Chapter Overview & Weightage
- Marks in Boards: 6–10 marks (usually 1–2 questions + case-based)
- Repeated Topics: Immunity (innate vs acquired), vaccination, diseases (infectious & non-infectious), cancer, AIDS, drugs & addiction, immune disorders.
- Difficulty: Moderate • Heavy on immunity types, pathogens, prevention, social aspects.
- Trend (2021–2025): 1 case-based (4 marks) on AIDS/cancer/drugs + 1 short answer (3 marks) on immunity + MCQs on vaccines/pathogens.
Most Important & Repeated Questions (2021–2025)
- Repeated 5–6 times: Differentiate between innate and acquired immunity. Give examples. (3 marks)
- Repeated 4–5 times: Explain the structure and life cycle of HIV. How does it cause AIDS? (5 marks)
- Repeated 4 times: What is vaccination? Explain its principle with examples (e.g., smallpox, polio). (3–5 marks)
- Repeated 3–4 times: Describe the causes and prevention of cancer. (3 marks)
- Repeated 3 times: What are drugs and alcohol abuse? Explain their effects on health & society. (5 marks)
- Repeated 3 times: Explain types of immune responses (active vs passive, humoral vs cell-mediated). (3 marks)
- Repeated 2–3 times: What is allergy? Explain auto-immune disorders with examples. (3 marks)
- Assertion-Reason (2023–2025): Assertion: AIDS is a syndrome, not a disease. Reason: It weakens the immune system leading to secondary infections. (Both true, reason explains – repeated 2x)
Important Keywords & Concepts to Memorize
- Health, disease, pathogen, immunity, innate immunity (physical barriers, physiological barriers, cellular, cytokine), acquired immunity (active/passive), antigen, antibody, vaccination, immunization, immune system (lymphoid organs), AIDS (HIV), cancer (carcinogens, oncogenes, metastasis), drugs (opioids, cannabinoids, coca alkaloids), alcohol abuse, addiction, withdrawal, immune disorders (allergy, auto-immune like rheumatoid arthritis), primary/secondary lymphoid organs, B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes, macrophages, interferons, ELISA, recombinant vaccines.
Exam Strategy for Chapter 8 (2026 Boards)
- Focus: Immunity types table (innate vs acquired) – practice 3 daily
- High-scoring: AIDS life cycle & prevention (5 marks) + case-based on drugs/cancer
- Time: 8–10 minutes per 5-mark question
- Tip: Use flowcharts for HIV life cycle – neatness = full marks
- Repeated: Contraception & STDs link (cross from Ch 4) – 2–3 marks
This is Chapter 8 complete PYQ analysis.
If you want Chapter 9 or any other chapter, just say the chapter number or name.