Biology
Weighting: ★★★
Official syllabus
- •Structure and functions of proteins. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. Allostery.
- •Structure and functions of polysaccharides, chemically modified carbohydrates, glycoproteins and proteoglycans.
- •Structure and functions of glycerolipids (triglycerides and phosphoglycerolipids).
- •Structure and functions of nucleic acids (DNA and different types of RNA). Chromosomes, genes, alleles, the genetic code.
- •Vitamins. Classification and biologically active derivatives.
- •Reversible inhibition of enzyme activity. Physiological regulation of enzyme activity (allosteric regulation and covalent modifications).
- •Mechanism of semiconservative DNA replication. DNA polymerases. DNA repair mechanisms.
- •Transcription. The promoter and the initiation of transcription. RNA polymerases. Regulation of transcription.
- •Processing of eukaryotic mRNA. Place and mechanism of translation.
- •Glucose oxidation. Aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism.
- •Citrate cycle and the oxidative phosphorylation.
- •The origin of life. Chemical evolution, the RNA world. Characteristics of prokaryotic cells. Bacterial diseases.
- •Compartmentation of eukaryotic cells. Functions of some major cell organelles (nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria).
- •Compartmentation of eukaryotic cells. Functions of some major cell organelles (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosomes).
- •The Mendelian laws of inheritance. Sex-linked inheritance. Inheritance of mitochondrial genes.
- •Control of mitotic cell division, checkpoints in the cell cycle. The role of growth factors.
- •Cellular responses to signals. Cell surface and cytoplasmic/nuclear receptors. G proteins, second messengers, protein kinase cascades.
- •Endocrine, paracrine and autocrine effects. Hormones, neurohormones and their actions. Examples (hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland, etc.).
- •Structure and function of the mammalian heart. The cardiac cycle. Generation and conduction of action potentials.
- •Structure and function of the human respiratory system. Gas exchange in the alveoli. Transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood.
- •Structure and function of the human digestive system. The major enzymes of carbohydrate, protein and lipid digestion. Absorption of nutrients.
- •Structure and function of the human kidney. The nephron. Filtration and reabsorption.
- •Mechanism of muscle contraction, the role of calcium ion. The structure of skeletal (striated), cardiac and smooth muscle tissues.
- •The nervous tissue. Nerve cells and glial cells. Generation and conduction of neuronal signals. Resting and action potential.
- •The human reproductive system. Male and female sexual organs and sexual hormones. The biological role of meiosis.
- •Cellular and humoral immune responses. T and B cells, plasma cells. Major histocompatibility complex. Immunoglobulins. Active and passive immunizations.
- •General design of viruses. Multiplication of bacteriophages and animal viruses. RNA replication and reverse transcription.
Source: Admission topics of Semmelweis University — Medical biology and Medical chemistry (document officiel fourni par l'administrateur, 2026)
Recommended textbooks
- •Solomon, Martin, Martin, Berg — Biology (dernière édition)
- •Lodish et al. — Molecular Cell Biology (dernière édition)
Our chapters
The Chemistry of Life: Biological MacromoleculesNucleic Acids: DNA and RNA StructureEnzymes: Catalysis and RegulationCell Theory: Prokaryotes and EukaryotesViruses: Structure and Life CycleCell Organelles and Their FunctionsThe Cell Cycle, Mitosis, and MeiosisReproduction and Heredity: Life CyclesMendelian Genetics: Mendel's LawsChromosomal Genetics and Sex-Linked InheritanceMolecular Genetics: From DNA to ProteinTheories of EvolutionBioenergetics: ATP and Cellular RespirationHuman Physiology: Digestive, Circulatory, and Respiratory SystemsHuman Physiology: Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune SystemsHuman Physiology: Reproductive, Excretory, and Musculoskeletal SystemsVitamins: classification and active derivativesCell signaling: receptors and second messengersThe origin of life and prokaryotic cells