NEET 2026 Botany paper analysis

Botany chapters and topics asked in NEET 2026

Chapters are ranked by questions in this paper. Under each chapter are the topics that were asked; “new” marks a topic with no question in any earlier paper.

• Principles of Inheritance and Variation

  7+4

  Genetic Disorders: Mendelian Disorders (Sickle-cell Anaemia) ×2 · Sex Determination (Sex Determination in Honey Bee) ×2 new · Exceptions to Mendelian Principles (Co-Dominance) · Polygenic Inheritance and Pleiotropy (Polygenic Inheritance) · Sex Determination in Other Organisms (Honey bee, Birds, etc.)

• Biodiversity and Conservation

  5+3

  Loss of Biodiversity (IUCN Red List, the Evil Quartet, etc.) ×3 · In-situ Conservation (Hot Spots, Major Hotspots in India, etc.) · Biodiversity Conservation (Narrowly Utilitarian) new

• Cell: The Unit of Life

  4-1

  Eukaryotic Cells (Cell Organelles) · What is Cell ? Overview of the Cell · Eukaryotic Cells (Cell Membrane) new · Eukaryotic Cells (Nucleolus) new

• Molecular Basis of Inheritance

  4-3

  Packaging of the DNA Helix (Nucleosome, Histone Proteins etc.) · Regulation of Gene Expression (Lac-Operon) · DNA Fingerprinting · Transcription (Process of Transcription)

• Morphology of Flowering Plants

  4+1

  Description of Some Important Families (Solanaceae) · The Flower: Parts of Flower (Placentation) · The Inflorescence (Racemose) new · The Root (Regions) new

• Ecosystem

  3-1

  Productivity (NPP) · Decomposition (Process Involved in Decomposition) · Ecological Pyramids (Pyramid of Biomass)

• Organisms and Populations

  3same

  Population Interactions (Types of Population Interactions) ×2 · Population (Growth Models: Exponential and Logistic Growth)

• Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

  3+1

  Where are ATP and NADPH Used? (Calvin Cycle or C3 Cycle/Primary… ×2 · The C4 Pathway (Kranz Anatomy, Importance and CAM Cycle) new

• Plant Growth and Development

  3+1

  Plant Growth Regulators (Effects of PGR) · Development (Plasticity) · Growth (Phases of Growth-Phases of Cell Elongation) r– new

• Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

  3-2

  Pollination (Types of Pollination/Agents of Pollination/Outbreed…) · Post-Fertilisation: Structures and Events (Endosperm) new · Structure and Development of Anther and Male Gametophyte…

• Anatomy of Flowering Plants

  2+1

  The Tissue System (Epidermal Tissue System) · The Tissue System (Vascular Tissue System)

• Microbes in Human Welfare

  2-2

  Microbes in Industrial Products (Bioactive Molecules) · Microbes in Household Products

• Respiration in Plants

  2+1

  Aerobic Respiration (TCA Cycle) · Respiratory Quotient new

• Biological Classification

  1same

  Classification (Five Kingdom)

• Cell Cycle and Cell Division

  1same

  Interphase (G1 Phase)

• Plant Kingdom

  1-4

  Gymnosperms (General Characteristics and Importance)

• The Living World

  1+1

  Nomenclature (Binomial Nomenclature, International Code of Nomenc…) new

What changed from NEET 2025

• Biggest rise: Principles of Inheritance and Variation went from 3 to 7 questions.
• Biggest drop: Plant Kingdom went from 5 to 1 questions.

Botany topics asked for the first time in NEET 2026

1. 1Sex Determination (Sex Determination in Honey Bee) · Principles of Inheritance and Variation · Botany2 Qs
2. 2Biodiversity Conservation (Narrowly Utilitarian) · Biodiversity and Conservation · Botany1 Qs
3. 3Eukaryotic Cells (Cell Membrane) · Cell: The Unit of Life · Botany1 Qs
4. 4Eukaryotic Cells (Nucleolus) · Cell: The Unit of Life · Botany1 Qs
5. 5The Inflorescence (Racemose) · Morphology of Flowering Plants · Botany1 Qs
6. 6The Root (Regions) · Morphology of Flowering Plants · Botany1 Qs
7. 7The C4 Pathway (Kranz Anatomy, Importance and CAM Cycle) · Photosynthesis in Higher Plants · Botany1 Qs
8. 8Growth (Phases of Growth-Phases of Cell Elongation) r– · Plant Growth and Development · Botany1 Qs
9. 9Post-Fertilisation: Structures and Events (Endosperm) · Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants · Botany1 Qs
10. 10Respiratory Quotient · Respiration in Plants · Botany1 Qs

Botany chapters with no question in NEET 2026

Environmental Issues, Transport in Plants, Mineral Nutrition, Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production

Botany across the 8 papers

NEET 2026 in the other subjects

Frequently asked questions

Counts come from Edurack's tagged set of NEET papers 2020–2026 (including Re-NEET 2026), mapped to NCERT chapters and topics. Use them as a trend guide — past frequency doesn't guarantee what a future paper will ask. Counts cover 2020–2026.