GATE Life Sciences (XL) syllabus comprises 3 sections. The first section is General Aptitude and the second section is Chemistry. Chemistry is tagged as section P is compulsory for candidates. The third part comprises sections Q to U and candidates have to choose any two sections to appear for the exam.

The weightage of General Aptitude 15% and the rest 85% is reserved for chemistry & sections (two) selected by the candidates. The question paper consists of 65 questions which are divided into three sections worth 100 marks and the duration of the exam is three hours.  Check GATE Exam Pattern

Life sciences XL section comprises the following subjects/codes:

• XL-P – Chemistry
• XL-Q – Biochemistry
• XL-R – Botany
• XL-S – Microbiology
• XL-T – Zoology
• XL-U – Food Technology

NOTE: Each subject (chosen ones) will carry 30 marks.

After qualifying GATE candidates will be able to get admission in M.Tech courses offered at NITs, IITs, etc. Only candidates with a valid GATE score can apply for the admission process.

Must Read:  IIT Bombay Admission Process

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XL-P Chemistry Syllabus (compulsory) and Important Books

• Atomic Structure and Periodicity
• Structure and Bonding
• s, p & d Block Elements
• Chemical Equilibria
• Electrochemistry
• Reaction Kinetics
• Thermodynamics
• Structure Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-P Chemistry Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Chemistry

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XL-Q Biochemistry Syllabus and Important Books

Section 1 – Organization of life; Importance of water; Structure and function of biomolecules: Amino acids, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids; Protein structure, folding and function: Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Lysozyme, Ribonuclease A, Carboxypeptidase and Chymotrypsin.

Section 2 – Enzyme kinetics including its regulation and inhibition, Vitamins and Coenzymes; Metabolism and bioenergetics; Generation and utilization of ATP; Metabolic pathways and their regulation: glycolysis, TCA cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, glycogen and fatty acid metabolism; Metabolism of Nitrogen containing compounds: nitrogen fixation, amino acids and nucleotides. Photosynthesis: Calvin cycle.

Section 3 – Biochemical separation techniques: ion exchange, size exclusion and affinity chromatography, Characterization of biomolecules by electrophoresis, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry.

Section 4 – Cell structure and organelles; Biological membranes; Transport across membranes; Signal transduction; Hormones and neurotransmitters.

Section 5 – DNA replication, transcription and translation; Biochemical regulation of gene expression; Recombinant DNA technology and applications: PCR, site directed mutagenesis and DNA-microarray.

Section 6 – Immune system: Active and passive immunity; Complement system; Antibody structure, function and diversity; Cells of the immune system: T, B and macrophages; T and B cell activation; Major histocompatibilty complex; T cell receptor; Immunological techniques: Immunodiffusion, immune electrophoresis, RIA and ELISA.

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-Q Biochemistry Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Biochemistry

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XL-R Botany Syllabus and Important Books

• Plant Systematics
• Plant Anatomy
• Morphogenesis & Development
• Physiology and Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Plant Breeding and Genetic Modification
• Economic Botany
• Plant Pathology
• Ecology and Environment

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-R Botany Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Botany

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XL-S Microbiology Syllabus and Important Books

• Historical Perspective
• Methods in Microbiology
• Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity
• Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
• Microbial Growth
• Control of Micro-organisms
• Microbial Metabolism
• Microbial Diseases and Host-Pathogen Interaction
• Antibiotics
• Microbial Genetics
• Microbial Ecology

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-S Microbiology Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Microbiology

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XL-T Zoology Syllabus and Important Books

• Animal World
• Evolution
• Genetics
• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology
• Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
• Animal Anatomy and Physiology
• Parasitology and Immunology
• Development Biology
• Ecology
• Animal Behaviour

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-T Zoology Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Zoology

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XL-U Food Technology Syllabus and Important Books

• Food Chemistry and Nutrition 
• Food Microbiology
• Food Products Technology
• Food Engineering

Direct Link to Download GATE XL-U Food Technology Syllabus PDF

Important Books for Food Technology

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GATE Life Sciences Exam Pattern 

• Exam Mode: Online
• Duration: 3 hours
• Types of questions: MCQs and NAT
• Sections: 3 sections – General Aptitude, Mathematics and Subject-based
• Total questions: 65 questions

Marking scheme

• Total marks: 100 marks
• Negative Marking: For MCQs only

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Preparation Tips for GATE Life Sciences Paper 

• Knowledge of Syllabus: In life sciences paper, candidates must go through the syllabus of there respective subjects only. Choose the subjects based on your graduation levels otherwise, you will not be able to prepare for the exam properly.
• Know your Exam Pattern: The exam pattern of this paper is different from other papers of GATE. In this paper, there is no engineering mathematics section. The weightage of the core subject syllabus is 85% which is further divided into parts where Chemistry (compulsory paper) is of 25 marks and the subjects (two) selected by candidates are of 30 marks each.
• Download Practice Papers: Candidates are advised to download the practice papers so that they can solve the same. With the help of papers, you test your preparation level and work on your weaker sections. These papers will also help you in getting a better idea about the exam pattern, type of questions, difficulty level of questions and much more.  Download GATE Practice Papers
• Focus on Your Preparation: Candidates are advised not to get influenced by their friends' preparation level or plan. Study as per your plan and do not lose your confidence level. You must do revisions on a daily basis. Prepare handwritten especially for revisions. 
• Stay Fit: Focus on your health also. Do not overburden yourself. Take frequent breaks to relax the body and mind. Take a healthy diet.

Read Preparation Tips of GATE Topper