Maharashtra State Eligibility Test (SET) - SYLLABUS AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS - Life Sciences

Maharashtra State Eligibility Test for Lectureship

UNIVERSITY OF PUNE

Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007

SYLLABUS AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS-(Life Sciences)

Subject Subject

Code No.

34 Life Sciences

SET (Life Sciences) / 2

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

[34] : LIFE SCIENCES

The syllabus consist of two papers as follows :

Paper II and Paper III will be of 75 minutes and 2½ hours duration respectively. Paper II will

be of 100 marks and Paper III will be of 200 marks. In Paper III there will be 10 questions each

of Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and remaining 20 questions are of Genetics, etc.

Students have to attempt any 20 questions.

PAPER II

1.

and eukaryotes), Mechanism of cell division including (mitosis and meiosis) and cell

differentiation; Cell-cell interation, Malignant growth, lmmune response : Dosage compensation

and mechanism of sex determination.

2.

chemistry, Thermodynamics, kinetics, dissociation and association constants, Nucleic acid

structure, genetic code, replication, transcription and translation : Structure, function and

metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, Enzymes and coenzyme, Respiration and

photosynthesis.

3.

Nutrition (including vitamins), Reproduction in plants, microbes, plant and animals, Sensory

responses in microbes, plant and animals.

4.

Structure and regulation of gene expression, Linkage and genetic mapping, Extra-chromosomal

inheritance (episomes, mitochondria and chloroplasts), Mutation, DNA damage and repair,

chromosome aberrations, Transposons, Sex-linked inheritance and genetic disorders, Somatic

cell genetics, Genome organisation (in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes).

5.

evolution), Concepts of evolution, Theories of organic evolution, Mechanisms of speciation,

Hardy-Weinberg genetic equilibrium, genetic polymarphism and selection, Origin and evolution

of economically important microbes, plants and animals.

6.

energy flow, productivity and biogeochemical cycles, Types of ecosystems, Population ecology

and biological control, Community structure and organisation, Environmental pollution,

Sustainable development, Economic importance of microbes, plants and animals.

7.

classification, Structural biochemical and molecular systmatics, DNA finger printing, numerical

taxonomy, Biodiveristy, characterization, generation, maintenance and loss, Magnitude and

distribution of biodiversity, economic value, wildlife biology, conservation strategies,

cryopreservation.

Cell Biology : Structure and function of cells and intracellular organelles (of both prokaryotesBiochemistry : Structure of atoms, molecules and chemical bonds, Principles of physicalPhysiology : Response to stress, Active transport across membranes, Plant and animal hormonesGenetics : Principles of Mendelian inheritance, chromosome structure and function, GeneEvolutionary Biology : Origin of life (including aspects of prebiotic environment and molecularEnvironmental biology : Concept and dynamics of ecosystem, components, food chain andBiodiversity and Taxonomy : Species concept, Biological nomenclature theories of bilogical

SET (Life Sciences) / 3

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

PAPER III

1. Principles of Taxonomy as applied to the systamics and Classification of Plant Kingdom,

Taxonomic structure, Biosystematics, Plant geography, Floristics.

2. Patterns of variation in morphology and life history in plants, broad outlines of classification

an evolutionary trends among algae, fungi, bryophytes and pteriophytes, Principles of

palaeobotany, Economic importance of algae, fungi and lichens.

3. Comparative anatomy and developmental morphology of gymnosperms and angiosperms,

Histochemical and ultrastructural aspects of development, Differentiation and morphogenesis.

4. Androgenesis and gynogenesis, Breeding systems, Pollination biology, structural and functional

aspects of pollen and pistill, Male sterility, Self and inter-specific incompatibility, Fertilization,

Embryo and seed development.

5.

and improvement of plants of food, drug, fibre and industrial values, Unexploited plants of

potential economic value, Plants as a source of renewable energy, Genetic resources and their

conservation.

6.

Phosphorous and Sulphur metabolism, Stomatal physiology, Source and sink relationship.

7. Physiology and biochemistry of seed dormancy and germination, Hormonal regulation of

growth and development, Photoregulation : Growth responses, Physiology of flowering,

Senescence.

8.

pollinated and vegetatively propagated crops, Non-conventional methods, Polyploidy : Genetic

variability, Plant diseases and defensive mechanism.

9. Principles of taxonomy as applied to the systematics and classification of the animal kingdom,

Classification and interrelationship amongst the major invertebrete phyla, Minor invertebrate

phyla, functional anatomy of the non-chordates, Larval forms and their evolutionary significance.

10. Classification and comparative anatomy of protochordates and chordates, Origin, evolution

and distribution of chordate groups : Adaptive radiation.

