Table of Contents
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: The CSIR NET syllabus contains five subjects- Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. Here we are discussing about the CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus 2024 in detail. Candidates need to go through the topics of asked in the CSIR NET Life Science to prepare for the exam. Candidates should go through the CSIR NET syllabus well in advance to prepare for the exam.
CSIR NET Life Science Exam Pattern
The pattern for the Life Sciences Paper MCQ test is given below. The CSIR NET Syllabus 2024 & Exam Pattern is explained in detailed for Life Sciences.
1. Paper Type: MCQ test paper
2. Total Marks:200 marks.
3. Exam time: 3 hours.
4. The question paper shall be divided into three parts
5. Negative Marking – 25% for each wrong answer.
| Part | Detailed Syllabus | Total Questions | Required to Answer | Each Question Marks | Total Marks |
| Part A | General Science, Quantitative Reasoning & Analysis and Research Aptitude | 20 | 15 | 2 | 30 |
| Part B | Subject Concerned | 50 | 35 | 2 | 70 |
| Part C | Based on scientific concepts and/or application of the scientific concepts. | 75 | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Total | 75 | 200 | |||
CSIR NET Life Science Marking Scheme
In the CSIR NET Life Sciences paper, candidates need to attempt a total of 75 MCQs combinedly from Part A, B and C. Each question in Parts A and B carries two marks and each question in Part C carries four marks. There is a negative marking of 25 percent in Part A, B, and C for each incorrect answer.
| Subject | Total Weightage | Negative Marking | Marking Scheme |
| CSIR NET Life Science | 200 | Part A: -0.5 | Part A: +2 |
| Part B: -0.5 | Part B: +2 | ||
| Part C: -1 | Part C: +4 |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus
CSIR NET Life Science syllabus PDF contains a list of topics asked in the CSIR NET Exam. The Life Science syllabus topics such as Cell Organization, System Physiology of Plant and animals, Applied Biology, Ecological Principles, etc., are mentioned in this article. To increase their chances of being selected, all candidates must be familiar with the detailed Life Science syllabus of CSIR NET, which is provided here.
- Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology.
- Cellular Organization.
- Fundamental Processes.
- Cell Communication & Cell Signaling.
- Development Biology.
- System Physiology-Plant.
- System Physiology-Animal.
- Inheritance Biology.
- Diversity of Life Forms.
- Ecological Principles.
- Evolution & Behavior.
- Applied Biology.
- Methods in Biology.
Download CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus PDF in Hindi
काउंसिल ऑफ साइंटिफिक एंड इंडस्ट्रियल रिसर्च (सीएसआईआर) के ह्यूमन रिसोर्स डेवलपमेंट ग्रुप ने सीएसआईआर नेट लाइफ साइंस सिलेबस जारी किया है। CSIR NET 2024 का आयोजन NTA द्वारा भारत के विश्वविद्यालयों और कॉलेजों में जूनियर रिसर्च फेलोशिप (JRF) या लेक्चरशिप (LS) / सहायक प्रोफेसर के लिए उम्मीदवारों की पात्रता निर्धारित करने के लिए किया जाता है। CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus के बारे में अधिक जानने और इसकी PDF Download करने के लिए आगे पढ़ें।
Subjects In CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus
The Human Resource Development Group of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has issued the CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus. The CSIR NET 2024 is conducted by the NTA to determine the eligibility of candidates for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) or Lectureship (LS)/Assistant Professor in the universities and colleges of India.
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus for General Aptitude
The CSIR NET syllabus of Part A of all five subjects is the same. CSIR NET Exam Part A contains questions related to General Science, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analysis and Research Aptitude.
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CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus For General Aptitude |
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| Numerical Ability | Number and Simplification; Average; Quadratic Equations; Sequence and Series; Surd and Indices; Logarithms; Percentage; Profit and Loss; Simple Interest & Compound Interest; Partnership; LCM and HCF; Probability; Mensuration. |
| Reasoning | Series Formation; Ranking and Arrangement; Puzzles; Coding-Decoding; Distance and Directions; Calendar and Clock. |
| Data Interpretation, and Graphical Analysis | Mean, Median & Mode; Measures of Dispersion; Graphical Analysis: Bar Graph, Line Graph; Pie-Chart; Tabulation. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology
The CSIR NET Life Science topics which are included in the molecule & their interaction are principles of catalysis, confirmation of proteins, chemical bonds, etc. Check the full list of topics in the following table below.
