Zoology 

Syllabus for Main Examination

PAPER – I
Section – A
Non-chordata and chordate

(a) Classification and relationship of various phyla up-to sub-classes; Acoelomata and Coelomata;
Protostomes and Deuterostomes, Bilateralia and Radiata; Status of Protista, Parazoa, Onychophora and
Hemichordata; Symmetry.
(b) Protozoa: Locomotion, nutrition, reproduction; evolution of sex; general features and life history of
Paramaecium, Monocystis, Plasmodium and Leishsmania.
(c) Porifera: Skeleton, canal system and reproduction.
(d) Coelenterata: Polymorphism, defensive structures and their mechanism; coral reefs and their
formation; metagenesis; general features and life history of Obelia and Aurelia.
(e) Platyhelminthes: Parasitic adaptation; general features and life history of Fasciola and Taenia and
their relation to man.
(f) Nemathelminthes: General features, life history and parasitic adaptation of Ascaris; nemathelminthes
in relation to man.
(g) Annelida: Coelom and metamerism; modes of life in polychaetes; general features and life history of
nereis (Neanthes), earthworm (Pheretima) and leach (Hirundaria).
(h) Arthropoda: Larval forms and parasitism in Crustacea; vision and respiration in arthropods (prawn,
cockroach and scorpion); modification of mouth parts in insects (cockroach, mosquito, housefly, honey
bee and butterfly); metamorphosis in insects and its hormonal regulation; social organization in insects
(termites and honey bees).
(i) Mollusca: Feeding, respiration, locomotion, shell diversity; general features and life history of
Lamellidens, Pila and Sepia, torsion and detorsion in gastropods.
j) Echinodermata: Feeding respiration, locomotion larval forms; general features and life history of
Asterias.
(k) Protochordata: Origin of chordates; general features and life history of Banchiostoma and
Herdamania.
(l) Pisces: Scales, respiration, locomotion, migration.
(m) Amphibia: Origin of tetrapods; parental care, paedomorphosis.
(n) Reptilia: Origin of reptiles; skull types; status of Sphenodon and crocodiles.
(o) Aves: Origin of birds; flight adaptation, migration.
(p) Mammalia: Origin of mammals; dentition; general features of egg laying mammals, pouched-
mammals, aquatic mammals and primates; endocrine glands and other hormone producing structures
(pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, gonads) and their inter-relationships.
(q) Comparative functional anatomy of various systems of vertebrates (integument and its derivatives,
endoskeleton, locomotory organs, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, including
heart and aortic arches; urino-genital system, brain and sense organs (eye and ear).

Section – B
Ecology

(a) Biosphere: Biogeochemical cycles, green-houses effect, ozone layer and its impact; ecological
succession, biomes and ecotones.
(b) Population, characteristics, population dynamics, population stabilization.
(c) Conservation of natural resources mineral mining, fisheries, aquaculture; forestry; grassland;
wildlife (Project Tiger); sustainable production in agriculture—integrated pest management.
(d) Environmental biodegradation; pollution and its impact on biosphere and its prevention.

1
Ethology

(a) Behaviour: Sensory filtering, responsiveness, sign stimuli, learning, instinct, habituation,
conditioning, imprinting.
(b) Role of hormones in drive; role of pheromones in alarm spreading; crypsis, predator detection,
predator tactics, social behaviour in insects and primates, courtship (Drosophila, 3-spine stickleback fish
and birds).
(c) Orientation, navigation, homing; biological rhythms; biological clock, tidal, seasonal and circadian
rhythms.
(d) Methods of studying animal behaviour.

Economic Zoology

(a) Apiculture, sericulture, lac culture, carp culture, pearl culture, prawn culture.
(b) Major infectious and communicable diseases (small pox, plague, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and
AIDS) their vectors, pathogens and prevention.
(c) Cattle and livestock diseases, their pathogens (helminths) and vectors (ticks, mites, Tabanus,
Stomoxys).
d) Pests of sugar cane (Pyrilla perpusilla), oil seed (Achaea janata) and rice (Sitophilus oryzae).

