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Characteristics of living organisms

6 topics

• Growth and development
• Reproduction (sexual and asexual)
• Metabolism and energy processing
• Cellular organisation
• Response to stimuli and consciousness
• Homeostasis

What is living: key questions

3 topics

• Defining life: organisation, adaptation, evolution
• Biodiversity and the need for classification
• Systematics and taxonomy

Systems of classification

4 topics

• Two-kingdom classification
• Three-kingdom classification
• Five-kingdom classification (Whittaker)
• Basis of modern classification

Kingdom Monera

6 topics

• Bacteria: structure and shapes
• Archaebacteria
• Eubacteria (true bacteria)
• Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)
• Mycoplasma
• Bacterial reproduction and economic importance

Kingdom Protista

5 topics

• Chrysophytes (diatoms, golden algae)
• Dinoflagellates
• Euglenoids
• Slime moulds
• Protozoans (amoeboid, flagellated, ciliated, sporozoans)

Kingdom Fungi

5 topics

• Phycomycetes
• Ascomycetes (sac fungi)
• Basidiomycetes (club fungi)
• Deuteromycetes (imperfect fungi)
• Fungal reproduction and economic importance

Symbiotic associations

2 topics

• Lichens
• Mycorrhiza

Acellular entities

4 topics

• Viruses: structure and types
• Bacteriophages
• Viroids
• Prions

Algae

4 topics

• Green algae (Chlorophyceae)
• Brown algae (Phaeophyceae)
• Red algae (Rhodophyceae)
• Economic importance of algae

Bryophyta

3 topics

• Liverworts
• Mosses
• Life cycle of Funaria and Marchantia

Pteridophyta

3 topics

• Horsetails and ferns
• Classes: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida, Pteropsida
• Heterospory and origin of seed habit

Gymnosperms

2 topics

• Cycas, Pinus, Ginkgo, Ephedra
• Life cycle of Cycas and Pinus

Angiosperms

3 topics

• Dicotyledons and monocotyledons
• Plant life cycle patterns (haplontic, diplontic, haplo-diplontic)
• Alternation of generations

Basis of classification

2 topics

• Levels of organisation, symmetry, coelom
• Segmentation and notochord

Non-chordates (invertebrates)

10 topics

• Porifera (sponges)
• Cnidaria (coelenterates)
• Ctenophora (comb jellies)
• Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
• Aschelminthes (roundworms)
• Annelida (segmented worms)
• Arthropoda
• Mollusca
• Echinodermata
• Hemichordata

Chordates

10 topics

• Urochordata (tunicates)
• Cephalochordata (lancelets)
• Vertebrata: Agnatha and Gnathostomata
• Class Cyclostomata
• Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes)
• Class Osteichthyes (bony fishes)
• Class Amphibia
• Class Reptilia
• Class Aves (birds)
• Class Mammalia

Root system

4 topics

• Tap root system
• Fibrous root system
• Adventitious roots
• Root modifications (storage, support, respiration)

Shoot system

3 topics

• Stem: characteristics and modifications
• Leaf: parts, types, venation, phyllotaxy
• Leaf modifications

Inflorescence

2 topics

• Racemose inflorescence
• Cymose inflorescence

Flower

4 topics

• Parts of a typical flower
• Aestivation
• Placentation
• Floral formula and floral diagram

Fruit

3 topics

• Simple, aggregate and composite fruits
• True and false fruits
• Parthenocarpy

Seed

2 topics

• Structure of dicot and monocot seeds
• Seed dormancy and germination

Description of families

5 topics

• Fabaceae
• Solanaceae
• Liliaceae
• Brassicaceae
• Malvaceae

Plant tissues

3 topics

• Meristematic tissues (apical, lateral, intercalary)
• Simple permanent tissues (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma)
• Complex permanent tissues (xylem, phloem)

Tissue systems

3 topics

• Epidermal tissue system
• Ground tissue system
• Vascular tissue system

Anatomy of organs

3 topics

• Internal structure of dicot and monocot root
• Internal structure of dicot and monocot stem
• Internal structure of dorsiventral and isobilateral leaf

Secondary growth

3 topics

• Vascular cambium and cork cambium
• Secondary growth in dicot stem and root
• Annual rings, heartwood and sapwood

Animal tissues

4 topics

• Epithelial tissue and its types
• Connective tissue and its types
• Muscular tissue and its types
• Neural tissue

Organ and organ systems

1 topic

• Basic plan of organ systems in animals

Morphology and anatomy of frog

2 topics

• External features of frog
• Digestive, circulatory, respiratory and reproductive systems of frog

Cell theory and overview

3 topics

• Cell theory and its modern form
• Prokaryotic cells
• Eukaryotic cells: plant vs animal cell

