GATE Life Science [XL] Latest Syllabus 2025 Subject Wise
What is the Syllabus of GATE Life Science [XL] 2025 ?
Ans- GATE Life Science Latest syllabus 2025 code XL is released by IIT Kharagpur on its official website. Candidates who choose Life Science [XL] as their subject must check the complete syllabus to understand the topics that need to be covered for the upcoming exam. A clear understanding of the GATE Life Science syllabus allows you to plan your preparation in a strategic manner
Overview of Gate Life Science Paper [XL] Exam 2025-
| Particulars | Details |
| Examination Mode Gate Life Science | Computer Based Test (Online) |
| Duration Gate Life Science | 3 Hours |
| Number of Subjects Gate Life Science | 4 Papers [ 2 optional + Chemistry Compulsory + General Aptitute] |
| Section Gate Life Science | General Aptitude (GA) ,Chemistry & Candidate Selected Subject [Optional] |
| Pattern of questions | GA : 5 x 1 + 5 x 2 =15 : 5 questions carrying 1-mark each and 5 questions carrying 2-marks each Subject: Chemistry (Compulsory): 9 x 1 + 8 x 2 =25 marks : 9 questions carrying 1-mark each and 8 questions carrying 2-marks each Only TWO optional sections can be answered at a time. Each of the optional sections of the XL paper (Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology) contains 19 questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 8 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 8 marks) and 11 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 22 marks). |
| Validity of Score Card | Three Year |
| Distribution of Marks | General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Chemistry: 25 Marks + Optional TWO Subjects: 60 Marks , Total: 100 Marks |
| Type of Questions Gate Life Science | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)Multiple Select Questions (MCQs)Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
| Design of Questions Gate Life Science | The questions are designed to test the listed abilities Application Analysis Comprehension Recall Synthesis |
| Number of Questions | 65 Questions (including 10 questions from General Aptitude) |
| Total Marks | 100 Marks |
| Marking Scheme | All of the questions will be worth 1 or 2 marks |
| Negative Marking | Two types of MCQs: MCQs – 1 mark for each correct answer; 1/3 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer MCQs – 2 marks for each correct answer; 2/3 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response. There is no negative marking for Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions and NO negative marking for MSQ & NAT. |
| Terms of Gate Life Science Exam | Once a year |
| The subject of Gate Life Science | Biochemistry [XL-Q] Botany [XL-P] Microbiology [XL-S] Zoology [XL- T ] Food Technology [XL- U] |
Highlights GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025
GATE Life Science syllabus 2025 for all the subjects consists of three sections which are as follows:
- Section 1: General Aptitude
- Section 2: Chemistry (XL-P)
- Section 3: Life Science subjects
Out of which section-1 and section-2 are compulsory for all the students. The third section of Life Science (XL) includes Subjects Code Q to U and you have to choose any two of them to attempt in the exam. The Subjects Q to U are:
- Biochemistry (XL-Q)
- Botany (XL-R)
- Microbiology (XL-S)
- Zoology (XL-T)
- Food Technology (XL-U)
GATE Life Science Syllabus 2024 – General Aptitude Paper Exam-
The General Aptitude section is common in all the GATE Life Science syllabus 2023. This section is divided into- Verbal Ability & Numerical Ability. There are a total of 10 questions in this section, out of which 5 questions have a weightage of 1-mark each and 5 questions have a weightage of 2-marks each. The topics are as follows:
| Sections | Topics |
| Verbal Ability | English grammar Sentence completion,Instructions Verbal analogies Word groups Critical reasoning Verbal deduction |
| Numerical Ability | Numerical computation Numerical reasoning Numerical estimation Data interpretation |
Note – The Syllbaus of General Paper is Not Fixed We have include Topics as Per Past Year Pattern
Syllabus of Compulsory Subject GATE Chemistry XL-P Life Science –
Here is Given Complete Syllabus for Chemistry
- Section 1: Atomic Structure and Periodicity
- Section 2: Structure and Bonding
- Section 3: s, p and d Block Elements
- Section 4: Chemical Equilibria
- Section 5: Electrochemistry
- Section 6: Reaction Kinetics
- Section 7: Thermodynamics
- Section 8: Structure-Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms
- Section 9: Chemistry of Biomolecules
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Atomic Structure and Periodicity | Planck’s quantum theory, wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, comparison between Bohr’s model and quantum mechanical model of the hydrogen atom, and electronic configuration of atoms and ions. Hund’s rule and Pauli’s exclusion principle. Periodic table and periodic properties: ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity and atomic size. |
| Section 2: Structure and Bonding | Ionic and covalent bonding, MO and VB approach for diatomic molecules, VSEPR theory and shape of molecules, hybridization, resonance, dipole moment, structure parameters such as bond length, bond angle, and bond energy, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. Ionic solids, ionic radii and lattice energy (Born‐Haber cycle). HSAB principle. |
| Section 3: s, p and d Block Elements | Oxides, halides and hydrides of alkali, alkaline earth metals, B, Al, Si, N, P, and S. General characteristics of 3d elements. Coordination complexes: valence bond and crystal field theory, color, geometry, magnetic properties and isomerism. |