11. Histology of mammalian organ systems, nutrition, digestion and absorption, Circulation (open

and closed circular, lymphatic systems, blood composition and function), Muscular contration

and electric organs, Excretion and osmoregulation : Nerve conduction and neurotransmitter,

major sense organs and receptors, Homeostatis (neural and hormonal), Bioluminiscence,

Reproduction.

Plants and civilization : Centres of origin and gene diversity, Botany, utilization, cultivationWater Relations : Mineral nutrition, Photosynthesis and photorespiration : Nitrogen,Principles of plant breeding : Important conventional methods of breeding self and cross

SET (Life Sciences) / 4

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

12.

maps, Concepts of determination, competence and induction, totipotency and nuclear transfer

experiments, Cell differentiation and differential gene activity. Morphogenetic determinants in

egg cytoplasm, Role of maternal contributions in early embryonic development, Genetic

regulation of early embryonic development in Drosophila, Homeotic genes.

13. Feeding, learning, social and sexual behaviour of animals, Parental care, Circadian rhythms,

Mimicry, Migration of fishes and birds, Sociobiology, Physiological adaptation at high altitude.

14. Important human and veterinary parasites (protozoans and helminths), Life cycle and biology

of Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Ascaris, Wuchereria, Fasciola, Schistosoma and Leishmania,

Molecular, cellular and physiological basis of host-parasite interactions.

15. Arthropods and vectors of human diseases (mosquitoes, lice, flies, and ticks), Mode of

transmission of pathogens by vectors, Chemical biological and environmental control of

anthropod vectors, Biology and control of chief insect pests of agricultural importance, Plant

host-insect interaction, insect-pest management, useful insects, Silkworm.

16. The law of DNA constancy and C-value paradox, Numerical and structural changes in

chromosomes, Molecular basis of spontaneous and induced mutation and their role in evolution,

Environment mutagenesis and toxictiy testing, Population genetics.

17. Structure of pro and eukaryotic cells, Membrane structure and function, Intracellular

compartments, protein sorting, secretory and endocytic pathways, Cytoskeleton, Nucleus,

Mitochondria and chloroplasts and their genetic organisation, cell cycle, Structure and

organisation of chromatin, polytene and lamphrush chromosomes, Dosage compensation and

sex determination and sex-linked inheritance.

18. Interactions between environment and biota, Concept of habitat and ecological niches, Limiting

factors, Energy flow, food chain, food web and trophic levels, Ecological pyramids and recycling,

Biotic community—concept, structure, dominance, fluctuation and succession, N.P.C. and S

Cycles in nature.

19. Ecosystem dynamics and management : Stability and complexity of ecosystems, Speciation

and extinction, Environmental impact assessment, Principles of conservation, Conservation

strategies, Sustainable development.

20. Physico-chemical properties of water, Kinds of aquatic habitats (fresh water and marine),

Distribution of and impact of environmental factors on the aquatic biota, Productivity, mineral

cycles and biodegradation in different aquatic ecosystems, Fish and Fisheries of India with

respect to the management of estuarine, coastal water systems and man-made reservoirs,

Biology and ecology of reservoirs.

21. Structure, classification, genetics, reproduction and physiology of bacteria and viruses (of

bacteria, plants and animals), Mycoplasma protozoa and yeast (a general accounts).

Gametogenesis in animals : Molecular events during fertilization, Cleavage patterns and fate

SET (Life Sciences) / 5

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

22. Microbial fermentation, Antibotics, organic acids and vitamins, Microbes in decomposition

and recycling processes, Symbiotic and asymbiotic N2 - fixation, Microbiology of water, air,

soil and sewage, Microbes as pathological agents in plants, animals and man, General design

and applications of a biofermenter, Biofertilizer.

23.

secondary immune response, Lymphocytes and accessory cells, Humoral and cell mediated

immunity, MHC, Mechanism of immune response and generation of immunotogical diversity;

Genetic control of immune response, Effector mechanism, Application of immunological

techniques.

24. Enzyme kinetics (negative and positive cooperativity), Regulation of enzymatic activity, Active

sites, Coenzymes, Activators and inhibitors, isoenzymes, allosteric enzymes, Ribozyme and

abzyme.

25. Van der Waal’s electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, Primary structure

of proteins and nucleic acids, Conformation of proteins and polypeptides (secondary, tertiary,

quanternary and domain structure), Reverse turns and Ramachandran plot, Structural

polymorphism of DNA, RNA and three-dimensional structure of tRNA, Structure carbohydrates,

polysaccharides, glycoproteins and peptido-glycans, Helix-coil transition, Energy terms in

biopolymer conformational calculation.

