IIT JAM Biotechnology Syllabus 2025: Check Topics, Pattern, Download PDF

Biology

Cell Biology: Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Membrane structure and function;

Organelles and internal organization of the eukaryotic cell Protein trafficking in a eukaryotic cell; Cell communication – signalling pathways: endocrine and paracrine signalling; Extracellular matrix and apoptosis; Cell cycle – stages of mitosis and meiosis, and control of cell division cycle.

Biochemistry: Structure and function of biological macromolecules; Allostery; Enzymes – basic mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, enzyme inhibition, vitamins as coenzymes, and regulation; Bioenergetics – free-energy change, high-energy compounds, biological oxidation-reduction reactions and reduction potential; Metabolism – glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, urea cycle, and regulation of glycolysis and TCA cycle.

Genetics: Mendel’s laws; Inheritance patterns of polygenic traits; Mendelian inheritance patterns of human disorders; Pedigree analysis; Chromosomal basis of inheritance; Genetic recombination; Mapping genes on chromosomes based on linkage analysis; Plant breeding.

Evolution: Darwinian view – natural selection, fossil record and descent with modification; Population genetics – sources of genetic variation, gene pools and allele frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equation, genetic drift, gene flow and adaptive evolution; Different types of speciation; Phylogenetic classification; Origin of life – abiotic synthesis of biological macromolecules, protocell, dating fossils and origin of multicellularity.

Microbiology: Isolation; Cultivation; Structural features of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa; Pathogenic microorganisms; Nutrition-based classification of microbes; Microbial metabolism; Growth kinetics; Submerged fermentation techniques; Microbial genetics. Plant Biology: Types of tissues and organs; Primary and secondary growth; Morphogenesis; Transport in vascular plants; Plant nutrition; Development of flowering plants – gametophytic and sporophytic generations, different developmental phases, genetic control of flowering, gametogenesis, incompatibility, embryogenesis, dormancy, germination and environmental influence; Plant hormones; Photobiology; Plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses

Molecular Biology: Landmark experiments that established DNA is the genetic material; DNA replication; Proof-reading and repair of DNA; DNA recombination; Transcription; RNA processing; Translation; Regulation of gene expression including operons bacteria and differential gene expression in multicellular eukaryotes.

Animal Biology: Digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, nervous, reproductive and endocrine

systems; Basics of immunology – Innate and adaptive immunity, Immune cells and Immunoglobulins;

Animal development – Fertilization, embryonic pattern formation, cleavage, gastrulation, cellular

differentiation and morphogenesis.

Ecology: Climate patterns; Terrestrial and aquatic biomes; Environmental constraints on species distribution; Factors affecting population density; Interactions among communities;

Biotechnology: Plant tissue culture; Cloning of animals through somatic cell nuclear transfer; Applications of recombinant DNA technology in medicine, agriculture and forensic science.

A

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Each question has four choices with one correct answer.

30

B

Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)

Each question has four choices with one or more correct answers.

10

C

Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

The answer for each question is a signed real number that needs to be entered using the virtual numeric keypad on the monitor. No choices will be shown for these questions.

20

Total

60

Biochemistry

Biochemistry

Donald Voet & Judith G Voet

Biochemistry

AL Lehninger

Analytical Biochemistry 

Holme

Biochemistry

Zubay

Principles of Biochemistry 

Lehninger

Cell Biology

Cell and Molecular Biology -Concepts and Experiments

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA

Molecular Biology

Molecular Biology of the Gene

James D Watson, Tania A Baker, Stephen P Bell, Alexander Gann, Michael Levine & Richard Losick

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter

Molecular cloning

Sambrook & Russel

Microbiology

Microbiology

Lansing M Prescott, John P Harley & Donald A Klein

Microbiology

Brock

Biotechnology

Biotechnology

U Satyanarayana

Physiology

Principles of Anatomy Physiology

Gerard J Tortora & Bryan Derrickson

Botany

A Text Book of Botany

Annie Ragland, V Kumaresan & N Arumugam

Genetics

Principles of Genetics

Gardner, Simmons & Snustad

Immunology

Immunology

Richard A Golds, Thomas J Kindt, Barbara A Osborne & Janis Kuby

General Biology, Ecology and Evolution

Campbell Biology

Lisa A. Urry, Michael L Cain, Steven A Wasserman, Peter V Minorsky & Jane B Reece

Developmental Biology

Scott F Gilbert