- The test consists of approximately 180 multiple-choice
questions, a number of which are grouped in sets toward the end
of the test and based on descriptions of laboratory situations,
diagrams, or experimental results.
- The content of the test is organized into three major areas:
biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology and genetics.
In addition to the total score, a subscore in each of these
subfield areas is reported. Because these three disciplines are
basic to the study of all organisms, test questions encompass
both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
- Throughout the test, there is an emphasis on questions
requiring problem-solving skills (including mathematical
calculations that do not require the use of a calculator) as
well as content knowledge.
- While only two content areas in the following outline
specifically mention methodology, questions on methodology and
data interpretation are included in all sections.
- In developing questions for the test, the test development
committee considers both the content of typical courses taken by
undergraduates and the knowledge and abilities required for
graduate work in the fields related to the test.
- Because of the diversity of undergraduate curricula, few
examinees will have encountered all of the topics in the content
outline. Consequently, no examinee should expect to be able to
answer all questions on the edition of the test he or she takes.
- The three subscore areas are interrelated. Because of these
interrelationships, individual questions or sets of questions
may test more than one content area. Therefore, the relative
emphases of the three areas in the following outline should not
be considered definitive. Likewise, the topics listed are not
intended to be all-inclusive but, rather, representative of the
typical undergraduate experience.
I. BIOCHEMISTRY — 36%
A. Chemical and Physical Foundations
- Thermodynamics and kinetics
- Redox states
- Water, pH, acid-base reactions, and buffers
- Solutions and equilibria
- Solute-solvent interactions
- Chemical interactions and bonding
- Chemical reaction mechanisms
B. Biomolecules: Structure, Assembly, Organization, and
Dynamics
- Small molecules
- Macromolecules (for example, nucleic acids, polysaccharides,
proteins, and complex Lipids)
- Supramolecular complexes (for example, membranes,
ribosomes, and multienzyme complexes)
C. Catalysis and Binding
- Enzyme reaction mechanisms and kinetics
- Ligand-protein interaction (for example, hormone receptors,
substrates and effectors, transport proteins, and
antigen-antibody interactions)
D. Major Metabolic Pathways
- Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur assimilation
- Anabolism
- Catabolism
- Synthesis and degradation of macromolecules
E. Bioenergetics (including respiration and photosynthesis)
- Energy transformations at the substrate level
- Electron transport
- Proton and chemical gradients
- Energy coupling (phosphorylation and transport)
F. Regulation and Integration of Metabolism
- Covalent modification of enzymes
- Allosteric regulation
- Compartmentation
- Hormones
G. Methodology
- Spectroscopy
- Isotopes
- Separation techniques (for example, centrifugation,
chromatography, and electrophoresis)
- Immunotechniques
II. CELL BIOLOGY — 28%
A. Cellular Compartments of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes:
Organization, Dynamics, and Functions
- Cellular membrane systems (structure and transport)
- Nucleus (envelope and matrix)
- Mitochondria and chloroplasts (including biogenesis and
evolution)
B. Cell Surface and Communication
- Extracellular matrix (including cell walls)
- Cell adhesion and junctions
- Signal transduction
- Receptor function
- Excitable membrane systems
C. Cytoskeleton, Motility, and Shape
- Actin-based systems (including muscle contraction)
- Microtubule-based systems
- Intermediate filaments
- Prokaryotic systems
D. Protein Synthesis and Processing
- Regulation or translation
- Posttranslational modification
- Intracellular trafficking
- Secretion and endocytosis
E. Cell Division, Differentiation, and Development
- Bacterial division
- Meiosis and gametogenesis
- Eukaryotic cell cycles, mitosis, and cytokinesis
- Fertilization and early embryonic development (including
positional information, homeotic genes, tissue-specific
expression, nuclear and cytoplasmic interactions, growth factors
and induction, environment, and polarity)
III. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS — 36%
A. Genetic Foundations
- Mendelian and non-Mendalian inheritance
- Transformation, transduction, and conjugation
- Recombination and complementation
- Mutational analysis
- Genetic mapping and linkage analysis
B. Chromatin and Chromosomes
- Karyotypes
- Translocations, inversions, deletions, and duplications
- Aneuploidy and polyploidy
- Structure
C. Genomics
- Genome structure
- Physical mapping
- Repeated DNA and gene families
- Gene identification
- Transposable elements
D. Genome Maintenance
- DNA replication
- DNA damage and repair
- DNA modification
- DNA recombination and gene conversion
E. Gene Expression
- The genetic code
- Transcription
- RNA processing
- Translation
F. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes
- Positive and negative control of the operon
- Promoter recognition by RNA polymerases
- Attenuation and antitermination
G. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
- Cis-acting regulatory elements
- Trans-acting regulatory factors
- Gene rearrangements and amplifications
H. Bacteriophages and Animal and Plant Viruses
- Genome replication and regulation
- Virus assembly
- Virus-host interactions
I. Methodology
- Restriction maps
- Nucleic acid blotting and hybridization
- DNA cloning in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- Sequencing and analysis
- Protein-nucleic acid interaction
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