Cell envelope and organelles

13 topics

• Cell wall: structure and functions
• Cell membrane: fluid mosaic model
• Endomembrane system: endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi apparatus
• Lysosomes
• Vacuoles
• Mitochondria: structure and functions
• Plastids: chloroplast, chromoplast, leucoplast
• Ribosomes
• Cytoskeleton: microtubules, microfilaments
• Cilia and flagella
• Centrosome and centrioles
• Nucleus: nuclear envelope, nucleoplasm, nucleolus, chromatin

Microscopy in cell biology

3 topics

• Light microscopy
• Electron microscopy (TEM and SEM)
• Cell fractionation

Chemical constituents of living cells

9 topics

• Water and minerals
• Carbohydrates: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides
• Lipids: simple, compound and derived lipids
• Proteins: amino acids, levels of protein structure
• Nucleic acids: nucleotides, DNA and RNA
• Enzymes: properties and classification
• Mechanism of enzyme action
• Factors affecting enzyme activity
• Co-factors, co-enzymes and prosthetic groups

Cell cycle

3 topics

• Phases of interphase (G1, S, G2)
• M phase
• Regulation of cell cycle

Mitosis

3 topics

• Stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
• Cytokinesis
• Significance of mitosis

Meiosis

3 topics

• Meiosis I and Meiosis II
• Crossing over and recombination
• Significance of meiosis

Transport in plants

8 topics

• Diffusion and facilitated diffusion
• Osmosis and osmotic pressure
• Water potential and its components
• Absorption of water by roots
• Ascent of sap (transpiration pull theory)
• Transpiration and its significance
• Stomatal mechanism
• Phloem transport: pressure flow hypothesis

Mineral nutrition

4 topics

• Essential mineral elements: macro and micronutrients
• Deficiency symptoms of essential elements
• Nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen cycle
• Hydroponics

Photosynthetic apparatus

1 topic

• Chloroplast structure and photosynthetic pigments

Light reactions

3 topics

• Photophosphorylation: cyclic and non-cyclic
• Photosystems I and II
• Chemiosmotic hypothesis

Dark reactions (Calvin cycle)

4 topics

• C3 pathway
• C4 pathway (Hatch-Slack cycle)
• CAM pathway
• Photorespiration

Factors affecting photosynthesis

1 topic

• Light, carbon dioxide, temperature, water

Cellular respiration overview

7 topics

• Glycolysis (EMP pathway)
• Fate of pyruvate: aerobic and anaerobic
• Krebs cycle (TCA cycle)
• Electron transport system and oxidative phosphorylation
• Fermentation: alcoholic and lactic acid
• Respiratory quotient (RQ)
• Amphibolic pathway

Growth

3 topics

• Phases of growth
• Conditions for growth
• Differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation

Plant growth regulators

5 topics

• Auxins
• Gibberellins
• Cytokinins
• Abscisic acid
• Ethylene

Photoperiodism and vernalisation

1 topic

• Seed dormancy and germination

Asexual reproduction in plants

2 topics

• Vegetative propagation (natural and artificial)
• Apomixis and polyembryony

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants

7 topics

• Structure of stamen and microsporogenesis
• Structure of pistil and megasporogenesis
• Pollination: types and agencies
• Outbreeding devices
• Double fertilisation
• Post-fertilisation changes: endosperm and embryo development
• Seed and fruit formation

Human digestive system

7 topics

• Alimentary canal: structure and regions
• Digestive glands: salivary, gastric, liver, pancreas, intestinal
• Digestive enzymes and their actions
• Hormonal control of digestion
• Absorption of nutrients
• Egestion
• Nutritional and digestive disorders

Human respiratory system

7 topics

• Respiratory tract and lungs
• Mechanism of breathing
• Exchange of gases in alveoli
• Transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood
• Regulation of respiration
• Respiratory volumes and capacities
• Respiratory disorders

Blood and lymph

4 topics

• Composition of blood
• Blood groups (ABO and Rh)
• Coagulation of blood
• Lymph and its functions

Human heart and circulation

6 topics

• Structure of the heart
• Cardiac cycle
• Double circulation
• Regulation of cardiac activity
• ECG (electrocardiogram)
• Disorders of the circulatory system

Human excretory system

9 topics

• Structure of the kidney
• Structure of the nephron
• Urine formation: filtration, reabsorption, secretion
• Counter-current mechanism and urine concentration
• Osmoregulation
• Micturition
• Role of other organs in excretion (lungs, liver, skin)
• Disorders of the excretory system
• Haemodialysis and kidney transplantation

