TOPICS

1. General information on Science and its interface with society to test the candidate’s
awareness of science, aptitude of scientific and quantitative reasoning. Questions would
be so designed to judge the creativity, analytical ability and research aptitude of a
candidate.

The questions would be setup in each of the subject areas of NET , viz., Chemical
Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean & Planetary Sciences; Life Sciences;

Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences.

2. COMMON ELEMENTRY COMPUTER SCIENCE:

(Applicable to all candidates offering any subject area; A few questions dealing with basic
computer awareness and uses.)

(i) PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS

(ii) SIMPLE ALGORITHMS AND COMMPUTATIONAL METHODS

Paper-1
1. General information on science and its interface with society to test the candidate’s
awareness of science, aptitude of scientific and quantitative reasonsing.
2. COMMON ELEMENTRY COMPUTER SCIENCE ( Applicable to all candidates
offering subject areas ).
3. History of development of computers, Mainframe, Mini, Micro’s and Super Computer
Systems.
4. General awareness of computer Hardware i..e. CPU and other peripheral devices
( input / output and auxiliary storage devices ).
5. Basic knowledge of computer systems, software and programming languages i.e.
Machine language, Assembly language and higher level language.
6. General awareness of popular commercial software packages like LOTUS, DBASE,
WORD

Hum genetic engineering an is the genetic engineering of humans by

modifying the genotype of the unborn individual to control what traits it will possess
when born.[1]

Healthy humans do not need gene therapy to survive, though it may prove helpful to treat
certain diseases. Special gene modification research has been carried out on groups such
as the 'bubble children' - those whose immune systems do not protect them from the
bacteria and irritants all around them. The first clinical trial of human gene therapy began
in 1990, but (as of 2006) is still experimental. Other forms of human genetic engineering
are still theoretical, or restricted to fiction stories. Recombinant DNA research is usually
performed to study gene expression and various human diseases. Some drastic
demonstrations of gene modification have been made with mice and other animals,
however; testing on humans is generally considered off-limits. In some instances changes
are usually brought about by removing genetic material from one organism and
transferring them into another species.

There are two main types of genetic engineering. Somatic modifications involve adding
genes to cells other than egg or sperm cells. For example, if a person had a disease caused
by a defective gene, a healthy gene could be added to the affected cells to treat the
disorder. The distinguishing characteristic of somatic engineering is that it is non-
inheritable, e.g. the new gene would not be passed to the recipient’s offspring.

Germline engineering would change genes in eggs, sperm, or very early embryos. This
type of engineering is inheritable, meaning that the modified genes would appear not only
in any children that resulted from the procedure, but in all succeeding generations. This
application is by far the more consequential as it could open the door to the perpetual and
irreversible alteration of the human species.

There are two techniques researchers are currently experimenting with:

• Viruses are good at injecting their DNA payload into human cells and
reproducing it. By adding the desired DNA to the DNA of non-pathogenic virus, a
small amount of virus will reproduce the desired DNA and spread it all over the
body.
• Manufacture large quantities of DNA, and somehow package it to induce the
target cells to accept it, either as an addition to one of the original 23
chromosomes, or as an independent 24th human artificial chromosome.

Human genetic engineering means that some part of the genes or DNA of a person are
changed. It is possible that through engineering, people could be given more arms, bigger
brains or other structural alterations if desired. A more common type of change would be
finding the genes of extraordinary people, such as those for intelligence, stamina,
longevity, and incorporating those in embryos. Human genetic engineering holds the
promise of being able to cure diseases and increasing the immunity of people to viruses.
An example of such a disease is cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects lungs and
other organs.