Biostatistics

Designing of experiments; null hypothesis; correlation, regression, distribution and measure of central
tendency, chi square, student t-test, F-test (one-way & two- way F-test).

Instrumental methods

(a) Spectrophotometry, flame photometry, Geiger-Muller counter, scintillation counting.

(b) Electron microscopy (TEM, SEM).

PAPER – II
Section – A

Cell Biology

(a) Structure and function of cell and its organelles (nucleus, plasma membrane, mitochondria, Golgi
bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and lysosomes), cell division (mitosis and meiosis), mitotic
spindle and mitotic apparatus, chromosome movement.
(b) Watson-Crick model of DNA, replication of DNA, protein synthesis, transcription and transcription
factors.

Genetics

(a) Gene structure and functions; genetic code.

(b) Sex chromosomes and sex determination in Drosophilla, nematodes and man.
(c) Mendel’s laws of inheritance, recombination, linkage, linkage-maps, multiple alleles, cistron concept;
genetics of blood groups.
(d) Mutations and mutagenesis: radiation and chemical.
(e) Cloning technology, plasmids and cosmids as vectors, transgenics, transposons, DNA sequence

2
cloning and whole animal cloning (Principles and methodology).
(f) Regulation and gene expression in pro-and eu-karyotes.
(g) Signal transduction; pedigree analysis; congenital diseases in man.
(h) Human genome mapping; DNA finger printing.

Evolution

(a) Origin of life.

(b) Natural selection, role of mutation in evolution, mimicry, variation, isolation, speciation.
(c) Fossils and fossilization; evolution of horse, elephant and man.
(d) Hardy-Weinberg law, causes of change in gene frequency.
(e) Continental drift and distribution of animals.

Systematics

(a) Zoological nomenclature; international code; cladistics.

Section – B

Biochemistry

(a) Structure and role of carbohydrates, fats, lipids, proteins, aminoacids, nucleic acids; saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol.
(b) Glycolysis and Krebs cycle, oxidation and reduction, oxidative phosphorylation; energy conservation
and release, ATP, cyclic AMP – its structure and role.
(c) Hormone classification (steroid and peptide hormones), biosynthesis and function.
(d) Enzymes: types and mechanisms of action; immunoglobulin and immunity; vitamins and co-enzymes.
e) Bioenergetics.

Physiology

Physiology (with special reference to mammals).

(a) Composition and constituents of blood; blood groups and Rh factor in man; coagulation, factors and
mechanism of coagulation; acid-base balance, thermoregulation.
(b) Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport; haemoglobin: constituents and role in regulation.
(c) Nutritive requirements; role of salivary glands, liver, pancreas and intestinal glands in digestion and
absorption.
(d) Excretory products; nephron and regulation of urine formation; osmoregulation.
(e) Types of muscles, mechanism of contraction of skeletal muscles.
(f) Neuron, nerve impulse—its conduction and synaptic transmission; neurotransmitters.
(g) Vision, hearing and olfaction in man.
(h) Mechanism of hormone action.
(i) Physiology of reproduction, role of hormones and pheromones.

Developmental Biology

(a) 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, placentation

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in mammals.
(b) Role of cytoplasm in and genetic control of development; cell lineage; causation of metamorphosis in
frog and insects; paedogenesis and neoteny; growth, degrowth and cell death; ageing; blastogenesis;
regeneration; teratogenesis; neoplasia.
(c) Invasiveness of placenta; in vitro fertilization; embryo transfer, cloning.
(d) Baer’s law; evo-devo concept.