26. Glycolysis and TCA cycle, Glycogen breakdown and synthesis, Gluconeogenesis, interconversion

of hexoses and pentoses, Amino acid metabolism, Coordinated control of metabolism,

Biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines, Oxidation of lipids, Biosynthesis of fatty acids,

Triglycerides, Phospholipids, Sterols.

27. Energy metabolism (concept of free energy), Thermodynamic principles in biology, Energy

rich bonds, Weak interactions, Coupled reactions and oxidative phosphorylations, Group tranfers,

Biological energy tranducers, Bioenergetics.

28. Fine structure of gene, Eukaryotic genome organisation (structure of chromatin, coding and

non-coding sequences, satellite DNA), DNA damage and repair, DNA replication, amplification

and rearrangements.

29. Organization of transcriptional units : Mechanism of transcription of prokaryotes and eukaryotes,

RNA processing (capping, polyadenylation, splicing, introns and exons), Ribonucleoproteins,

Structure of mRNA, Genetic code and protein synthesis.

30. Regulation of gene expression in pro-and eukaryotes, Attenuation and antitermination, Operon

concept, DNA methylation, Heterochromatization, Transposition, Regulatory sequences and

transcription factors, Environmental regulation of gene expression.

31. Biochemistry and molecular biology of cancer, Oncogenes, Chemical carcinogenesis, Genetic

and metabolic disorders, Harmonal imbalances, Drug metabolism and detoxification, Genetic

load and genetic counselling.

Antigen : Structure and functions of different clauses of immunoglobulins, Primary and

SET (Life Sciences) / 6

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

32. Lysogeny and lytic cycle in bacteriophages, Bacterial transformation, Host cell restriction,

Trasduction, Complementation, Molecular recombination, DNA ligases, Topoisomerases,

gyrases, Methylases, Nucleases, Restriction endonucleases, Plasmids and bacteriophage based

vectors for cDNA and genomic libraries.

33. Principles and methods of genetic engineering and Gene targeting, Application in agriculture, health

and industry.

34. Cell and tissue culture in plants and animals, Primary culture, Cell line, Cell clones, Callus cultures,

Somaclonal variation, Micropropogation, Somatic embryogenesis, Haploidy, Protoplast fusion and

somatic hybridization, Cybrids, Gene transfer methods in plants and in animals, Transgenic biology,

Allopheny, Artificial seeds, Hybridoma technology.

35. Structure and organisation of membranes, Glyconjugates and proteins in membrane systems, ion

transport/Na/KATPase/Molecular basis of signal transduction in bacteria, plants and animals, Model

membranes, Liposomes.

36. Principles and application of light, phase contrast, fluorescence, scanning and transmission electron

microscopy, Cytophotometry and flow cytometry, fixation and staining.

37. Principles and applications of gel-filtration, ion-exchange and affinity chromatography, Thin layer and

gas chromatography, High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), Electrophoresis and

electrofocussing, Ultracentrifugation (velocity and buoyant density).

38. Principles and techniques of nucleic acid hybridization and Cot curves, Sequencing of proteins and

nucleic acids, Southern, Northern and South-Western blotting techniques, Polymerase chain reaction,

Methods for measuring nucleic acid and protein interactions.

39. Principles of biophysical methods used for analysis of biopolymer structure, X-ray diffraction,

fluorescence, UV, ORD/CD Visible, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, Hydrodynamic methods,

Atomic absorption and plasma emission spectroscopy.

40. Principles and applications of tracer techniques in biology, Radiation dosimetry, Radioactive

isotopes and half life of isotopes, Effect of radiation on biological system, Autoradiography;

Cerenkov radiation; Liquid scintillation spectroscopy.

41. Principles and practice of statistical methods in biological research, samples and populations;

Basic statistics—average, statistics of dispersion, coefficient of variation, Standard error,

Confidence limits, Probability distributions (biomial, poisson and normal); Tests of statistical

significance, Simple correlation of regression, Analysis of variance.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

PAPER II

1. X chromosome heterochomatinization in mammalian female has been found to involve

(A) cytosine methylation (B) DNA rearrangements

(C) activation of transposable sequences (D) protein deacetylation

SET (Life Sciences) / 7

life science_SET syllabus (03-09)

2. One of the following is an

(A) Biosphere reserve (B) Wildlife sanctuary

(C) Protected forest (D) Micropropagation

ex-situ method of conservation of plants.

PAPER III

1. Discuss the following :

(A) Role of phytochrome in plants

(B) Hormonal regulation of senescence of leaves.

2. Give a reaction each involving the transter of Pi and AMP from ATP.

3. State the Hardy Weinberg principle. Give its utility. How can one check a population to find

out if it has reached H-W equilibrium ?

4. Describe in brief the stages in primary succession in an aquatic ecosystem.

————