Understanding Zoology Optional
Zoology is one ofsrc/app/app.module.ts the basic natural science subjects and is one of the popular optional subjects, especially amongst students with life science and medical backgrounds. The UPSC Zoology syllabus is reasonably large but can be mastered with a limited and smart approach. Although anyone can opt for this subject as an optional, due to its technical nature, only life science and medical graduates should be encouraged to go for this one.
Zoology includes the scientific study of every aspect of animals, such as anatomy, physiology, behaviour, biochemistry, genetics and biotechnology, ecology and evolution. It is a high-scoring subject and is also eligible for IFoS aspirants. As with other optional subjects, it carries 500 marks with two papers of 250 marks each.
Key Features of Zoology Optional:
- Technical subject; ideal for life science/medical graduates.
- Vast syllabus requiring comprehensive, in-depth study.
- Minimal overlap with General Studies, but useful for Prelims Science section.
- Requires 4-5 months of dedicated preparation with note-making and revision.
- High-scoring due to straightforward, static nature of questions.
Syllabus PDF
Keep a copy of the official syllabus handy for your preparation.
Download Official Syllabus PDF(Note: This link directs to an external source for the PDF.)
Zoology Optional Syllabus - Paper 1
Non-chordata and Chordata
- Classification and relationship of various phyla up to subclasses: Acoelomate and Coelomate, Protostomes and Deuterostomes, Bilateria and Radiata; Status of Protista, Parazoa, Onychophora and Hemichordata; Symmetry.
- Protozoa: Locomotion, nutrition, reproduction, sex; General features and life history of Paramaecium, Monocystis, Plasmodium and Leishmania.
- Porifera: Skeleton, canal system and reproduction.
- Cnidaria: Polymorphism, defensive structures and their mechanism; coral reefs and their formation; metagenesis; general features and life history of Obelia and Aurelia.
- Platyhelminthes: Parasitic adaptation; general features and life history of Fasciola and Taenia and their pathogenic symptoms.
- Nemathelminthes: General features, life history, parasitic adaptation of Ascaris and Wuchereria.
- Annelida: Coelom and metamerism; modes of life in polychaetes; general features and life history of Nereis, earthworm and leech.
- Arthropoda: Larval forms and parasitism in Crustacea; vision and respiration in arthropods (Prawn, cockroach and scorpion); modification of mouth parts in insects (cockroach, mosquito, housefly, honey bee and butterfly); metamorphosis in insect and its hormonal regulation, social behaviour of Apis and termites.
- Mollusca: Feeding, respiration, locomotion, general features and life history of Lamellidens, Pila and Sepia, torsion and detorsion in gastropods.
- Echinodermata: Feeding, respiration, locomotion, larval forms, general features and life history of Asterias.
- Protochordata: Origin of chordates; general features and life history of Branchiostoma and Herdmania.
- Pisces: Respiration, locomotion and migration.
- Amphibia: Origin of tetrapods, parental care, paedomorphosis.
- Reptilia: Origin of reptiles, skull types, status of Sphenodon and crocodiles.
- Aves: Origin of birds, flight adaptation, migration.
- Mammalia: Origin of mammals, dentition, general features of egg laying mammals, pouched-mammals, aquatic mammals and primates, endocrine glands (pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, gonads) and their interrelationships.
- Comparative functional anatomy of various systems of vertebrates (integument and its derivatives, endoskeleton, locomotory organs, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system including heart and aortic arches, urino-genital system, brain and sense organs (eye and ear).
Ecology
- Biosphere: Concept of biosphere; biomes, Biogeochemical cycles, Human induced changes in atmosphere including greenhouse effect, ecological succession, biomes and ecotones, community ecology.
- Concept of ecosystem; structure and function of ecosystem, types of ecosystem, ecological succession, ecological adaptation.
- Population; characteristics, population dynamics, population stabilization.
- Biodiversity and diversity conservation of natural resources.
- Wildlife of India.
- Remote sensing for sustainable development.
- Environmental biodegradation, pollution and its impact on biosphere and its prevention.
Ethology
- Behaviour: Sensory filtering, responsiveness, sign stimuli, learning and memory, instinct, habituation, conditioning, imprinting.
- Role of hormones in drive; role of pheromones in alarm spreading; crypsis, predator detection, predator tactics, social hierarchies in primates, social organization in insects.