The syllabus of Zoology is vast and thus not repetitive. Students are advised to leave those areas which
appeared in last year's paper. The answers should be diagrammatic and be less verbose. Students
should also not hesitate in drawing colour diagrams.
Paper I
Section A 
Non-chordata and chordata:

 Students should do classification thoroughly as it's given in Barnes' textbook

 Pay attention to general essays rather than type studies
 Always correlate things from evolutionary viewpoint -Draw as many diagrams and flow charts as
possible
 Origin of chordates is an expected topic this year. Students should cover all theories.
 In chordate description, compare the phyla phylogenetically and anatomically. Comparative
anatomy diagrams must be coloured.

Section B
The most scoring parts are Economic Zoology, Bio Stats and Bio Instrumentation. Students should
prepare Ecology and Animal Behavior only for short notes. India-centric data is must wherever it's
required. The section on Ethology can be ignored during final stages of preparation. Students need to
focus on topics related to developments in India in Economic Zoology.
Paper II
Section A
To prepare Cell Biology and Genetics, students need to follow the same advice as provided for these two
topics in Botany. However, you need to correlate cellular processes with human physiology and human
disease conditions. In Genetics, student should also mention the possible human welfare applications.
For this year's mains paper, the human genome project appears important because of media reports on
this topic during the last one year. In Evolution, students should prepare exclusively for short notes and
identify important topics from previous years' papers. The section on Systematics can be ignored or
students just need to stick to the present course structure. No peripheral questions asked.

Section B
Biochemistry and Physiology
Practical Bio-chemical pathway with structural formula of molecules are important in this year's
paper. Prepare from medical bio-chemistry and physiology books. Represent most information through
flow charts. Always draw relevant anatomical diagrams.
Development Biology
If physiology and biochemistry are prepared thoroughly, then this part can be prepared only for short
notes. Colored drawings are a must. Students need to practice them properly.

4
For General Studies (GS)
Topics related to ecology and environment can be ignored while preparing for GS paper. Different
aspects of biotechnology are routinely asked in GS for which no separate preparation is required.

Zoology Books for IAS Exam

Suggested Zoology Reading List

 Cell and molecular bilogy - De Robertis, C.B. Powar

 Genitics - P.K. Gupta, Gardner, Ahluwalia, Vir Bala Rastogi
 Invertebrates - R.L. Kotpal, Nigam, Jordan
 Vertebrates - R.L. Kotpal, Nigam, Jordan and Varma
 Comparative anatomy of vertebrate zoology - Kent
 Animal physiology - H.R. Singh, Vander
 Biochemistry - Harper, Leninger, Stryer, Rao
 Embryology - Balinsky, A.K. Berry, Vir Bala Rastogi
 Organic evolution - Veer Bala Rastogi
 Ecology - P.D. Sharma, Odum, Vir Bala Rastogi and M.S. Jayaraj, Kotpal and Bali
 Economic Zoology - Shukla and Upadhaya, Kotpal Series, Kotpal- Khetrapal - Aggarwal
 Ethology - Reena Mathur, Magazines like Science Reporter, Nature etc.
 General Zoology - Storer and Usurger
 Physiology - H.R. Singh
 Evolution - Vir Bala Rastogi
 A Dictionary of Entomology - Leftwich

