Carboxylic Acids – Hydrolysis of esters (mechanism excluded) and cyanides; Hunsdicker and HVZ reactions.
Aliphatic Amines – Preparation from nitro, cyano and amido compounds. Distinction of 1º, 2º and 3º amines (Hinsberg method); Reaction with HNO2; Carbyl amine reaction.
Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Life : Haldane and Oparin’s concept on origin of life. Modern concept of Natural selection, Biological Species concept.
Human evolution – An outline.
Mutation – Definition and Types; Replication of DNA, Transcription and Translation (Brief idea).
Genetics : Laws of Heredity : (Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses; Mendel’s laws). Back cross, Test cross, Linkage, Crossing over, Sex linked inheritance – Colour blindness, Haemophilia.
Chromosomes and Cell Division : Morphology of chromosomes; Euchromatin and Heterochromatin.
Nucleic acid as genetic material (Examples : Bacterial Transformation and Viral Transduction).
Enzymes : Definition & properties, Examples; Mechanism of Action, Allosterism and Regulation.
