Syllabus for written examination
for PGT (Biology)
Diversity of living world
Taxonomic aids, keys,
specimen management ; Systematic and binomial system of nomenclature;
Classification of living organisms( five kingdom classification, major groups
and principles of classification within each group) ; General description of monera, protozoa, fungi, algae, bryophytes,
pteridophyes, gymnosperms, angiosperms ( major groups of angiosperms upto sub
class) ; Botanical gardens ,herbaria, zoological parks and museums
.Salient features of animal (
nonchordates up to phylum level and chordates up to class level).
Structural organisation
in plants and animals
Morphology, Anatomy and histology of angiosperms: Root , stem ,
leaf, flower , inflorescence, fruits and seeds, Tissues : Meristamatic and
permanent ( epidermal, ground, vascular). Cambial activity, secondary
growth, type of wood. Animal tissues ;
Morphology, Anatomy and histology of annelids , insects , amphibians.
Structural and functional organization of cell
Cell cycle , detailed
study of Cell division (mitosis ,
meiosis) ; Cell death ; Structure and
function( metabolism) of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids ; Enzymology : Classification and
nomenclature of enzymes ; Structure ; Mechanism of action, single substrate and
bisubstrate enzyme ; Activators and
inhibitors of enzymes ; Factors
affecting the activity of enzymes.
Plant
physiology
Water relations: Properties of water, water in tissues
and cells, Transport of water and solutes( food, nutrients, gases) : Transport across cell
membrane ; soil-plant-atmosphere
continuum ; Minerals required by
plant, their absorbable form, functions, deficiency symptoms, essentiality of
mineral, N2 metabolism,
biological fixation ; Cellular Metabolism: Gluconeogenesis, Glycogenesis and
glycogenolysis, hormonal regulation ; Oxidation of food, respiratory efficiency of various food
components ; transport and detoxification of ammonia , Lipid Metabolism ; Photosynthesis: Basic principles of light
absorption, excitation energy transfer, electron transports, cycles ( C2
, C3, C4, CAM ), plant productivity, measurement of
photosynthetic parameters ; Physiological responses to abiotic stresses ;
Sensory photobiology ; Plant growth regulators : Growth ,differentiation /
de-differentiation and re-differentiation, development ; Physiological affects
and mechanism of action of plant growth hormones, Flowering : Photoperiodism and its significance,
endogenous clock and its regulation, floral induction and development,
vernalisation ; Plant movements.
Human
biology
Morphology, Anatomy,
Histology, Physiology, Control and Disorders of
Digestion, Respiration, Body
fluids and Circulation, Excretion, Skeleton system & muscle, Nervous; Physiology of high
altitude.
Sexual
Reproduction
Plants: Structural details of angiospermic flower, development
of gametophytes, pollination and its types, agencies of pollination, pollen-
pistil interaction, fertilization, Artificial hybridization (emasculation and bagging)
development of seed and fruit ; Apomixis
and Polyembryony ; Self incompatibility: Structural and biochemical aspects;
methods to overcome incompatibility; Experimental Embryology; Human
Reproduction: Morphology, Anatomy,
Histology and Physiology of reproduction ;
Neuro-endocrine control ; Sexual
behavior in infancy, pre-adolescence, adolescence and of adult ; Implantation,
Pregnancy and Parturition ; Mammary gland and Lactation ; Infantile mammary
gland, pubertal changes in mammary gland; Structure of adult mammary gland,
galactopoiesis, milk let down ; Menopause. Senescence – Impact of age on
reproduction.Foetal and Embryonic Gonads and Genital ducts ;Hormonal basis of
sex differentiation ; Disorders of sexual differentiation development ;Reproductive
Health: Problems and strategies,
Population explosion –causes and effects, birth control measures- natural
methods, physical / barrier, bio-chemical, hormonal, immunological, surgical
methods, IUD’s , amniocentesis, female feticide, MMR, IMR, MTP, STD’s,
infertility Disorders of female and female reproductive systems – Sexual
dysfunction; Infertility – Causes and curative measures ; Reproductive
toxicology of environmental and industrial chemicals, drug and alcohol
;Medically assisted human reproductive technologies, GIFT, IUT, ZIFT, TET ;
Embryo culture.