Researchers are currently trying to map out and assign genes to different body functions
or disease. When the genes or DNA sequence responsible for a disease is found,
theoretically gene therapy should be able to fix the disease and eliminate it permanently.
However, with the complexity of interaction between genes and gene triggers, gene
research is currently in its infancy. Computer modeling and expression technology could
be used in the future to create people from scratch. This would work by taking existing
DNA knowledge and inserting DNA of "superior" body expressions from people, such as
a bigger heart, stronger muscles, etc and implanting this within an egg to be inserted into
a female womb. The visual modeling of this process may be very much like the
videogame Spore, where people are able to manipulate the physical attributes of creatures
and then "release them" in the digital world.
The possibilities of physical changes are endless. Strength, speed, endurance and so on
can be enhanced. The baby can be made taller, more beautiful, the changes possible are
really up to the imagination, and the ability of the techniques employed by future gene
manipulators. Certain people have been identified with extraordinary physical abilities,
(such as athletes, geniuses, physical and mental event record holders) and their genes
could be identified and replaced into the target embryo. There is also the possibility that
science will advance so much that people will create genes not identified in nature or
people and implant those in the human body.

Corresponding gene function to intelligence or mental aptitude in various fields is much

harder because while researchers are finding out which sections of the brain light up
when used through MRI imaging, corresponding genes to manipulate and/or expand
intelligence are harder to map. The brain seems to be the last great medical mystery
because unlike a muscle, it transfers information and handles complex processes like a
computer, but without any logical process discernible to researchers. However, in certain
individuals that have a higher aptitude at certain tasks, the history of their family having
done the same work seems to show that either through practice, teaching, or gene
expressions these individuals find tasks such as composing music or mathematics much
easier than the average member of the population.

Syllabus for CSIR - Life Sciences-PAPER I – SECTION B

1. Cell Biology : Structure and function of cells and intracellular organelies ( of both
prokaryotes and eukaryotes ) : mechanism of cell division including ( mitosis and meiosis
) and cell differentiation : Cell – cell interaction ; Malignant growth ; Immune response ;
Dosage compensation and mechanism of sex determination.

2. Biochemistry : Structure of atoms, molecules and chemical bonds. Principles of

physical 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. Physology : Response to stress : Active transport across membranes ; Plant and animal
hormones ; Nutrition ( including vitamins ) ; Reproduction in plants, microbes and
animals.
4. Genetics : Principles of Mendelian inheritance, chromosome structure and function ;
Gene Structure and regulation of gene expression. Linkage and genetic mapping ;
Extrachromosomal inheritance ( episomes, mitochondria and chloraplasts ) ; Mutation :
DNA damage and repair, chromosome aberration : Transposons ; Sex-linked inheritance
and genetic disorders ; Somatic cell genetics ; Genome organization ( in both prokaryotes
and eukaryotes ).
5. Evolutionary Biology : Origin of life ( including aspects of prebiotic environment and
molecular evolution ) ; Concepts of evolution ; Theories of organic evolution ;
Mechanisms of speciation ; Hardyweinberg genetic equilibrium, genetic polymorphism
and selection ; Origin and evolution of economically important microbes, plants and
animals.
6. Environmental Biology : Concept and dynamics of ecosystem, components, food chain
and energy flow, productivity and biogeochemical cycles ; Types of ecosystems,
Population ecology and biological control ; Community structure and organization ;
Environmental pollution ; Sustainable development ; Economic importance of microbes,
plants and animals.
7. Biodiversity and Taxonomy : Species concept, Biological nomenclature theories of
biological classification, Structural biochemical and molecular systematics ; DNA finger
printing, numerical taxonomy, Biodiversity, characterization, generation maintenance and
loss : Magnitude and distribution of biodiversity, economic value, wildlife biology,
conservation strategies, cryopreservat

second messengers
The binding of ligands (“first messengers”) to many cellsurface receptors
leads to a short-lived increase (or decrease) in the concentration of certain
low-molecular-weight intracellular signaling molecules termed second
messengers. These molecules include 3',5'-cyclic AMP (cAMP), 3',5'- cyclic
GMP (cGMP), 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate
(IP3). Other important second messengers are Ca2 and various inositol
phospholipids, also called phosphoinositides, which are embedded in
cellular membranes.