Csir

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 noninheritable, 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: •

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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.