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Botany 

PAPER-I
1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology: Structure and reproduction/multiplication
of viruses, viroids, bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma; Applications of microbiology
in agriculture, industry, medicine and in control of soil and water pollution;
Prion and Prion hypothesis. Important crop diseases caused by viruses, bacteria,
mycoplasma, fungi and nematodes; Modes of infection and dissemination;
Molecular basis of infection and disease resistance/defence; Physiology of
parasitism and control measures; Fungal toxins; Modelling and disease
forecasting; Plant quarantine.
2. Cryptogams: Algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes - structure and
reproduction from evolutionary viewpoint; Distribution of Cryptogams in India
and their ecological and economic importance.
3. Phanerogams:
Gymnosperms: Concept of Progymnosperms; Classification and distribution of
gymnosperms; Salient features of Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and
Gnetales, their structure and reproduction; General account of Cycadofilicales,
Bennettitales and Cordaitales; Geological time scale; Type of fossils and their
study techniques.
Angiosperms: Systematics, anatomy, embryology, palynology and phylogeny.
Taxonomic hierarchy; International Code of Botanical Nomenclature; Numerical
taxonomy and chemotaxonomy; Evidence from anatomy, embryology and
palynology.
Origin and evolution of angiosperms; Comparative account of various systems of
classification of angiosperms; Study of angiospermic families – Mangnoliaceae,
Ranunculaceae, Brassicaceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae,
Dipterocarpaceae, Apiaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Verbenaceae, Solanaceae,
Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Arecaceae, Liliaceae,
Musaceae and Orchidaceae.
Stomata and their types; Glandular and non-glandular trichomes; Unusual
secondary growth; Anatomy of C3 and C4 plants; Xylem and phloem
differentiation; Wood anatomy.
Development of male and female gametophytes, pollination, fertilization;
Endosperm - its development and function; Patterns of embryo development;
Polyembroyony and apomixes; Applications of palynology; Experimental
embryology including pollen storage and test-tube fertilization.
4. Plant Resource Development: Domestication and introduction of plants;
Origin of cultivated plants; Vavilov’s centres of origin; Plants as sources for
food, fodder, fibre, spices, beverages, edible oils, drugs, narcotics, insecticides,
timber, gums, resins and dyes, latex, cellulose, starch and its products;
Perfumery; Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian context; Energy plantations;
Botanical Gardens and Herbaria.
5. Morphogenesis: Totipotency, polarity, symmetry and dfferentiation; Cell,
tissue, organ and protoplast culture; Somatic hybrids and Cybrids;
Micropropagation; Somaclonal variation and its applications; Pollen haploids,

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embryo rescue methods and their applications.

PAPER-II
1. Cell Biology:
Techniques of cell biology; Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells - structural and
ultrastructural details; Structure and function of extracellular matrix (cell wall),
membranes-cell adhesion, membrane transport and vesicular transport; Structure
and function of cell organelles (chloroplasts, mitochondria, ER, dictyosomes
ribosomes, endosomes, lysosomes, peroxisomes); Cytoskelaton and microtubules;
Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear pore complex; Chromatin and nucleosome; Cell
signalling and cell receptors; Signal transduction; Mitosis and meiosis;
Molecular basis of cell cycle; Numerical and structural variations in
chromosomes and their significance; Chromatin organization and packaging of
genome; Polytene chromosomes; B-chromosomes – structure, behaviour and
significance.
2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution:
Development of genetics; Gene versus allele concepts (Pseudoalleles);
Quantitative genetics and multiple factors; Incomplete dominance, polygenic
inheritance, multiple alleles; Linkage and crossing over; Methods of gene
mapping, including molecular maps (idea of mapping function); Sex
chromosomes and sex-linked inheritance, sex determination and molecular basis
of sex differentiation; Mutations (biochemical and molecular basis); Cytoplasmic
inheritance and cytoplasmic genes (including genetics of male sterility).
Structure and synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins;Genetic code and regulation
of gene expression; Gene silencing; Multigene families; Organic evolution –
evidences, mechanism and theories. Role of RNA in origin and evolution.
3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics:
Methods of plant breeding – introduction, selection and hybridization (pedigree,
backcross, mass selection, bulk method); Mutation, polyploidy, male sterility and
heterosis breeding; Use of apomixes in plant breeding; DNA sequencing; Genetic
engineering – methods of transfer of genes; Transgenic crops and biosafety
aspects; Development and use of molecular markers in plant breeding; Tools and
techniques - probe, southern blotting, DNA fingerprinting, PCR and FISH.
Standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV); Tests of significance (Z-test,
t-test and chi-square test); Probability and distributions (normal, binomial and
Poisson); Correlation and regression.
4. Physiology and Biochemistry:
Water relations, mineral nutrition and ion transport, mineral deficiencies;
Photosynthesis – photochemical reactions; photophosphorylation and carbon
fixation pathways; C3, C4 and CAM pathways; Mechanism of phloem transport;
Respiration (anerobic and aerobic, including fermentation) – electron transport
chain and oxidative phosphorylation; Photorespiration; Chemiosmotic theory and
ATP synthesis; Lipid metabolism; Nitrogen fixation and nitrogen metabolism;
Enzymes, coenzymes; Energy transfer and energy conservation; Importance of