- Orientation, navigation, homing, biological rhythms, biological clock, tidal, seasonal and circadian rhythms.
- Methods of studying animal behaviour including sexual conflict, selfishness, kinship and altruism.
Economic Zoology
- Apiculture, sericulture, lac culture, carp culture, pearl culture, prawn culture, vermiculture.
- Major infectious and communicable diseases (malaria, filaria, tuberculosis, cholera and AIDS) their vectors, pathogens and prevention.
- Cattle and livestock diseases, their pathogen (helminthes) and vectors (ticks, mites, Tabanus, Stomoxys).
- Pests of sugarcane (Pyrilla perpusilla) oil seed (Achaea janata) and rice (Sitophilus oryzae).
- Transgenic animals.
- Medical biotechnology, human genetic disease and genetic counseling, gene therapy.
- Forensic biotechnology.
Biostatistics
- Designing of experiments; null hypothesis; correlation, regression, distribution and measure of central tendency, chi-square, student-test, F-test (one-way & two-way F-test).
Instrumentation Methods
- Spectrophotometer, phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy, radioactive tracer, ultracentrifuge, gel electrophoresis, PCR, ELISA, FISH and chromosome painting.
- Electron microscopy (TEM, SEM).
Zoology Optional Syllabus - Paper 2
Cell Biology Cell Biology
- Structure and function of cell and its organelles (nucleus, plasma membrane, mitochondria, Golgi Bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and lysosomes), cell division (mitosis and meiosis), mitotic spindle and mitotic apparatus, chromosome movements, chromosome type polytene and lampbrush, organization of chromatin, heterochromatin, Cell cycle regulation.
- Nucleic acid topology, DNA motif, DNA replication, transcription, RNA processing, translation, protein foldings and transport.
Genetics
- Modern concept of gene, split gene, genetic regulation, genetic code.
- Sex chromosomes and their evolution, sex determination in Drosophila and man.
- Mendel’s laws of inheritance, recombination, linkage, multiple alleles, genetics of blood groups, pedigree analysis, hereditary diseases in man.
- Mutations and mutagenesis.
- Recombinant DNA technology; plasmid, cosmid, artificial chromosomes as vectors, transgenic, DNA cloning and whole animal cloning (principles and methods).
- Gene regulation and expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
- Signal molecules, cell death, defects in signaling pathway and consequences.
- RFLP, RAPD and AFLP and application of RFLP in DNA fingerprinting, ribozyme technologies, human genome project, genomics and proteomics.
Evolution
- Theories of origin of life.
- Theories of evolution; Natural selection, role of mutations in evolution, evolutionary patterns, molecular drive, mimicry, variation, isolation and speciation.
- Evolution of horse, elephant and man using fossil data.
- Hardy-Weinberg Law.
- Continental drift and distribution of animals.
Systematics
- Zoological nomenclature, international code, cladistics, molecular taxonomy and biodiversity.
Biochemistry
- Structure and role of carbohydrates, fats, fatty acids and cholesterol, proteins and amino-acids, nucleic acids. Bioenergetics.
- Glycolysis and Kreb cycle, oxidation and reduction, oxidative phosphorylation, energy conservation and release, ATP cycle, cyclic AMP – its structure and role.
- Hormone classification (steroid and peptide hormones), biosynthesis and functions.
- Enzymes: types and mechanisms of action.
- Vitamins and coenzymes.
- Immunoglobulin and immunity.
Physiology (with special reference to mammals)
- Composition and constituents of blood; blood groups and Rh factor in man, factors and mechanism of coagulation, iron metabolism, acid-base balance, thermo-regulation, anticoagulants.
- Haemoglobin: Composition, types and role in transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- Digestion and absorption: Role of salivary glands, liver, pancreas and intestinal glands.
- Excretion: nephron and regulation of urine formation; osmo-regulation and excretory product.
- Muscles: Types, mechanism of contraction of skeletal muscles, effects of exercise on muscles.
- Neuron: nerve impulse its conduction and synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters.
- Vision, hearing and olfaction in man.
- Physiology of reproduction, puberty and menopause in human.