| CSIR NET Syllabus of Life Science | |
| Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology | Structure of atoms, chemical bonds, and molecules. |
| Principles of biophysical chemistry (pH, buffer, thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, colligative properties). | |
| Principles of catalysis, enzymes and enzyme kinetics, enzyme regulation, mechanism of enzyme catalysis, isozymes. | |
| Confirmation of proteins (Ramachandran plot, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure; motif and folds; domains). | |
| Stabilizing interactions ( hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrophobic interaction, etc.). | |
| Bioenergetics, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, coupled reaction, biological energy transducers, group transfer. | |
| Metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, nucleotides, and vitamins. | |
| Conformation of nucleic acids (helix (A, B, Z), micro-RNA, t-RNA). | |
| B Composition, structure, and function of biomolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and vitamins). | |
| Stability of proteins and nucleic acids. | |
| Composition, structure, and function of biomolecules (carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and vitamins). | |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Cellular Organization.
Cellular Organization is a critical topic in the CSIR NET Life Syllabus. Its Included are membrane structure and function, cell wall, nucleus, plastids, mitosis and meiosis, transposons, etc. Check the full list in the table below.
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CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Cellular Organization |
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| Membrane structure and function | Structure of model membrane, lipid bilayer, and membrane protein diffusion, ion channels, osmosis, active transport, mechanism of sorting and regulation of intracellular transport, ion pumps, electrical properties of membranes. |
| Structural organization and function of the intracellular organelles | Cell wall, nucleus, Golgi bodies, mitochondria, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, plastids, peroxisomes, vacuoles, chloroplast, structure & function of the cytoskeleton, and its role in motility. |
| Organization of genes and chromosomes | Operon, interrupted genes, the structure of chromatin and chromosomes, gene families, unique and repetitive DNA, heterochromatin, transposons, euchromatin. |
| Cell division and cell cycle | Mitosis and meiosis, their regulation, control of cell cycle, and steps in the cell cycle. |
| Microbial Physiology | Growth, yield, characteristics, stress response, strategies of cell division. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Fundamental Processes
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus Fundamental ProcessesA fundamental Process is a small unit in the life sciences syllabus. Its basically include RNA & DNA Process. he important topics are DNA replication, RNA synthesis, extrachromosomal replicons, homologous, etc. Mostly conceptual questions will be asked from this section |
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| DNA replication, repair, and recombination | Unit of replication, replication origin, and replication fork, enzymes involved, extrachromosomal replicons, the fidelity of replication, DNA damage and repair mechanisms, homologous and site-specific recombination. |
| RNA synthesis and processing |
Transcription factors and machinery, transcription activator and repressor, formation of initiation complex, RNA polymerases, elongation, capping and termination, RNA processing, RNA editing, splicing, and polyadenylation, structure, and function of different types of RNA, RNA transport. |
| Protein synthesis and processing | Ribosome, aminoacylation of tRNA, tRNA-identity, aminoacyl tRNA synthetase, translational proof-reading, translational inhibitors, Post-translational, formation of initiation complex, initiation factors and their regulation, elongation and elongation factors, termination, genetic code, modification of proteins. |
| Control of gene expression at transcription and translation level | Regulating the expression of phages, prokaryotic, viruses, and eukaryotic genes, the role of chromatin in gene expression, and gene silencing. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Cell Communication & Cell Signaling
Cell Communication & Cell signaling is the most scoring section in the exam. It covers the following topics Hormones & their receptor, cellular communication, Genetic rearrangements in progenitor cells, etc. Detailed topics are listed in the table below.
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Cell Communication & Cell Signaling | |
| Host-parasite interaction | Recognition and entry processes of different pathogens like bacteria, viruses into animal and plant host cells, pathogen-induced diseases in animals and plants, alteration of host cell behavior by pathogens, virus-induced cell transformation, cell-cell fusion in both normal and abnormal cells. |
| Cell signaling | Hormones and their receptors, regulation of signaling pathways, bacterial and plant two-component systems, light signaling in plants, cell surface receptors, signaling through G-protein coupled receptors, signal transduction pathways, second messengers, bacterial chemotaxis, and quorum sensing. |
| Cellular communication | Regulation of hematopoiesis, gap junctions, extracellular matrix, integrins, general principles of cell communication, cell adhesion and roles of different adhesion molecules, neurotransmission, and its regulation. |
| Cancer | Genetic rearrangements in progenitor cells, virus-induced cancer, metastasis, the interaction of cancer cells with normal cells, apoptosis, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, cancer, and the cell cycle, therapeutic interventions of uncontrolled cell growth. |
| The innate and adaptive immune system | Cells and molecules are involved in innate and adaptive immunity, antigens, antigenicity, and immunogenicity. B and T cell epitopes, structure, and function of antibody molecules. generation of antibody diversity, monoclonal antibodies, antibody engineering, antigen-antibody interactions, humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, primary and secondary immune modulation, the complement system, MHC molecules, antigen processing and presentation, activation and differentiation of B and T cells, B and T cell receptors, Toll-like receptors, cell-mediated effector functions, inflammation, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity, immune response during bacterial (tuberculosis), parasitic (malaria) and viral (HIV) infections, congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies, vaccines. |
CSIR NET Syllabus Life Science – Development Biology
Development Biology is the most interesting topic asked in the exam. It mainly include, Gametogenesis, fertilization, and early development, Morphogenesis and organogenesis in plants & etc.