Types of movement

1 topic

• Ciliary, flagellar and muscular movement

Skeletal muscle

3 topics

• Structure of skeletal muscle fibre
• Sliding filament theory of muscle contraction
• Energy source for contraction

Human skeletal system

3 topics

• Axial and appendicular skeleton
• Joints and their types
• Disorders of muscles and bones

Human nervous system

7 topics

• Structure of a neuron
• Generation and conduction of nerve impulse
• Synaptic transmission
• Central nervous system: brain and spinal cord
• Peripheral nervous system
• Autonomic nervous system
• Reflex action and reflex arc

Sense organs

3 topics

• Eye: structure and mechanism of vision
• Ear: structure and mechanism of hearing
• Olfactory and gustatory receptors

Endocrine glands and hormones

6 topics

• Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
• Thyroid and parathyroid glands
• Adrenal glands
• Pancreas (islets of Langerhans)
• Gonads: testes and ovaries
• Thymus and pineal gland

Hormone action

3 topics

• Mechanism of hormone action
• Feedback regulation
• Hormonal disorders (diabetes, goitre, dwarfism, gigantism, cretinism)

Male reproductive system

2 topics

• Structure of testes and accessory ducts
• Spermatogenesis

Female reproductive system

3 topics

• Structure of ovaries and accessory ducts
• Oogenesis
• Menstrual cycle and its hormonal regulation

Fertilisation and pregnancy

3 topics

• Fertilisation and implantation
• Embryonic development and placenta
• Parturition and lactation

Population and birth control

1 topic

• Contraceptive methods (natural, barrier, hormonal, surgical)

Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP)

0 topics

Sexually transmitted diseases

0 topics

Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies

1 topic

• IVF, ZIFT, GIFT, ICSI, artificial insemination

Amniocentesis and its regulation

0 topics

Mendel's laws of inheritance

3 topics

• Law of dominance, segregation and independent assortment
• Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
• Test cross and back cross

Post-Mendelian genetics

5 topics

• Incomplete dominance
• Co-dominance
• Multiple alleles and ABO blood grouping
• Pleiotropy
• Polygenic inheritance

Chromosomal theory of inheritance

2 topics

• Linkage and recombination
• Crossing over and gene mapping

Sex determination

3 topics

• Chromosomal basis of sex determination
• Sex-linked inheritance
• Pedigree analysis

Genetic disorders

3 topics

• Mendelian disorders (haemophilia, sickle-cell anaemia, thalassemia, cystic fibrosis)
• Chromosomal disorders (Down, Turner, Klinefelter syndromes)
• Mutations: types and causes

Nucleic acids

3 topics

• Structure of DNA (Watson and Crick model)
• Packaging of DNA in chromatin
• Types and structure of RNA

DNA replication

2 topics

• Semi-conservative replication
• Enzymes of replication

Transcription

1 topic

• Transcription unit and process in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Genetic code

1 topic

• Properties of the genetic code

Translation

1 topic

• Protein synthesis: initiation, elongation, termination

Regulation of gene expression

1 topic

• Lac operon concept

Human Genome Project

0 topics

DNA fingerprinting

0 topics

Origin of life

2 topics

• Theories of origin of life
• Miller-Urey experiment

Evidences of evolution

1 topic

• Palaeontological, embryological, anatomical and molecular evidences

Theories of evolution

4 topics

• Lamarckism
• Darwinism (natural selection)
• Mutation theory of Hugo de Vries
• Modern synthetic theory

Mechanisms of evolution

4 topics

• Genetic drift and gene flow
• Hardy-Weinberg principle
• Speciation and reproductive isolation
• Adaptive radiation

Human evolution

2 topics

• Stages of human evolution
• Geological time scale

Health and pathogens

6 topics

• Common infectious diseases in humans
• Bacterial diseases: typhoid, pneumonia
• Viral diseases: common cold, AIDS
• Protozoan diseases: malaria, amoebiasis
• Helminthic diseases: ascariasis, elephantiasis
• Fungal disease: ringworm

Immunity

7 topics

• Innate immunity
• Acquired immunity: active and passive
• Antibody structure and types
• Vaccination and immunisation
• Allergies
• Autoimmunity
• Lymphoid organs

Cancer

1 topic

• Causes, types and treatment

Drugs and alcohol abuse

3 topics

• Commonly abused drugs
• Effects of drug and alcohol abuse
• Adolescence and substance abuse

Bacteria

3 topics

• Structure of a bacterial cell
• Nutrition and reproduction in bacteria
• Economic importance of bacteria

Viruses

2 topics

• Structure of viruses
• Viral replication (lytic and lysogenic cycles)

