Examination Preparation

Archive for the ‘Life Science’ Category

The Joint CSIR-UGC JRF/LS (NET) Examination shall comprise 2 papers:

PAPER I:

This paper shall be of 2 hours and 30 minutes duration and shall have a maximum of 200 marks.
Part ‘A’ of Paper I shall contain 40 General Science questions. These questions shall be common to all subject areas of NET Examination. A candidate shall be required to answer a maximum of 25 questions from Part ‘A’. In case, a candidate answers more than 25 questions, only the first 25 answered questions will be taken up for evaluation.

Part ‘B’ of Paper I shall have 100 questions. A candidate shall be required to answer a maximum of 75 questions. In case a candidate answers more than 75 questions, only the first 75 answered questions shall be evaluated.

All questions shall be of two marks each. There will be negative marking for wrong answers.

PAPER II:

This paper shall be of 2 hours and 30 minutes duration and shall have a maximum of 200 marks
This Paper shall consist of 39-45 short answer type questions requiring descriptive answers. To answer each question, a candidate will be provided one page each.

There shall be one compulsory question of twenty Marks. In addition to the compulsory question, the candidate is required to answer a maximum of 15 questions of twelve marks each .

SYLLABUS FOR LIFE SCIENCES PAPER I AND PAPER II

5. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

A. Basic concepts of development: Potency, commitment, specification, induction, competence, determination and differentiation; morphogenetic gradients; cell fate and cell lineages; stem cells; genomic equivalence and the cytoplasmic determinants; imprinting; mutants and transgenics in analysis of development.

B. Gametogenesis, fertilization and early development: Production of gametes, cell surface molecules in sperm-egg recognition in animals; embryo sac development and double fertilization in plants; zygote formation, cleavage, blastula formation, embryonic fields, gastrulation and formation of germ layers in animals; embryogenesis, establishment of symmetry in plants; seed formation and germination.

C. Morphogenesis and organogenesis in animals: Cell aggregation and differentiation in Dictyostelium; axes and pattern formation in Drosophila, amphibia and chick; organogenesis – vulva formation in Caenorhabditis elegans; eye lens induction, limb development and regeneration in vertebrates; differentiation of neurons, post embryonic development-larval formation, metamorphosis; environmental regulation of normal development; sex determination.

D. Morphogenesis and organogenesis in plants: Organization of shoot and root apical meristem; shoot and root development; leaf development and phyllotaxy; transition to flowering, floral meristems and floral development in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum.

E. Programmed cell death, aging and senescence.

SYLLABUS FOR LIFE SCIENCES PAPER I AND PAPER II

Unit 4. CELL COMMUNICATION AND CELL SIGNALING

A. Host parasite interaction: Recognition and entry processes of different pathogens like bacteria, viruses into animal and plant host cells, alteration of host cell behavior by pathogens, virus-induced cell transformation, pathogen-induced diseases in animals and plants, cell-cell fusion in both normal and abnormal cells.
B. Cell signaling: Hormones and their receptors, cell surface receptor, signaling through G-protein coupled receptors, signal transduction pathways, second messengers, regulation of signaling pathways, bacterial and plant two-component signaling systems, bacterial chemotaxis and quorum sensing.
C. Cellular communication: Regulation of hematopoiesis, general principles of cell communication, cell adhesion and roles of different adhesion molecules, gap junctions, extracellular matrix, integrins, neurotransmission and its regulation.
D. Cancer: Genetic rearrangements in progenitor cells, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, cancer and the cell cycle, virus-induced cancer, metastasis, interaction of cancer cells with normal cells, apoptosis, therapeutic interventions of uncontrolled cell growth.
E. Innate and adaptive immune system: Cells and molecules involved in innate and adaptive immunity, antigens, antigenicity and immunogenicity. B and T cell epitopes, structure and function of antibody molecules, generation of antibody diversity, monoclonal antibodies, antibody engineering, antigen-antibody interactions, MHC molecules, antigen processing and presentation, activation and differentiation of B and T cells, B and T cell receptors, humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, primary and secondary immune modulation, the complement system, Toll-like receptors, cell-mediated effector functions, inflammation, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity, immune response during bacterial (tuberculosis), parasitic (malaria) and viral (HIV) infections, congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies, vaccines.