Unit 2 Important Topics

Introduction To Unit 2 - Important Topics To Study

CSIR NET Unit 2 is vast, and that means you need expansive and exhaustive support , Be it notes, Power points, Videos or Animations, You can find all at one place. Right Here in this course

Cell Biology carries an overall 25-30 marks in the exam. Most of the topics are easily understandable as there are many colorful diagrams and process explanations in reference books. All the sub-units in this unit are not interrelated with each other, so you may skip 1 or 2 if you find them hard to prepare, without worrying about any combined concept questions.

UNIT 2: CELLULAR ORGANIZATION

A) Membrane structure and function (Structure of model membrane, lipid bilayer and membrane protein diffusion, osmosis, ion channels, active transport, membrane pumps, mechanism of sorting and regulation of intracellular transport,electrical properties of membranes).

B) Structural organization and function of intracellular organelles (Cell wall, nucleus,mitochondria, Golgi bodies, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes, plastids, vacuoles, chloroplast, structure & function of cytoskeleton and its role in motility).

C) Organization of genes and chromosomes (Operon, unique and repetitive DNA, interrupted genes, gene families, structure of chromatin and chromosomes, heterochromatin, euchromatin, transposons).

D) Cell division and cell cycle (Mitosis and meiosis, their regulation, steps in cell cycle, regulation and control of cell cycle).

E) Microbial Physiology (Growth yield and characteristics, strategies of cell division, stress response)

Important topics from CSIR NET Unit 2 which should be focused upon:

Membrane structure and function – The composition and nature in detail, all types of phospholipids and proteins, their distribution in the membrane, RBC membrane components such as Band 3.
Lipid rafts, FRAP, freeze etching.
Various types of ion channels, pumps, and transporters, their inhibitors (it’s very important to memorize their names and exact mode of inhibition, membrane destabilizing agents, detergent treatments (mostly experimental based questions are expected), membrane potential and what causes a change in the potential.
Protein transport pathways to various organelles, cytoskeletal components like actin, dynein, kinesin and their function in different cellular processes, enzymatic contents of cellular organelles like Golgi, lysosomes, peroxisomes, diseases associated with their impaired functions, protein modifications in ER.
Cellular fractionation based questions will also be asked.

Important Topics From Subunit C of CSIR NET UNIT 2

Subunit C of Unit 2 is mostly a part of molecular biology, so to understand Unit 3 better, you have to study this. Operon (Lac operon, Trp operon, Ara operon ) concepts are mostly asked, their detailed components and regulation in the presence or absence of their substrate. Chromosome structure based questions about transposons (detailed mechanisms), repetitive DNA sequences, centromeric regions, DNA acetylation, methylation, the packaging is also asked about.

Important Topics From Subunit D of CSIR NET UNIT 2

Subunit D of Unit 2 is totally unavoidable, as it has a connection with Cancer and apoptosis topic of Unit 4, some topics of developmental biology. Moreover, questions are inevitably asked from this subunit. Cell cycle steps and checkpoints regulation in detail, all the cyclins, CDK functions, ATM, ATR, inhibition drugs and most importantly the control of the cycle. DNA vs chromosome count for each stage of mitosis and meiosis. Microbial physiology – numerical questions based on microbial growth kinetics, microbial diseases and growth conditions, stress response.

REFERENCE BOOKS