National Board Dental Examination / Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) Foundational Biomedical Sciences Syllabus

Foundational Biomedical Sciences syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Foundational Biomedical Sciences in National Board Dental Examination / Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Molecular, Biochemical, Cellular, and Systems Principles

   4 topics

   • Cell structure, organelles, and membrane transport
     • Plasma membrane composition and signaling receptors
     • Active versus passive transport mechanisms
     • Cell cycle regulation and apoptosis
   • Macromolecule biochemistry and enzyme kinetics
     • Carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism
     • Enzyme inhibition and cofactor function
     • Vitamins, minerals, and metabolic deficiencies
   • Genetics and molecular biology of disease
     • DNA replication, transcription, and translation
     • Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance patterns
     • Genetic syndromes with orofacial manifestations
   • Energy metabolism and homeostasis
     • Glycolysis, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation
     • Acid-base balance and fluid-electrolyte regulation
2. 2

   Anatomy of the Head, Neck, and Oral Structures

   5 topics

   • Osteology of the skull and facial skeleton
     • Maxilla, mandible, and temporomandibular joint
     • Foramina and their transmitted structures
   • Muscles of mastication and facial expression
     • Innervation and actions of masticatory muscles
     • Suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle function
   • Cranial nerve pathways and clinical correlates
     • Trigeminal nerve branches and dental anesthesia targets
     • Facial nerve course and motor distribution
   • Vascular and lymphatic supply of the head and neck
     • External carotid branches relevant to dentistry
     • Cervical lymph node groups and drainage patterns
   • Fascial spaces and routes of odontogenic infection spread
3. 3

   General and Oral Histology and Embryology

   5 topics

   • Embryologic development of the face and palate
     • Branchial arch derivatives
     • Cleft lip and palate developmental basis
   • Tooth development and odontogenesis stages
     • Bud, cap, bell, and apposition stages
     • Amelogenesis and dentinogenesis
   • Histology of enamel, dentin, pulp, and cementum
   • Periodontal ligament and alveolar bone histology
   • Oral mucosa types and salivary gland histology
4. 4

   Physiology and Microbiology

   5 topics

   • Neuromuscular and cardiovascular physiology
     • Action potentials and synaptic transmission
     • Cardiac cycle and blood pressure regulation
   • Respiratory, renal, and endocrine physiology
   • Oral microbiome and biofilm ecology
     • Dental plaque formation and maturation
     • Cariogenic and periodontopathic species
   • Bacteriology, virology, and mycology of clinical relevance
   • Sterilization, disinfection, and infection control principles

Foundational Biomedical Sciences flashcards for National Board Dental Examination / Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE)

19 of 50 cards from the Foundational Biomedical Sciences deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which organelle is the primary site of ATP production via oxidative phosphorylation, and what unique feature does it contain?

   The mitochondrion; it contains its own circular DNA and a folded inner membrane (cristae) housing the electron transport chain and ATP synthase.

2. Distinguish the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) from the smooth ER (SER) by function.

   RER is studded with ribosomes and synthesizes/folds secretory and membrane proteins; SER lacks ribosomes and handles lipid/steroid synthesis, detoxification, and calcium storage.

3. Define primary versus secondary active transport across the cell membrane.

   Primary active transport uses ATP directly (e.g., Na+/K+-ATPase); secondary active transport (symport/antiport) uses the electrochemical gradient created by primary transport to move another solute (e.g., Na+/glucose cotransporter).

4. What does the Na+/K+-ATPase pump move per ATP hydrolyzed, and in which directions?

   It pumps 3 Na+ out of the cell and 2 K+ into the cell per ATP, maintaining the resting membrane potential and cell volume.

5. Name the four major classes of biological macromolecules and their building blocks.

   Carbohydrates (monosaccharides), proteins (amino acids), lipids (fatty acids + glycerol), and nucleic acids (nucleotides).

6. State the Michaelis-Menten equation and define Km.

   v = (Vmax·[S]) / (Km + [S]). Km is the substrate concentration at which reaction velocity is half of Vmax; it is inversely related to enzyme affinity for substrate.

7. How do competitive and noncompetitive inhibitors differ in their effect on Km and Vmax?

   Competitive inhibitors increase apparent Km with unchanged Vmax (reversible by more substrate); noncompetitive inhibitors decrease Vmax with unchanged Km.

8. What is the difference between a missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutation?

   Missense changes one amino acid; nonsense creates a premature stop codon; frameshift results from insertion/deletion not in multiples of three, altering the reading frame downstream.

9. Describe the inheritance pattern and dental relevance of amelogenesis imperfecta.

   A genetic disorder (autosomal dominant, recessive, or X-linked) of enamel formation causing thin, pitted, or hypomineralized enamel due to defective amelogenin/enamelin genes.

10. What are the three stages of transcription in eukaryotic gene expression?

    Initiation (RNA polymerase II binds promoter with transcription factors), elongation (RNA synthesis 5' to 3'), and termination, followed by mRNA processing (cap, poly-A tail, splicing).

11. Compare glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation by location and ATP yield.

    Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm, is anaerobic, and yields a net 2 ATP per glucose; oxidative phosphorylation occurs on the inner mitochondrial membrane and yields ~26-28 ATP.

12. What is the net ATP yield from complete aerobic oxidation of one glucose molecule?

    Approximately 30-32 ATP total (2 from glycolysis, 2 from the citric acid cycle, and ~26-28 from oxidative phosphorylation).

13. Which hormones regulate blood glucose homeostasis and what are their opposing actions?

    Insulin lowers blood glucose by promoting cellular uptake and glycogenesis; glucagon raises it via glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in the liver.

14. Which bones form the hard palate, and what suture joins them?

    The palatine processes of the maxillae (anterior) and horizontal plates of the palatine bones (posterior); they meet at the median palatine suture, with the transverse palatine suture between maxilla and palatine.

15. Through which foramina do the contents of the pterygopalatine region and posterior maxilla pass for the greater and lesser palatine nerves?

    The greater palatine nerve exits the greater palatine foramen (hard palate); the lesser palatine nerve exits the lesser palatine foramen (soft palate).

16. Name the four muscles of mastication and the single one that opens (depresses) the jaw.

    Masseter, temporalis, medial pterygoid, and lateral pterygoid. The lateral pterygoid depresses/protrudes the mandible; the others elevate it.

17. Which cranial nerve innervates all four muscles of mastication?

    The mandibular division (V3) of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).

18. Which cranial nerve innervates the muscles of facial expression, and what is a classic lesion presentation?

    The facial nerve (CN VII); a lower motor neuron lesion (Bell's palsy) causes ipsilateral paralysis of the whole face, including the forehead.

19. List the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve and the foramina through which they exit the skull.

    Ophthalmic (V1) - superior orbital fissure; Maxillary (V2) - foramen rotundum; Mandibular (V3) - foramen ovale.

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