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🇵🇰 Pharm-D Admission Test · subject
Pharm-D Admission Test Biology Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Biology examined in Pharm-D Admission Test — 10 chapters, 36 topics, plus 68 flashcards written against it.
Biology syllabus — full chapter and topic list
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Biology in Pharm-D Admission Test, not a summary of it.
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Cell Biology and Biological Molecules
4 topics- Cell Structure and Organelles
- Biological Molecules
- Enzymes
- Water and Its Biological Importance
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Bioenergetics
3 topics- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- ATP and Energy Currency
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Diversity of Life
6 topics- Viruses
- Kingdom Monera and Prokaryotes
- Kingdom Protista and Fungi
- Kingdom Plantae
- Kingdom Animalia
- Biological Classification
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Human Physiology: Nutrition and Gaseous Exchange
2 topics- Digestion and Absorption
- Gaseous Exchange in Humans
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Transport and Circulation
3 topics- Human Circulatory System
- Lymphatic System and Immunity
- Transport in Plants
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Coordination and Control
3 topics- Nervous System
- Endocrine System and Hormones
- Receptors and Sensory Organs
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Support, Movement and Homeostasis
3 topics- Skeletal System and Joints
- Muscles and Movement
- Homeostasis
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Reproduction and Development
4 topics- Human Reproductive System
- Gametogenesis and Fertilization
- Embryonic Development
- Reproduction in Plants
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Cell Division and Genetics
4 topics- Mitosis and Meiosis
- Chromosomes and DNA
- Mendelian Genetics
- Variation and Genetic Disorders
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Evolution, Ecology and Biotechnology
4 topics- Evolution and Natural Selection
- Ecosystem and Biogeochemical Cycles
- Population and Community Ecology
- Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Biology flashcards for Pharm-D Admission Test
22 of 68 cards from the Biology deck — real questions with worked answers.
What is the function of mitochondria in a cell?
Site of aerobic respiration; produces ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. Known as the powerhouse of the cell; contains its own DNA and a double membrane (inner folded into cristae).
What is the key structural difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotes lack a true membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; their DNA lies free in the cytoplasm (nucleoid). Eukaryotes have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
Which organelle is the site of protein synthesis, and what are its two subunits in eukaryotes?
The ribosome. In eukaryotes it is 80S, made of 60S (large) and 40S (small) subunits; in prokaryotes it is 70S (50S + 30S).
What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) versus smooth ER (SER)?
RER (studded with ribosomes) synthesizes and transports proteins. SER (no ribosomes) synthesizes lipids/steroids, metabolizes carbohydrates, and detoxifies drugs.
What is the role of the Golgi apparatus?
Modifies, sorts, packages, and ships proteins and lipids from the ER into vesicles; also forms lysosomes and secretory vesicles.
What do lysosomes contain and what is their function?
They contain hydrolytic (digestive) enzymes that break down macromolecules, worn-out organelles, and engulfed material (autophagy and intracellular digestion). Called 'suicide bags'.
Which organelles are described by the endosymbiotic theory, and what evidence supports it?
Mitochondria and chloroplasts. Evidence: their own circular DNA, 70S ribosomes, double membranes, and self-replication by binary fission.
What are the four major classes of biological molecules (macromolecules)?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
What is the monomer (building block) of proteins, and what bond links them?
Amino acids are the monomers; they are joined by peptide bonds (formed by condensation/dehydration synthesis).
How many amino acids commonly occur in proteins, and what determines an amino acid's identity?
20 standard amino acids. Each has a central carbon bonded to an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen, and a variable R (side) group that determines its identity.
Distinguish between a monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide with examples.
Monosaccharide = single sugar (glucose, fructose); disaccharide = two sugars joined by glycosidic bond (sucrose, maltose, lactose); polysaccharide = many sugars (starch, glycogen, cellulose).
What is the general structure of a triglyceride (fat)?
One glycerol molecule linked to three fatty acid chains by ester bonds (formed via condensation).
Differentiate saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Saturated fatty acids have no C=C double bonds (single bonds only), are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated have one or more C=C double bonds, are liquid (oils) at room temperature.
What are the four levels of protein structure?
Primary (amino acid sequence), secondary (alpha-helix/beta-pleated sheet from H-bonds), tertiary (3D folding), and quaternary (multiple polypeptide subunits).
What is an enzyme, and what is its chemical nature?
An enzyme is a biological catalyst that speeds up reactions by lowering activation energy without being consumed. Most enzymes are proteins (some are RNA/ribozymes).
Explain the 'lock and key' versus 'induced fit' model of enzyme action.
Lock and key: substrate fits the active site precisely like a key in a lock. Induced fit: the active site changes shape slightly to mould around the substrate when it binds.
How do enzymes speed up reactions in terms of energy?
They lower the activation energy (Ea) required for the reaction to proceed, increasing reaction rate without altering the overall free-energy change or equilibrium.
What is the difference between a cofactor and a coenzyme?
A cofactor is a non-protein helper; if inorganic it's a metal ion (e.g., Zn2+, Mg2+); if organic it's called a coenzyme (e.g., NAD+, FAD, vitamins).
Distinguish competitive from non-competitive enzyme inhibition.
Competitive inhibitor resembles the substrate and binds the active site (overcome by raising substrate concentration). Non-competitive inhibitor binds elsewhere (allosteric site), changing the active site shape (not overcome by more substrate).
How do temperature and pH affect enzyme activity?
Each enzyme has an optimum temperature and pH where activity is maximal. Beyond the optimum, the enzyme denatures (loses 3D shape), so activity falls sharply. Extreme pH also denatures enzymes.
Why is water described as a polar molecule, and what property results?
Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, giving oxygen a partial negative and hydrogens a partial positive charge. This polarity allows hydrogen bonding and makes water a universal solvent.
List three biologically important properties of water due to hydrogen bonding.
High specific heat capacity (temperature buffering), high heat of vaporization (cooling via evaporation), and strong cohesion/adhesion (supports transport in plants and surface tension).
Planning Biology for Pharm-D Admission Test
Biology is about 26% of the Pharm-D Admission Test syllabus by topic count — 36 of 136 topics, spread over 10 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 25 hours.
The heaviest chapters are Diversity of Life (6 topics), Cell Biology and Biological Molecules (4 topics), Reproduction and Development (4 topics) . Front-load those while your energy is high; the short chapters are better revision filler later.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
Biology (Pharm-D Admission Test) FAQ
What is in the Pharm-D Admission Test Biology syllabus?
Biology is split into 10 chapters — Cell Biology and Biological Molecules, Bioenergetics, Diversity of Life, Human Physiology: Nutrition and Gaseous Exchange, Transport and Circulation and Coordination and Control, and 4 more, containing 36 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How is Biology structured in the Pharm-D Admission Test syllabus?
10 chapters. Biology accounts for about 26% of the topics in the whole Pharm-D Admission Test syllabus (36 of 136).
How long should I spend on Biology for Pharm-D Admission Test?
Budget around 25 hours for a first pass through Biology — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 36 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for Pharm-D Admission Test Biology?
Yes — a 68-card Biology deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.