Developmental Biology
- Gametogenesis; spermatogenesis, composition of semen, in vitro and in vivo capacitation of mammalian sperm, Oogenesis, totipotency; fertilization, morphogenesis and morphogen, blastogenesis, establishment of body axes formation, fate map, gastrulation in frog and chick; genes in development in chick, homeotic genes, development of eye and heart, placenta in mammals.
- Cell lineage, cell-to cell interaction, Genetic and induced teratogenesis, role of thyroxine in control of metamorphosis in amphibia, paedogenesis and neoteny, cell death, aging.
- Developmental genes in man, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, cloning.
- Stem cells: Sources, types and their use in human welfare.
- Biogenetic law.
How to Prepare UPSC Zoology Syllabus?
Looking at the vastness of the UPSC Zoology syllabus, it is natural to have anxiety regarding the perfect strategy. Here are some tips, notwithstanding every aspirant’s own strengths and weaknesses:
Syllabus & PYQs Analysis
Start with an overview of the syllabus and previous years’ question papers to identify important topics and exam pattern. Questions are generally static.
Smart Approach & Notes
Employ a smart approach to cover all topics. Make chapter-wise notes; they are very useful for revision.
Diagrams & Flowcharts
Develop expertise in drawing diagrams. Be familiar with flowcharts for biochemical pathways and biogeochemical cycles.
Basic Understanding
Build basic understanding from NCERT Biology books (XI and XII). NEET preparation books can also be helpful.
Focus on Concepts
Focus more on basic concepts as Questions No. 1 and 5 of both papers cover conceptual parts.
Selective Reading
Refer to standard textbooks selectively. No need to study entire books; focus on syllabus-relevant chapters.
Focus on Scoring Topics
Prioritize relatively easier topics like Economic Zoology, Ecology, Evolution, Biostatistics, Instrumentation for high scores.
Important Topics in UPSC Zoology Syllabus
Although UPSC asks questions from every section, here is a list of topics that often receive more focus:
Chordata & Non-chordata
- Classification and relationships
- Mammalia
- Comparative functional anatomy
Physiology
- Gas transport (O2 & CO2)
- Digestion and absorption
- Reproduction physiology
- Neuron function
Biochemistry
- Enzymes
- Immunoglobulin and immunity
Cell Biology
- Cell division and cell cycle
Genetics
- Mendel’s laws
- Recombinant DNA technology
Ecology
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Ecosystem structure & function
- Biodiversity & conservation
- Pollution
Evolution
- Theories of evolution
- Hardy-Weinberg Law
Developmental Biology
- Gametogenesis
- Developmental genes in man
- Stem cells
Economic Zoology
- Culture techniques
- Diseases & Med. biotechnology
- Transgenic animals
Biostatistics
- Distributions, central tendency
- Null hypothesis, Chi-square test
Instrumentation Methods
- Microscopy types
Booklist for Zoology Optional
The most important books for preparation are NCERT Biology XI and XII. After covering these, refer to the following textbooks selectively.
Books for Paper 1
| Subject | Book Title | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| Invertebrate Zoology | Invertebrate Zoology | P S Verma and E L Jordan |
| Chordate Zoology | Chordate Zoology | P S Verma and E L Jordan |
| Comparative Anatomy | Vertebrates Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution | K. Kardong |
| Ecology | Ecology and Environment | Dr. P.D. Sharma |
| Ethology | Animal Behaviour (Ethology) | Agarwal V.K. |
| Economic Zoology | Applied And Economic Zoology | Dr. V. B. Upadhyay and Dr. G. S. Shukla |
| Bioinstrumentation | Bioinstrumentation | Bhawana Pandey and M.H. Fulekar |
| Biostatistics | Fundamentals of Biostatistics | Veer Bala Rastogi |
Books for Paper 2
| Subject | Book Title | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| Cell Biology | Karp’s Cell Biology | Karp Gerald |
| Molecular Cell Biology | David Baltimore and Harvey Lodish | |
| Genetics | Concepts of Genetics | Klug and Cummings |
| Evolutionary Biology | Organic Evolution | Veer Bala Rastogi |
| Biochemistry | Biochemistry | U. Satyanarayana |
| Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (selected chapters) | David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox | |
| Animal Physiology | Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology | Bryan H. Derrickson, Gerard J. Tortora |
| Developmental Biology | Developmental Biology | Scott F. Gilbert |