JAM 2026

Biotechnology (BT)

The Biotechnology (BT) Test Paper comprises Biology/Biotechnology, Chem-

istry, Mathematics and Physics.

Section 1: General Biology

Cell Biology: Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Membrane structure and func-
tion; Organelles and internal organization of the eukaryotic cell; Cell communication – sig-
nalling pathways: endocrine and paracrine signalling; Extracellular matrix and apoptosis;
Cell cycle – stages of mitosis and meiosis.
Biochemistry: Structure and function of biological macromolecules; Enzymes – basic
mechanisms of enzyme catalysis and regulation, Hill coefficient, Michaelis-Menten kinetics,
enzyme inhibition, vitamins as coenzymes; Bioenergetics – free-energy change, high-energy
compounds, biological oxidation-reduction reactions and reduction potential; Metabolism
– glycolysis, TCA cycle and their regulation, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis,
nitrogen fixation, urea cycle.
Genetics: Mendelian inheritance; Exception to Mendelian law of independent assortment;
Genetic interactions, linkage, recombination and chromosome mapping, Chromosomal mu-
tations; Genetic disorders; Population Genetics.
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 and differen-
tial gene expression in multicellular eukaryotes.
Evolution and Ecology: Darwinian view – natural selection, fossil record and descent
with modification; Different types of speciation; Phylogenetic classification; Origin of life –
abiotic synthesis of biological macromolecules, protocell, dating fossils and origin of multi-
cellularity; Climate patterns; Terrestrial and aquatic biomes; Environmental constraints on
species distribution; Factors affecting population density; Interactions among communities;
Ecosystems; Ecological remediation.

Section 2: Microbial, Plant and Animal Biotechnology

Microbiology: Microbial genetics - transformation, conjugation and transduction; Struc-
tural features of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa; Pathogenic microorganisms; Nutrition-
based classification of microbes; Microbial metabolism; Isolation and Cultivation of mi-
croorganisms; Growth kinetics; Microbial control and sterilization; Microbial fermentation
– batch, fed-batch and continuous; Bioreactor and its components; Introduction to down-
stream processing - product recovery and purification; Effluent treatment.
Plant Biology: Types of tissues and organs; Primary and secondary growth; Morpho-
genesis; Transport in vascular plants; Plant nutrition; Development of flowering plants –
gametophytic and sporophytic generations; Plant growth regulators; Photobiology; Plant
Tissue Culture – Cellular totipotency and microporopagation; Transgenic plants; Plant re-
sponse to biotic and abiotic stresses.

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Animal Biology: Digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, nervous, reproductive and
endocrine systems; Basics of immunology – Innate and adaptive immunity, Immune cells,
immunoglobulins and major histocompatibility complexes; Animal development – Fertil-
ization, embryonic pattern formation, cleavage, gastrulation, cellular differentiation and
morphogenesis; Mammalian cell culture, animal cloning; Transgenic animals.

Section 3: Biotechniques
Biochemical and Microscopy Techniques: Chromatography; Centrifugation; Elec-
trophoresis; ELISA, Western blotting and immunostaining; Principles of light, fluorescence
and electron microscopy.
Molecular Biology Techniques: DNA cloning – plasmid vectors, and restriction enzymes;
Polymerase Chain Reaction; Expression of cloned eukaryotic genes in bacteria; Hybridization
techniques; DNA sequencing; Recombinant DNA technology in medicine, agriculture and
forensic sciences.
Computational Biology: Bioinformatics; Sequence and structure databases; DNA, RNA
and protein sequence analysis; Secondary structure and 3D structure prediction; Biochemical
databases.
Instrumental Techniques – Spectroscopy: fundamentals of molecular spectroscopy, emis-
sion and absorption spectroscopy, UV-Vis, circular dichroism, FTIR and 1-D proton NMR
spectroscopy, basics of mass spectrometry; Basics of calorimetry; Basic concepts of crystal-
lography; Flowcytometry.

Section 4: Chemistry (10+2+3 level)

Structure and properties of Atoms: Bohr’s theory; Periodicity in properties.
Bonding in molecules: Chemical bonding; Complex formation; Physical and chemical
basis of molecular interactions.
Chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium: Chemical equilibrium; Chem-
ical thermodynamics (first and second law); and Chemical kinetics (zero and first order
reactions).
Physical and chemical properties of compounds: Chemical catalysis; Acid-base con-
cepts; Concepts of pH and buffer; Conjugative effects and resonance; Inductive effects;
Electromeric effects; Photochemistry; and Electrochemistry.
Chemistry of organic compounds: Hydrocarbons; Alkyl halides; Alcohols; Aldehydes;
Ketones; Carboxylic acids; Amines and their derivatives; Aromatic hydrocarbons, halides,
nitro and amino compounds, phenols, diazonium salts, carboxylic and sulphonic acids; Soaps
and detergents; Stereochemistry of carbon compounds.

Section 5: Mathematics (10+2 level)

General mathematics: Sets; Relations and Functions; Logarithms; Complex numbers;
Linear and Quadratic equations; Sequences and Series; Trigonometry; Cartesian System of
Rectangular Coordinates; Straight lines and Family; Three Dimensional Geometry; Permu-
tations and Combinations; Binomial Theorem; Vectors; Matrices and Determinants; Func-
tions; Limits and Continuity; Differentiation; Ordinary Differential Equations; Application
of Derivatives; Integration as inverse process of differentiation; Definite and indefinite inte-
grals; Methods of Integration; Integration by parts.

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Probability & Statistics: Mean, median, mode and standard deviation; Random vari-
ables; Poisson, normal and binomial distributions; Correlation and regression analysis.

Section 6: Physics (10+2 level)

General physics: Units and measurements; Motion in one and two dimensions; Laws of
motion; Work and kinetic energy; Conservation of energy; System of particles and rotational
motion; Mechanical properties of solids and fluids; Thermal properties of matter; Heat and
laws of thermodynamics; Kinetic theory of gases; Electric charge and field; Electric poten-
tial and capacitance; Current, resistance and simple circuits; Moving charges and magnetic
field; Magnetism and matter; Electromagnetic induction; Electromagnetic waves; Alter-
nating currents; Optics: Geometrical Optics – Reflection by spherical mirrors, Refraction
at spherical surfaces and lenses, Total internal reflection and Optical instruments; Wave
optics – Reflection and refraction of plane waves, Interference, Diffraction, Polarization,
and Young’s experiment: Dual nature of radiation and matter; Atoms, nuclei and nuclear
physics; Semiconductor materials, devices and simple circuits.