactive waste · +5 more

Easy2–4%~1 Q/paper
18

Ecosystem

Ecosystem: structure and function; components — biotic and abiotic · Productivity: gross primary, net primary, secondary productivity · Decomposition: steps — fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification, mineralisation · +4 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper
19

Organisms and Populations

Organism and its environment: abiotic factors (temperature, water, light, soil) · Adaptations: thermal, aquatic, desert organisms · Population: attributes, growth models — exponential and logistic · +4 more

Medium4–6%~2 Q/paper

Chapter Difficulty Breakdown — NEET Zoology

Common Myths About NEET Zoology

MYTH
Genetics and Molecular Biology are too hard to score in NEET Zoology
FACT
Genetics (6Q) and Molecular Basis of Inheritance (5Q) together contribute ~11 questions per paper — 44 marks. These are scorable if studied from NCERT systematically with PYQ practice.
MYTH
Human Physiology chapters are too detailed to cover for NEET
FACT
NEET Human Physiology questions are directly NCERT-based. Master digestion, respiration, circulation, excretion, neural, and endocrine chapters from NCERT Class 11 — each contributes 2–3 questions.