GATE Examinations Courses Syllabus

Syllabus

Biomolecues section_01

Syllabus
Organization of life; Importance of water; Structure and function of biomolecules: Amino acids, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids; Protein structure, folding/misfolding and function; Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Lysozyme, Ribonuclease A, Carboxypeptidase and Chymotrypsin.
Core concepts (10)
  • Organization of life
  • Importance of water
  • Amino acids
  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Proteins
  • Protein structure levels
  • Protein folding and misfolding
  • Nucleic acids
  • Structure–function case proteins
Related concepts (10)
  • Noncovalent interactions in biology
  • pH, buffers, acids and bases
  • Dehydration/condensation reactions
  • Amphipathic self-assembly
  • Denaturation vs degradation
  • Gene-to-protein linkage
  • Isomerism and stereochemistry (biomolecules)
  • Saturated vs unsaturated fatty acids
  • Complementarity and base pairing
  • Enzyme basics (as proteins)

Enzymes and Enzymatic Reactions section_02

Syllabus
Enzyme kinetics, regulation and inhibition; Vitamins and Coenzymes; Bioenergetics and metabolism; Generation and utilization of ATP; Metabolic pathways and their regulation: glycolysis, TCA cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, glycogen and fatty acid metabolism; Metabolism of Nitrogen containing compounds: nitrogen fixation, amino acids and nucleotides. Photosynthesis, Calvin cycle.
Core concepts (11)
  • Enzyme kinetics
  • Enzyme regulation
  • Enzyme inhibition
  • Vitamins and coenzymes
  • Bioenergetics
  • ATP generation and utilization
  • Central carbon metabolism
  • Oxidative phosphorylation
  • Lipid (fatty acid) metabolism
  • Nitrogen metabolism
  • Photosynthesis and Calvin cycle
Related concepts (8)
  • Enzyme mechanisms and catalysis
  • Metabolic control analysis (basics)
  • Hormonal and signaling regulation
  • Transport and shuttles
  • Redox cofactor specificity
  • Compartmentation
  • Anaplerosis and cataplerosis
  • Reactive oxygen species and coupling efficiency

Biochemical Separation Techniques section_03

Syllabus
Biochemical separation techniques: Ion exchange, size exclusion and affinity chromatography, centrifugation; Characterization of biomolecules by electrophoresis; DNA- protein and protein – protein interactions; UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy; Mass spectrometry.
Core concepts (10)
  • Ion-exchange chromatography
  • Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC/gel filtration)
  • Affinity chromatography
  • Centrifugation
  • Electrophoresis (biomolecule characterization)
  • DNA–protein interactions
  • Protein–protein interactions
  • UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis)
  • Fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Mass spectrometry (MS)
Related concepts (8)
  • Chromatography fundamentals
  • Buffer chemistry for separations
  • Sample preparation and cleanup
  • Calibration and quantitation
  • Interaction thermodynamics and kinetics
  • Data interpretation in electrophoresis
  • Spectroscopic artifacts and corrections
  • MS data concepts

Cell Structure and Process section_04

Syllabus
Cell structure and organelles; Biological membranes; Action potential; Transport across membranes; Membrane assembly and Protein targeting; Signal transduction; Receptor ligand interaction; Hormones and neurotransmitters.
Core concepts (8)
  • Cell structure and organelles
  • Biological membranes
  • Transport across membranes
  • Action potential and membrane excitability
  • Membrane assembly and protein targeting
  • Receptor–ligand interaction
  • Signal transduction
  • Hormones and neurotransmitters
Related concepts (5)
  • Bioenergetics of membranes
  • Thermodynamics and kinetics for binding/transport
  • Membrane biophysics
  • Electrical circuit analogs
  • Experimental approaches (exam-focused)

DNA and Activity section_05

Syllabus
DNA replication, transcription and translation; DNA damage and repair; Biochemical regulation of gene expression; Recombinant DNA technology and applications: PCR, site directed mutagenesis, DNA-microarray; Next generation sequencing; Gene silencing and editing.
Core concepts (10)
  • DNA replication
  • Transcription
  • Translation
  • DNA damage and repair
  • Regulation of gene expression
  • PCR
  • Site-directed mutagenesis
  • DNA microarray
  • Next generation sequencing (NGS)
  • Gene silencing and gene editing
Related concepts (9)
  • Replication fork mechanics
  • Fidelity and proofreading
  • RNA processing (eukaryotes)
  • Operons and transcription factors
  • Epigenetics
  • Recombinant DNA vectors
  • Enzymes of molecular biology
  • Quantification and controls
  • Experimental design & interpretation

Immune System section_06

Syllabus
Immune System: Innate and adaptive; Cell of the immune system; Active and passive immunity; Complement system; Antibody structure, function and diversity; B cell and T Cell receptors; B cell and T cell activation; Major histocompatibilty complex; Immunological techniques: Immuno diffusion, immune-electrophoresis, RIA and ELISA, flow cytometry; monoclonal antibodies and their applications.
Core concepts (10)
  • Innate vs adaptive immunity
  • Cells of the immune system
  • Complement system
  • Active and passive immunity
  • Antibody structure and function
  • Antibody diversity (generation)
  • B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR)
  • B cell and T cell activation
  • Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
  • Core immunological techniques
Related concepts (10)
  • Primary vs secondary lymphoid organs
  • Antigen-presenting cells (APCs)
  • Clonal selection and immunological memory
  • Isotypes (IgM, IgD, IgG, IgA, IgE)
  • Antigen–antibody binding forces
  • Precipitation and equivalence
  • Flow cytometry gating and immunophenotyping
  • ELISA formats
  • RIA competitive binding logic
  • Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)