Indian Civil Service Exams (CSE) Syllabus - UPSC Exams

UPSC Exams Indian Civil Services Syllabus for Main Exams: Zoology

Paper-II

Section-A

I. Cell Biology:

Structure and function of cell andits organelles (nucleus, plasma membrane, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and Iysosomes), cell division (mitosis and meiosis), mitotic spindle and mitotic apparatus, chromosome movement.
Watson-Crick model of DNA, replication of DNA, protein synthesis, transcription and transcription factors.
II. Genetics
Gene structure and functions; genetic code.
Sex chromosomes and sex determination in Drosophilla, nematodes and man.
Mendel's laws of inheritance, recombination, linkage, linkage-maps, multiple alleles, cistron concept; genetics of blood groups.
Mutations and mutagenesis : radiation and chemical.
Cloning technology, plasmids and cosmids as vectors, transgenics, transposons, DNA sequence cloning and whole animal cloning (Principles and methodology).
Regulation and gene expression in pro-and eu-karyotes.
Signal transduction; pedigree-analysis; congenital diseases in man.
Human genome mapping; DNA finger-printing.
III. Evolution
Origin of life
Natural selection, role of mutation in evolution, mimicry, variation, isolation, speciation.
Fossils and fossilization; evolution of horse, elephant and man.
Hardy-Weinberg Law, causes of change in gene frequency.
Continental drift and distribution of animals.
IV. Systematics
Zoological nomenclature; international code; cladistics.

Section-B

I. Biochemistry

Structure and role of carbohydrates, fats, lipids, proteins, aminoacids, nucleic acids; saturated and unsaturated fattyacids, cholesterol.
Glycolysis and Krebs cycle, oxidation and reduction, oxidative phosphorylation; energy conservation and release, ATP, cyclic AMP-its structure and role.
Hormone classification (steroid and peptide hormones), biosynthesis and function.
Enzymes : types and mechanisms of action; immunoglobulin and immunity; vitamins and co-enzymes.
Bioenergetics.
II Physiology (with special refernece ot mammals)
Composition and constitutents of blood; blood groups and Rh factor in man; coagulation, factors and mechanism of coagulation; acid-base balance, thermo regulation.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport; haemoglobin : constitutents and role in regulation.
Nutritive requirements; role of salivary glands, liver, pancreas and intestinal glands in digestion and absorption.
Excretory products; nephron and regulation of urine formation; osmoregulation.
Types of muscles, mechanism of contraction of skeletal muscles.
Neuron, nerve impulse-its conduction and synaptic transmission; neurotransmitters.
Vision, hearing and olfaction in man.
Mechanism of hormone action.
Physiology of reproduction, role of hormones and phermones.
III. Developmental Biology
Differentiation from gamete to neurula stage; dedifferentiation; metaplasia, induction, morphogenesis and morphogen; fate maps of gastrulae in frog and chick; organogenesis of eye and heart, placenation in mammals.
Role of cytoplasm in and genetic control of development; cell lineage; causation of metamorphosis in frog and insects; paedogenesia and neoteny; growth, degrowth and cell death; ageing; blastogenesis; regeneration; teratogenesis; neoplasia.
Invasiveness of placenta; in vitro fertilization; embryo transfer, cloning.
Baer's law; evo-devo concept.