biology_admission test sample
Notes:
1- We ask you kindly to go through the below listed topics of biology and to concentrate on the main
concepts and outlines i.e. you don’t need to learn by heart all texts, figures and tables, it is just to give you
a sufficient explanation for the different topics and to deepen your understanding to the material.
2- Please notify, for the interview you need to study all the below listed topics and concentrate on at least
ten topics.
TOPICS ON BIOLOGY FOR ADMISSION TEST
1. Basic structure and characteristics of the eukaryotic cell (cellular organelles, structure, function).
2. Basic metabolic pathways: glycolysis, biological oxidation, photosynthesis (the biological role and basic
characteristics of enzymes).
3. The DNA and its role in heredity: the structure of DNA, the genetic code, the replication of the genetic
material.
4. Cell division I.: Chromatin, chromosomes. The behaviour of chromosomes during mitosis.
5. Cell division II.: Meiosis. The role of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms.
6. Genetics I.: Genotype, phenotype, genes, alleles. Monohybrid cross, dominant-recessive type of
inheritance, co-dominance. The first Mendelian law of inheritance.
7. Genetics II.: X-linked inheritance. Dihybrid cross: the second Mendelian law of inheritance. Genetic
linkage, crossing-over.
8. From DNA to protein: Translation, mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, ribosomes.
9. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human respiratory system.
10. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human circulatory system.
11. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human digestive system.
12. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human excretory(Urinary) system., importamt
13. Homeostasis: the basic structure and function of the human nervous system.
14. Homeostasis: hormones, the human endocrine system.
15. Basic structure and function of skeletal muscle cells, locomotion in humans.
16. The basic defense systems against infections: the humoral and cellular immune response in humans.
Answers
Macromolecules: Giant Polymers
,biology_admission test sample
Macromolecules are polymers constructed by the formation of covalent bonds between smaller molecules
called monomers. Macromolecules in living organisms include polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids and
lipids.
Proteins: Polymers of Amino Acids
The functions of proteins include support, protection, catalysis, transport, defense, regulation, and movement.
Protein function sometimes requires an attached prosthetic group.
There are 20 amino acids found in proteins. Each amino acid consists of an amino group, a carboxyl group, a
hydrogen, and a side chain bonded to the α carbon atom.
The side chains, or R groups, of amino acids may be charged, polar, or hydrophobic; there are also special
cases, such as the —SH groups of cysteine, which can form disulfide bridges. The side chains give different
properties to each of the amino acids.
Basic structure of amino acid:
COOH
|
H2N-C-H
|
R
Amino acids are covalently bonded together into polypeptide chains by peptide linkages, which form by
condensation reactions between the carboxyl and amino groups.
,biology_admission test sample
Polypeptide chains are folded into specific three-dimensional shapes to form functional proteins. Four levels
of protein structure are possible: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.
The primary structure of a protein is the sequence of amino acids bonded by peptide linkages. This primary
structure determines both the higher levels of structure and protein function.
The two types of secondary structure-α helices and β pleated sheets-are maintained by hydrogen bonds
between atoms of the amino acid residues.
The tertiary structure of a protein is generated by bending and folding of the polypeptide chain.
The quaternary structure of a protein is the arrangement of two or more polypeptides into a single functional
protein consisting of two or more polypeptide subunits.
Carbohydrates: Sugars and Sugar Polymers
All carbohydrates contain carbon bonded to hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl groups.
Hexoses are monosaccharides that contain six carbon atoms. Examples of hexoses include glucose, galactose,
and fructose, which can exist as chains or rings.
, biology_admission test sample
The pentoses are five-carbon monosaccharides. Two pentoses, ribose and deoxyribose, are components of the
nucleic acids RNA and DNA, respectively.
Glycosidic linkages may have either α or β orientation in space. They covalently link monosaccharides into
larger units such as disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Cellulose, a very stable glucose polymer, is the principal component of the cell walls of plants. It is formed by
glucose units linked together by β-glycosidic linkages
Lipids: Water-Insoluble Molecules
Fats and oils are triglycerides, composed of three fatty acids covalently bonded to a glycerol molecule by ester
linkages.
Saturated fatty acids have a hydrocarbon chain with no double bonds.
Phospholipids have a hydrophobic hydrocarbon "tail" and a hydrophilic phosphate "head."
In water, the interactions of the hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads of phospholipids generate a
phospholipid bilayer that is two molecules thick. The head groups are directed outward, where they interact
with the surrounding water. The tails are packed together in the interior of the bilayer.
Nucleic Acids: Informational Macromolecules
DNA is the hereditary material. Both DNA and RNA play roles in the formation of proteins. Information
flows from DNA to RNA to protein.
Nucleic acids are polymers made up of nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of a phosphate group, a sugar
(ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogen-containing base. In DNA the bases are adenine,
guanine, cytosine, and thymine, but in RNA uracil substitutes for thymine.