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Development Biology | |
| Basic concepts of development | Potency, commitment, specification, induction, competence, determination, and differentiation; imprinting; morphogenetic gradients; cell fate and cell lineages; stem cells; genomic equivalence and the cytoplasmic determinants; mutants and transgenics in the analysis of development. |
| Gametogenesis, fertilization, and early development | Production of gametes, cell surface molecules in sperm-egg recognition in animals; embryogenesis, the establishment of symmetry in plants; seed formation and germination. embryo sac development and double fertilization in plants; zygote formation, cleavage, blastula formation, embryonic fields, gastrulation, and formation of germ layers in animals. |
| Morphogenesis and organogenesis in animals | Cell aggregation and differentiation in Dictyostelium; differentiation of neurons, post-embryonic development- larval formation, metamorphosis; axes and pattern formation in Drosophila, amphibia, and chick; organogenesis–vulva formation in Caenorhabditis elegans, eye lens induction, limb development and regeneration in vertebrates; environmental regulation of normal development; sex determination. |
| Morphogenesis and organogenesis in plants | Organization of shoot and root apical meristem; leaf development and phyllotaxy; shoot and root development; transition to flowering, floral meristems, and floral development in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum. |
| Programmed cell death, senescence, and aging. | |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: System Physiology – Plant
System physiology is the most prominent topic in the exam. Its important topics are photosynthesis, respiration, and photorespiration, plant hormones, Nitrogen metabolism and ammonium assimilation, etc.
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: System Physiology-Plant | |
| Photosynthesis | Light-harvesting complexes; photoprotective mechanisms; mechanisms of electron transport; CO2 fixation-C3, C4, and CAM pathways. |
| Respiration and photorespiration | Citric acid cycle; alternate oxidase; plant mitochondrial electron transport and ATP synthesis; photorespiratory pathway. |
| Nitrogen metabolism | Nitrate and ammonium assimilation; amino acid biosynthesis. |
| Plant hormones | Biosynthesis, storage, breakdown, and transport; physiological effects and mechanisms of action. |
| Sensory photobiology | Structure, function, and mechanisms of action of phytochromes, cryptochromes, and phototropin; photoperiodism and biological clocks; stomatal movement. |
| Solute transport and photoassimilate translocation | Uptake, transport, and translocation of water, across membranes, ions, solutes, and macromolecules from soil, through cells, through xylem and phloem; transpiration; mechanisms of loading and unloading of photoassimilates. |
| Secondary metabolites | Biosynthesis of terpenes, phenols, and nitrogenous compounds and their roles. |
| Stress physiology | Responses of plants to biotic (pathogen and insects) and abiotic (water, temperature, and salt) stresses. |
CSIR NET Syllabus Life Science: System Physiology – Animal
System Physiology of animals is different from plants. Important topic asked in this sections are Blood and circulation, the Respiratory system & Excretory system
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: System Physiology-Animal | |
| Blood and circulation | Blood corpuscles, blood volume, blood volume regulation, blood groups, hematopoiesis and formed elements, plasma function, hemoglobin, immunity, hemostasis. |
| Cardiovascular System | Comparative anatomy of heart structure, myogenic heart, specialized tissue, ECG – its principle and significance, cardiac cycle, blood pressure, heart as a pump, neural and chemical regulation of all above. |
| Respiratory system | Comparison of respiration in different species, anatomical considerations, waste elimination, transport of gases, exchange of gases, neural and chemical regulation of respiration. |
| Nervous system | Neurons, central and peripheral nervous system, action potential, gross neuroanatomy of the brain and spinal cord, neural control of muscle tone and posture. |
| Sense organs | Vision, hearing, and tactile response. |
| Excretory system | Comparative physiology of excretion, regulation of water balance, blood volume, blood pressure, kidney, urine formation, urine concentration, waste elimination, micturition, electrolyte balance, and acid-base balance. |
| Thermoregulation | Comfort zone, body temperature – physical, neural regulation, chemical, acclimatization. |
| Digestive system | Digestion, energy balance, absorption, BMR. |
| Endocrinology and reproduction | Endocrine glands, the basic mechanism of hormone action, hormones and diseases; ovulation, reproductive processes, gametogenesis, neuroendocrine regulation. |
| Stress and adaptation | |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Inheritance Biology
Inheritance Biology is the core of genetics. Mostly questions are comes from Mendelian principles, Gene mapping methods & Human genetics
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Inheritance Biology | |
| Mendelian principles | Dominance, independent assortment, segregation. |