Fungi

2 topics

• Structure and reproduction in fungi
• Economic importance of fungi

Microbes in industrial products

3 topics

• Fermentation and beverages
• Antibiotics
• Organic acids and enzymes

Microbes in sewage treatment

0 topics

Microbes in biogas production

0 topics

Microbes as biocontrol agents

0 topics

Microbes as biofertilisers

0 topics

Principles of biotechnology

2 topics

• Genetic engineering
• Maintenance of sterile conditions in bioprocesses

Tools of recombinant DNA technology

3 topics

• Restriction enzymes
• Cloning vectors (plasmids, phages)
• Competent host cells

Processes of recombinant DNA technology

6 topics

• Isolation of genetic material
• Amplification by PCR
• Gel electrophoresis
• Insertion into host and selection
• Bioreactors
• Downstream processing

Applications in agriculture

2 topics

• Bt cotton and pest-resistant plants
• RNA interference (RNAi)

Applications in medicine

3 topics

• Genetically engineered insulin
• Gene therapy
• Molecular diagnosis (PCR, ELISA, DNA probes)

Transgenic animals

0 topics

Biosafety, biopiracy and patents

0 topics

Animal embryonic development

5 topics

• Fertilisation and cleavage
• Blastulation
• Gastrulation
• Organogenesis
• Extra-embryonic membranes in amniotes

Regeneration and metamorphosis

0 topics

Ageing: biological theories

0 topics

Neurons and glial cells

0 topics

Neurotransmitters and synaptic signalling

0 topics

Organisation of the brain

1 topic

• Forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain: regions and functions

Sleep, memory and learning: biological basis

0 topics

Neurodegenerative disorders: overview

0 topics

Ecological adaptations

2 topics

• Adaptations in plants (hydrophytes, xerophytes)
• Adaptations in animals (desert, aquatic)

Population ecology

3 topics

• Population attributes (natality, mortality, age structure, sex ratio)
• Population growth models (exponential and logistic)
• Population interactions (mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism, commensalism, amensalism)

Structure and function

5 topics

• Components of an ecosystem
• Productivity and decomposition
• Energy flow and food chains
• Food webs and trophic levels
• Ecological pyramids

Ecological succession

2 topics

• Primary and secondary succession
• Hydrarch and xerarch succession

Nutrient cycles

1 topic

• Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, water cycle

Ecosystem services

0 topics

Biodiversity

2 topics

• Levels of biodiversity (genetic, species, ecological)
• Patterns of biodiversity (latitudinal gradients, species-area relationships)

Loss of biodiversity

1 topic

• Causes: habitat loss, overexploitation, alien species invasion, co-extinction

Conservation

5 topics

• In-situ conservation (national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves)
• Ex-situ conservation (zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, cryopreservation)
• Biodiversity hotspots
• Red Data Book and IUCN categories
• International conventions (CBD, CITES, Ramsar)

Pollution

5 topics

• Air pollution and its control
• Water pollution and its control
• Soil pollution
• Noise pollution
• Radioactive pollution

Global environmental problems

3 topics

• Greenhouse effect and global warming
• Ozone layer depletion
• Deforestation

Waste management

2 topics

• Solid waste, e-waste, biomedical waste
• Integrated waste-water treatment

Plant breeding

3 topics

• Steps in plant breeding
• Hybridisation and selection
• Disease-resistant and pest-resistant varieties

Single cell protein (SCP)

0 topics

Tissue culture and micropropagation

0 topics

Biofortification

0 topics

Apiculture, sericulture and lac culture

0 topics

Animal breeding and husbandry

4 topics

• Dairy farm management
• Poultry farm management
• Pisciculture (fish farming)
• Artificial insemination and embryo transfer in livestock

Aquatic ecosystems

1 topic

• Marine zones and freshwater habitats

Plankton, nekton and benthos

0 topics

Coral reefs

0 topics

Adaptations of aquatic organisms

0 topics

Fisheries and aquaculture

0 topics

Microscopy and slide preparation

3 topics

• Use of compound microscope
• Temporary mount of onion peel
• Staining techniques

Physiology experiments

5 topics

• Demonstration of osmosis
• Demonstration of transpiration
• Photosynthesis experiments (light and CO2 necessity)
• Anaerobic respiration in seeds
• Measurement of pH of samples

Ecology field techniques

2 topics

• Quadrat method for population density
• Study of ecological adaptations in plants and animals

Biochemical tests

3 topics

• Tests for carbohydrates, proteins and fats
• Test for urea in urine
• Separation of plant pigments by paper chromatography

Microbiology lab basics

3 topics

• Sterilisation techniques
• Preparation of culture media
• Streak plate method

Specimen study and spotting

4 topics

• Study of plant and animal specimens
• Study of mitosis in onion root tip
• Study of human skeleton and joints
• Study of flowers for pollination adaptations