| Section 4: Chemical Equilibria | Osmotic pressure, the elevation of boiling point and depression of freezing point, ionic equilibria in solution, solubility product, common ion effect, hydrolysis of salts, pH, buffer, and their applications. Equilibrium constants (Kc, Kp, and Kx) for homogeneous reactions. |
| Section 5: Electrochemistry | Conductance, Kohlrausch law, cell potentials, EMF, Nernst equation, thermodynamic aspects and their applications. |
| Section 6: Reaction Kinetics | Rate constant, order of reaction, molecularity, activation energy, zero, first and second-order kinetics, catalysis, and elementary enzyme reactions. Reversible and irreversible inhibition of enzymes. |
| Section 7: Thermodynamics | Qualitative treatment of state and path functions, First law, reversible and irreversible processes, internal energy, enthalpy, Kirchoff equation, heat of reaction, Hess’s law, heat of formation. Second law, entropy and free energy. Gibbs‐Helmholtz equation, free energy change and spontaneity, Free energy changes from equilibrium constant. |
| Section 8: Structure-Reactivity Correlations and Organic Reaction Mechanisms | Acids and bases, electronic and steric effects, Stereochemistry, optical and geometrical isomerism, tautomerism, conformers, and the concept of aromaticity. Elementary treatment of SN1, SN2, E1, E2 and radical reactions, Hoffmann/Saytzeff rules, addition reactions, Markownikoff rule, and Kharasch effect. Elementary hydroboration reactions. Grignard’s reagents and their uses. Aromatic electrophilic substitutions, and orientation effect as exemplified by various functional groups. Identification of common functional groups by chemical tests. |
| Section 9: Chemistry of Biomolecules | Amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids and nucleotides. Peptide sequencing by chemical and enzymatic proteolytic methods. DNA sequencing by chemical and enzymatic methods. Carbohydrates (up to hexoses only). Lipids (triglycerides only). Principles of biomolecule purification exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Identification of these biomolecules and BeerLambert’s law. |
Download All Subject Latest Syllabus Gate Life Science 2025 –
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GATE Life Science Biochemistry [XL-Q] Latest Syllabus 2025-
GATE Biochemistry: Syllabus Subject Based on Topics Such as Organization of life; Importance of water, Biochemical separation techniques, Cell structure, and organelles & more This means that you’d have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. While the syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why we’ve broken them down into the GATE Biochemistry syllabus according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under them are involved so that it would be easy for you to be prepared for the upcoming exams.
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: | Organization of life; Importance of water; Structure and function of biomolecules: Amino acids, Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids; Protein structure, folding / misfolding and function; Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Lysozyme, Ribonuclease A, Carboxypeptidase and Chymotrypsin. |
| Section 2: | Enzyme kinetics, regulation and inhibition; Vitamins and Coenzymes; Bioenergetics and metabolism; 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, centrifugation; Characterization of biomolecules by electrophoresis; DNA- protein and protein – protein interactions; UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy; Mass spectrometry. |
| Section 4: | Cell structure and organelles; Biological membranes; Action potential; Transport across membranes; Membrane assembly and Protein targeting; Signal transduction; Receptor-ligand interaction; Hormones and neurotransmitters. |
| Section 5: | DNA replication, transcription, and translation; DNA damage and repair; Biochemical regulation of gene expression; Recombinant DNA technology and applications: PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, DNA-microarray; Next-generation sequencing; Gene silencing and editing. |
| Section 6: | Immune system: Innate and adaptive; Cell of the immune system; Active and passive immunity; Complement system; Antibody structure, function, and diversity; B cell and T Cell receptors; B cell and T cell activation; Major histocompatibility complex; Immunological techniques: Immunodiffusion, immune-electrophoresis, RIA and ELISA, flow cytometry; monoclonal antibodies and their applications. |
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GATE Life Science Botany [XL-P] Latest Syllabus 2025-
- Section 1: Plant Systematics
- Section 2: Plant Anatomy
- Section 3: Plant development
- Section 4: Plant physiology and biochemistry
- Section 5: Genetics and genomics
- Section 6: Plant Breeding, Genetic Modification, Genome Editing
- Section 7: Economic and Applied Botany
- Section 8: Plant Pathology
- Section 9: Ecology and Environment
GATE Botany: Syllabus Subject Based on Topics Such as Plant Systematics, Plant Anatomy, Plant development; cell and tissue morphogenesis, Plant physiology and biochemistry, Genetics and genomics & more This means that you’d have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. While the syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why we’ve broken them down into the GATE Botany syllabus according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under them are involved so that it would be easy for you to be prepared for the upcoming exams.