| Concept of a gene | Pseudo allele, Allele, multiple alleles, complementation tests. |
| Extensions of Mendelian principles | Codominance, incomplete dominance, gene interactions, pleiotropy, genomic imprinting, penetrance and expressivity, phenocopy, linkage and crossing over, sex linkage, sex-limited, and sex-influenced characters. |
| Gene mapping methods | Linkage maps, tetrad analysis, mapping with molecular markers, mapping by using somatic cell hybrids, development of mapping population in plants. |
| Extrachromosomal inheritance | Inheritance of Mitochondrial and chloroplast genes, maternal inheritance. |
| Microbial genetics | Methods of genetic transfers transformation, mapping genes by interrupted mating, conjugation, transduction and sex-duction, fine structure analysis of genes. |
| Human genetics | Pedigree analysis, lod score for linkage testing, karyotypes, genetic disorders. |
| Quantitative genetics | Polygenic inheritance, heritability, and its measurements, QTL mapping. |
| Mutation | Types, causes, and detection, mutant types – lethal, conditional, biochemical, loss of function, the gain of function, germinal vs somatic mutants, insertional mutagenesis. |
| Structural and numerical alterations of chromosomes | Deletion, duplication, ploidy, inversion, translocation, and their genetic implications. |
| Recombination | Homologous and non-homologous recombination including transposition. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Diversity of Life Forms
Diversity of Life Form are studied at school level. These is the most basic things which is asked in the exam. The topics are principles & methods of taxonomy, unicellular, adaptive radiation, levels of organization, organs, and systems, etc
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Diversity of Life Form | |
| Principles & methods of taxonomy | Biological nomenclature, classical & quantitative methods of the taxonomy of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Concepts of species and hierarchical taxa. |
| Levels of a structural organization | Unicellular, colonial, and multicellular forms. Comparative anatomy, adaptive radiation, adaptive modifications. Levels of organization of tissues, organs & systems. |
| Outline classification of plants, animals & microorganisms | Important criteria are used for classification in each taxon. Classification of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Evolutionary relationships among taxa. |
| Natural history of the Indian subcontinent | Major habitat types of the subcontinent, geographic origins, and migrations of species. Common Indian birds, mammals. Seasonality and phenology of the subcontinent. |
| Organisms of health & agricultural importance | Common parasites and pathogens of humans, domestic animals, and crops. |
| Organisms of conservation concern | Conservation strategies, Rare, endangered species. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus Ecological Principles
Ecological Principles is the most scoring section in the Life Science Syllabus. Important topics involve the physical environment, biotic environment, biotic and abiotic interactions, niche width and overlap, resource partitioning, etc
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CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus -Ecological Principles |
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| The Environment | Physical environment; biotic environment; biotic and abiotic interactions. |
| Habitat and Niche | Concept of habitat and niche; niche width and overlap; fundamental and realized niche; resource partitioning; character displacement. |
| Population Ecology | Characteristics of a population; population growth curves; population regulation; life history strategies; the concept of metapopulation – demes, and dispersal, age-structured populations, intergenic extinctions. |
| Species Interactions | Types of interactions, interspecific competition, carnivory, pollination, herbivory, symbiosis. |
| Community Ecology | Nature of communities; levels of species diversity and its measurement; community structure and attributes; edges and ecotones. |
| Conservation Biology | Principles of conservation, major approaches to management, Indian case studies on conservation/management strategy (Project Tiger, Biosphere reserves). |
| Applied Ecology | Environmental pollution; global environmental change; biodiversity: major drivers of biodiversity change; status, monitoring, and documentation; biodiversity management approaches. |
| Ecological Succession | Types; changes involved in succession; mechanisms; the concept of climax. |
| Biogeography | Major terrestrial biomes; biogeographical zones of India; theory of island biogeography. |
| Ecosystem Ecology | Ecosystem structure; ecosystem function; energy flow and mineral cycling (C, N, P); structure and function of some Indian ecosystems: terrestrial (forest, grassland) and aquatic (freshwater marine, estuarine); primary production and decomposition. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Evolution & Behavior
Mostly questions asked from this section. Its includes, Darwin–concepts of variation, Stages in primate evolution including Homo, Evolution of unicellular eukaryotes; & Origin of basic biological molecules