7
 secondary metabolites; Pigments as photoreceptors (plastidial pigments and
phytochrome); Plant movements; Photoperiodism and flowering, vernalization,
senescence; Growth substances – their chemical nature, role and applications in
agri-horticulture; Growth indices, growth movements; Stress physiology (heat,
water, salinity, metal); Fruit and seed physiology; Dormancy, storage and
germination of seed; Fruit ripening – its molecular basis and manipulation.
5. Ecology and Plant Geography:
Concept of ecosystem; Ecological factors; Concepts and dynamics of community;
Plant succession; Concept of biosphere; Ecosystems; Conservation; Pollution
and its control (including phytoremediation); Plant indicators; Environment
(Protection) Act.
Forest types of India - Ecological and economic importance of forests,
afforestation, deforestation and social forestry; Endangered plants, endemism,
IUCN categories, Red Data Books; Biodiversity and its conservation; Protected
Area Network; Convention on Biological Diversity; Farmers’ Rights and
Intellectual Property Rights; Concept of Sustainable Development;
Biogeochemical cycles; Global warming and climatic change; Invasive species;
Environmental Impact Assessment; Phytogeographical regions of India.

Paper I
This paper in Botany is high-scoring provided your answers are simple, diagrammatic, and focuses on
evolutionary aspects of questions. Do not forget to mention Indian species as well. Stay simple and give
diagrams with Indian-centric views. This will help you to score good marks. You should summarize tables
for last minute revision.

Microbiology in Section I is important for the 200-word short notes and you should practice
accordingly. Applied aspects of queries are more important. In Plant Pathology you can safely leave
description of diseases but should focus on physiological aspects.
In Cryptogams, the syllabus tells you to study plant group for their structure and reproduction with
evolutionary viewpoint. The question in the examination however, does not mention the word evolution
explicitly but examiners expect evolutionary treatment of questions.
Phanerogams is divided into various sub-groups. The key areas are:
Gymnosperms: Emphasis on fossil types
Angiosperms: Skip the families which were asked last year. Practice floral diagrams and formulas as
much as possible
Anatomy: Not a consistent portion. It can be ignored if other portions are well prepared
Embryology: Stick to prescribed topics. Draw neat diagrams. The preparation of this portion can be
clubbed with Morphogenesis. 
Paper II
The strategy for this paper should revolve around providing updated information, colored illustrations
and focus on applications.

In Cell Biology; focus should be on molecular aspect. Any long process should be discussed only with
diagrams showing all the steps. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution is a high scoring area in

8
Paper II. The focus thus should be on making notes and writing crisp answers. Students should always
highlight applications in agriculture and human welfare.
During the past three years, questions from Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics have been
asked in compulsory section of the paper. The preparation strategy should revolve around making
short notes and give stepwise crosses. They should also focus on "Role of Breeding in Crop
Improvement in India".
In Physiology and Biochemistry; biochemical physiology is most important. In this year's examination,
photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism are more important than respiration. Students need to cover
hormones and developmental physiology in areas like flowering, seed germination and fruit ripening.
In Ecology and Plant Geography; students can do with preparing just short notes. They can however
afford to skip this section if they have covered other parts well.
Suggested Botany Books for IAS
Microbiology: Powars's two books on microbiology are more than enough.
Pathology: Singh's book along with a foreign author
Cryptograms B.R. Vasista (alage and fungi), P.C. Vashishta (Pteridophytes gymnosperms) along with
both volumes by Pandey and Trivedi
Embryology: Bhojwani and Bhatnagar
Plant Anatomy: Esau or B.P. Pandey
Taxonomy: Nair along with Datta
Cell Biology: De Robertis & Ambrose and Easy or Powar
Genetics: Strickberger or Vir Bala Rastogi
Physiology and Biochemistry: Salisbury and Ross or Fritz and Noggle
Ecology: Vir Bala Rastogi and M.S. Jayaraj and P.D. Singh
Economic Botany: Kochar or Verma