Genetics
Principles of Inheritance and
Variation: Mendelian genetics, Inheritance of one gene, two genes, post
mendelian inheritance; Recombination frequency, chromosomal theory of
inheritance ; Drosophila genetics, linkage and recombinations ; Mutation :General properties of
mutations ; Adaptation versus mutation ; molecular basis of gene mutation : DNA
repair mechanisms ; Pedigree analysis ; Human karyotype-banding ; genetic and
environmental basis of sex determination, Y- and X-linked genes; Numerical and Structural abnormalities of
human chromosomes and related syndromes ; Human metabolic disorders.;Molecular Basis of Inheritance: Chemical nature of DNA and RNA,
Biological functions of nucleic acids ; Search for genetic material, RNA world
; Replication ; Transcription and processing of RNA, Genetic code ;
Translation, post-translational modifications ; Ribosomes and Proteins ;
Regulation of Gene expression ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Gene mapping ; Chromosome
banding; Restriction enzyme, nucleotide sequence comparisons and homologies ;
Molecular clocks ; Genetics in modern agriculture ,animal breeding, medicine,
human behaviour ; Misuse of genetics ; Genetic
Counseling ; Gene therapy ; HGP
; Gene Activity in prokaryotes and eukaryotes ; Signals for gene control –
Hormones and growth factors ; Totipotency & Pleuripotency ; Stem cell and
Gene therapy ; Bacterial transformation, transduction and conjugation,
Bacterial chromosome ; Bacteriophages : Types, structure and morphology
;Evolutionary biology: Cosmic evolution – Physical basis of life ; Theories of
origin of life ; Origin of life through biochemical evolution ; Experimental
evidences for origin of life ; The origin of natural selection ; Extraterrestrial
life ; Evolution of the eukaryotic cell : Evolution of the Metazoa ; Evolution
of chordata and the evolution of the major vertebrate classes; Origin and
evolution of man : Population Genetics; Genetic variations ; Polymorphism ;
Gene frequency; Hardy Weinberg equilibrium ; Genetic drift, founder effect ;
adaptive radiations, ecological significance of molecular variations.
Biology
in Human welfare
Health and disease ; types of
diseases, common diseases in humans ;
Immunology – Innate and Acquired immunity ; Passive and active immunization ;
Organization and structure of lymphoid organ ; Cells of the immune system and
their differentiation ; Lymphocyte traffic ; Nature of immune response ; Structure and Functions of antibodies : Antigen-Antibody interactions ; Humoral
immune response ; Cell mediated
immunity ; Immunological memory ; Auto-immunity ; Allergies;
HLA system in human :MHC haplotypes ;
Transplantation types and problems ; Immunodeficiency disorders ;etiology of
HIV ; types, genetics and biochemistry
of cancer ; Drugs and alcohol abuse, Addiction , drug dependence, ill
effects, prevention, its abuse in adolescents and its management;Strategies for
food production and enhancement: Animal
husbandry, management of farm animals, breeding strategies ( natural and
artificial) and their types, economic importance of each ; Plant breeding,
method of release of new variety, HYV of common cereals and pulses,
bio-fortification, SCP ; Tissue culturing, somatic hybridization;Microbes in
Human Welfare: Technology associated and use of Microbes in household,
industries, medicine, bio-active molecules, sewage treatment and STP, Ganga and
Yamuna action plan, biogas production, biocontrol agents, biofertilizers.
Principles of Biotechnology
Genetic engineering tools and
technique, technique of separation and isolation of DNA, cloning vectors
,electrophoresis, bio reactors, processing
of its products. Tissue engineering ; Cryopreservation ; Fusion methods,
detection and applications of monoclonal antibodies, DNA vaccines, Edible
vaccines.;Application in agriculture : GMO for pest resistance, RNAi and dsRNA
technology,Application in Medicine, genetically engineered products, gene
therapy.
Molecular diagnosis : serum and urine analysis, PCR, ELISA ;
Transgenic animals : their physiology, biological products and their use for
testing the safety of vaccine and
chemicals ; Bioethics issues ; biopyracy.
Ecology
Organism and its environment, distribution of biomes, major
physical factors and the physiological responses shown by organisms ; Physical
adaptation of plants and animals, rules governing adaptations ; Population
attributes and growth, logistic curves, Darwinian fitness ; Population
interactions and their theories ; Ecosystem structure and functions, ecosystem
productivity and standing crop, decomposition in nature, energy flow in GFC /
DFC, ecological pyramids, succession of community ; Nutrient cycle ; ecosystem
services ; Biodiversity types and its patterns, importance of diversity, its
loss and their causes, conservation strategies ; Environmental issues : Types
of pollution, their indicators, causes,
effects, prevention and treatment ; Deforestation, recommended forestation,
reforestation, case studies of people’s participation in conservation.