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Evolution & Behavior | |
| Paleontology and Evolutionary History | The evolutionary time scale; Eras, periods and epoch; Major events in the evolutionary time scale; Major groups of plants and animals; Origins of unicellular and multicellular organisms; Stages in primate evolution including Homo. |
| The emergence of the evolutionary thoughts | Darwin–concepts of variation, adaptation, struggle, fitness, and natural selection; Lamarck; Mendelism; Spontaneity of mutations; The evolutionary synthesis. |
| The Mechanisms |
Population genetics-Populations, Gene pool, Gene frequency; Hardy-Weinberg Law; concepts and rate of change in gene frequency through natural selection, migration, and random genetic drift; Adaptive radiation; Isolating mechanisms. |
| Origin of cells and unicellular evolution | Origin of basic biological molecules; Abiotic synthesis of organic monomers and polymers; Evolution of unicellular eukaryotes; Anaerobic metabolism, photosynthesis, and aerobic metabolism; The first cell; Evolution of prokaryotes; Origin of eukaryotic cells. |
| Brain, Behavior, and Evolution: | Approaches and methods in the study of behavior; Neural basis of learning, memory, cognition, sleep, and arousal; Biological clocks; Development of behavior; Proximate and ultimate causation; Altruism and evolution-Group selection, Kin selection, Reciprocal altruism; Social communication; Social dominance; Use of space and territoriality. |
| Molecular Evolution | Concepts of neutral evolution, molecular divergence, and molecular clocks; Protein and nucleotide sequence analysis; origin of new genes and proteins; Molecular tools in phylogeny, classification, and identification; gene duplication and divergence. |
CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Applied Biology
The Applied Biology section contains Biosensors, Microbial fermentation, Bioremediation and phytoremediation. & Genomics
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus Applied Biology | |
| Applied Biology | Microbial fermentation and production of small and macromolecules. |
| Biosensors. | |
| Bioremediation and phytoremediation. | |
| Breeding in plants and animals, including marker-assisted selection. | |
| Transgenic animals and plants, molecular approaches to diagnosis and strain identification. | |
| Genomics and its application to health and agriculture, including gene therapy. | |
| Bioremediation and phytoremediation. | |
| Bioresource and uses of biodiversity. | |
CSIR NET Syllabus Life Science – Methods in Biology
Methods in Biology topic are listed below in the table. Candidates may easily access the Methods in Biology important topic here only
| CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus: Methods in Biology | |
| Histochemical and Immunotechniques | Antibody generation, Detection of molecules using ELISA, RIA, western blot, detection of molecules in living cells, immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, in situ localization by techniques such as FISH and GISH. |
| Statistical Methods | Measures of central tendency and dispersal; Confidence Interval; Errors; Levels of significance; probability distributions (Binomial, Poisson, and normal); Sampling distribution; Difference between parametric and non-parametric statistics; Regression and Correlation; t-test. |
| Molecular Biology and Recombinant DNA methods | Isolation and purification of RNA, DNA (genomic and plasmid), and proteins, different separation methods. Analysis of RNA, DNA, and proteins by one and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, Isoelectric focusing gels. |
| Biophysical Method | Molecular analysis using UV/visible, fluorescence, circular dichroism, Molecular analysis using light scattering, NMR, and ESR spectroscopy Molecular structure determination using X-ray diffraction and NMR, different types of mass spectrometry, and surface plasmon resonance methods. |
| Microscopic techniques | Visualization of cells and subcellular components by light microscopy, resolving powers of different microscopes, microscopy of living cells, scanning and transmission microscopes, different fixation and staining techniques for EM, freeze-etch, and freeze-fracture methods for EM, image processing methods in microscopy. |
| Radiolabeling techniques | Detection and measurement of different types of radioisotopes normally used in biology, incorporation of radioisotopes in biological tissues and cells, molecular imaging of radioactive material, safety guidelines. |
| Electrophysiological methods | Single neuron recording, patch-clamp recording, lesion and stimulation of the brain, ECG, Brain activity recording, pharmacological testing, PET, MRI, fMRI, CAT. |
Download CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus PDF
Candidate may download the CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus PDF from the below-mentioned article. Just go through the subject detailed syllabus provided below by downloading the Life Science Syllabus 2014 PDF. The complete knowledge of the Life Science syllabus will assist the candidate in formulating an effective study plan of action and vision to attempt the exam.
Download CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus PDF
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