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IAS Papers : Suggested Books For Zoology

* Cell and molecular bilogy – De Robertis, C.B. Powar

* Genitics – P.K. Gupta, Gardner, Ahluwalia, Vir Bala Rastogi
* Invertebrates – R.L. Kotpal, Nigam, Jordan
* Vertebrates – R.L. Kotpal, Nigam, Jordan and Varma
* Comparative anatomy of vertebrate zoology – Kent
* Animal physiology – H.R. Singh, Vander
* Biochemistry – Harper, Leninger, Stryer, Rao
* Embryology – Balinsky, A.K. Berry, Vir Bala Rastogi
* Organic evolution – Veer Bala Rastogi
* Ecology – P.D. Sharma, Odum, Vir Bala Rastogi and M.S. Jayaraj, Kotpal and Bali
* Economic Zoology – Shukla and Upadhaya, Kotpal Series, Kotpal- Khetrapal – Aggarwal
* Ethology – Reena Mathur, Magazines like Science Reporter, Nature etc.
* General Zoology – Storer and Usurger
* Physiology – H.R. Singh
* Evolution – Vir Bala Rastogi
* A Dictionary of Entomology – Leftwich

The syllabus of Zoology is vast and thus not repetitive. Students are advised to leave those areas which
appeared in last year's paper. The answers should be diagrammatic and be less verbose. Students
should also not hesitate in drawing colour diagrams.
Paper I
Section A 
Non-chordata and chordata:

 Students should do classification thoroughly as it's given in Barnes' textbook

 Pay attention to general essays rather than type studies
 Always correlate things from evolutionary viewpoint -Draw as many diagrams and flow charts as
possible
 Origin of chordates is an expected topic this year. Students should cover all theories.
 In chordate description, compare the phyla phylogenetically and anatomically. Comparative
anatomy diagrams must be coloured.

Section B
The most scoring parts are Economic Zoology, Bio Stats and Bio Instrumentation. Students should
prepare Ecology and Animal Behavior only for short notes. India-centric data is must wherever it's
required. The section on Ethology can be ignored during final stages of preparation. Students need to
focus on topics related to developments in India in Economic Zoology.
Paper II
Section A
To prepare Cell Biology and Genetics, students need to follow the same advice as provided for these two
topics in Botany. However, you need to correlate cellular processes with human physiology and human
disease conditions. In Genetics, student should also mention the possible human welfare applications.
For this year's mains paper, the human genome project appears important because of media reports on
this topic during the last one year. In Evolution, students should prepare exclusively for short notes and

10
identify important topics from previous years' papers. The section on Systematics can be ignored or
students just need to stick to the present course structure. No peripheral questions asked.
Section B
Biochemistry and Physiology
Practical Bio-chemical pathway with structural formula of molecules are important in this year's
paper. Prepare from medical bio-chemistry and physiology books. Represent most information through
flow charts. Always draw relevant anatomical diagrams.
Development Biology
If physiology and biochemistry are prepared thoroughly, then this part can be prepared only for short
notes. Colored drawings are a must. Students need to practice them properly.
For General Studies (GS)
Topics related to ecology and environment can be ignored while preparing for GS paper. Different
aspects of biotechnology are routinely asked in GS for which no separate preparation is required.

11