Notes:
1- We ask you kindly to go through the below listed topics of biology and to concentrate on the main
concepts and outlines i.e. you don’t need to learn by heart all texts, figures and tables, it is just to give you
a sufficient explanation for the different topics and to deepen your understanding to the material.
2- Please notify, for the interview you need to study all the below listed topics and concentrate on at least
ten topics.
TOPICS ON BIOLOGY FOR ADMISSION TEST
1. Basic structure and characteristics of the eukaryotic cell (cellular organelles, structure, function).
2. Basic metabolic pathways: glycolysis, biological oxidation, photosynthesis (the biological role and basic
characteristics of enzymes).
3. The DNA and its role in heredity: the structure of DNA, the genetic code, the replication of the genetic
material.
4. Cell division I.: Chromatin, chromosomes. The behaviour of chromosomes during mitosis.
5. Cell division II.: Meiosis. The role of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms.
6. Genetics I.: Genotype, phenotype, genes, alleles. Monohybrid cross, dominant-recessive type of
inheritance, co-dominance. The first Mendelian law of inheritance.
7. Genetics II.: X-linked inheritance. Dihybrid cross: the second Mendelian law of inheritance. Genetic
linkage, crossing-over.
8. From DNA to protein: Translation, mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, ribosomes.
9. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human respiratory system.
10. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human circulatory system.
11. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human digestive system.
12. Basic anatomy and physiology of the human excretory(Urinary) system., importamt
13. Homeostasis: the basic structure and function of the human nervous system.
14. Homeostasis: hormones, the human endocrine system.
15. Basic structure and function of skeletal muscle cells, locomotion in humans.
16. The basic defense systems against infections: the humoral and cellular immune response in humans.
Answers
Macromolecules: Giant Polymers
,biology_admission test sample
Macromolecules are polymers constructed by the formation of covalent bonds between smaller molecules
called monomers. Macromolecules in living organisms include polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids and
lipids.
Proteins: Polymers of Amino Acids
The functions of proteins include support, protection, catalysis, transport, defense, regulation, and movement.
Protein function sometimes requires an attached prosthetic group.
There are 20 amino acids found in proteins. Each amino acid consists of an amino group, a carboxyl group, a
hydrogen, and a side chain bonded to the α carbon atom.
The side chains, or R groups, of amino acids may be charged, polar, or hydrophobic; there are also special
cases, such as the —SH groups of cysteine, which can form disulfide bridges. The side chains give different
properties to each of the amino acids.
Basic structure of amino acid:
COOH
|
H2N-C-H
|
R
Amino acids are covalently bonded together into polypeptide chains by peptide linkages, which form by
condensation reactions between the carboxyl and amino groups.
,biology_admission test sample
Polypeptide chains are folded into specific three-dimensional shapes to form functional proteins. Four levels
of protein structure are possible: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.
The primary structure of a protein is the sequence of amino acids bonded by peptide linkages. This primary
structure determines both the higher levels of structure and protein function.
The two types of secondary structure-α helices and β pleated sheets-are maintained by hydrogen bonds
between atoms of the amino acid residues.
The tertiary structure of a protein is generated by bending and folding of the polypeptide chain.
The quaternary structure of a protein is the arrangement of two or more polypeptides into a single functional
protein consisting of two or more polypeptide subunits.
Carbohydrates: Sugars and Sugar Polymers
All carbohydrates contain carbon bonded to hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl groups.
Hexoses are monosaccharides that contain six carbon atoms. Examples of hexoses include glucose, galactose,
and fructose, which can exist as chains or rings.
, biology_admission test sample
The pentoses are five-carbon monosaccharides. Two pentoses, ribose and deoxyribose, are components of the
nucleic acids RNA and DNA, respectively.
Glycosidic linkages may have either α or β orientation in space. They covalently link monosaccharides into
larger units such as disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Cellulose, a very stable glucose polymer, is the principal component of the cell walls of plants. It is formed by
glucose units linked together by β-glycosidic linkages
Lipids: Water-Insoluble Molecules
Fats and oils are triglycerides, composed of three fatty acids covalently bonded to a glycerol molecule by ester
linkages.
Saturated fatty acids have a hydrocarbon chain with no double bonds.
Phospholipids have a hydrophobic hydrocarbon "tail" and a hydrophilic phosphate "head."
In water, the interactions of the hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads of phospholipids generate a
phospholipid bilayer that is two molecules thick. The head groups are directed outward, where they interact
with the surrounding water. The tails are packed together in the interior of the bilayer.
Nucleic Acids: Informational Macromolecules
DNA is the hereditary material. Both DNA and RNA play roles in the formation of proteins. Information
flows from DNA to RNA to protein.
Nucleic acids are polymers made up of nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of a phosphate group, a sugar
(ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogen-containing base. In DNA the bases are adenine,
guanine, cytosine, and thymine, but in RNA uracil substitutes for thymine.