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Plant Systematics | Botanical nomenclature, history of plant taxonomy, diversity and classification of plants, APG system of plant classification; phylogenetics and cladistics, molecular taxonomy and DNA barcoding; Centers for plant taxonomy and herbaria in India. |
| Section 2: Plant Anatomy | Anatomy of the root, stem and leaves, floral organs, embryo, and young seedlings, Primary and secondary meristems, stellar organization, vascular system, and their ontogeny, xylem, and phloem structure, secondary growth in plants and wood anatomy, plant cell structure, and differences from animal cells. |
| Section 3: Plant development; | cell and tissue morphogenesis Life cycle of an angiosperm, development of male and female gametophyte; cell fate determination and tissue patterning; spacing mechanisms in trichomes and stomata. Embryogenesis, organization and function of shoot and root apical meristems. Transition to flowering: photoperiodism and vernalization, ABC model of floral organ patterning, pollen germination, double fertilization, seed development; Xylem and phloem cell differentiation, photomorphogenesis; phytochrome, cryptochrome, phototropin. Role of auxin, cytokinin, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids on plant development. |
| Section 4: Plant physiology and biochemistry | Plant water relations, mechanisms of uptake and transport of water, ions, solutes from soil to plants, apoplastic and symplastic transport mechanisms. Mechanism of stomatal movements, nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis; C3, C4 and CAM cycles, photorespiration, respiration: glycolysis, TCA cycle and electron transport chain. Plant responses and mechanisms of abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, freezing and heat stress, metal toxicity; role of abscisic acid in abiotic stresses. Structure and function of biomolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acid), enzyme kinetics. Structure and biosynthesis of major plant secondary metabolites (alkaloids, terpenes, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids). Biosynthesis, mechanism of action and physiological effects of auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acids, brassinosteroid, ethylene, strigolactone, abscisic acid, salicylic and jasmonic acid. Senescence and programmed cell death. |
| Section 5: Genetics and genomics | Cell cycle and cell division. Principles of Mendelian inheritance, linkage, recombination, genetic mapping; extrachromosomal inheritance; Introduction to epigenetics; gene silencing- transgene silencing, post-transcriptional gene silencing, miRNA and siRNA; evolution and organization of eukaryotic genome structure, gene expression, gene mutation, and repair, chromosomal aberrations (numerical: euploidy and aneuploidy and structural: deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation), transposons. Model organisms for functional genetics and genomics; Introduction to transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. |
| Section 6: Plant Breeding, Genetic Modification, Genome Editing | Principles, methods – selection, hybridization, heterosis; male sterility, genetic maps and molecular markers, embryo rescue, haploid and doubled haploids, plant tissue culture: micropropagation, embryo culture and in vitro regeneration, somatic embryogenesis, artificial seed, cryopreservation, somaclonal variation, somatic cell hybridization, marker-assisted selection, gene transfer methods viz. direct and vector-mediated, generation of transgenic plants; Introduction to genome editing: CRISPR/Cas9, Cre-Lox system to generate chimeras; plastid transformation; chemical mutagenesis. |
| Section 7: Economic and Applied Botany | A general account of economically and medicinally important plants- cereals, pulses, plants yielding fibers, timber, sugar, beverages, oils, rubber, pigments, dyes, gums, drugs, and narcotics. Economic importance of algae, fungi, lichen, and bacteria. Major Indian cash crops. Effect of industrialization on agricultural botany such as plastic on fiber economy. Genetically modified crops and its regulation eg. Bt cotton, Bt brinjal golden rice, etc. |
| Section 8: Plant Pathology | Nature and classification of plant diseases, diseases of important crops caused by fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses, and their control measures (chemical and biological) mechanism(s) of pathogenesis, resistance: basal, systemic, induced systemic resistance, the gene for gene concept. Molecular detection of pathogens; plant-microbe interactions: symbionts and mycorrhiza, pathogens and pests. Signaling pathways in plant defense response; salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) in plant-pathogen and plant-herbivore interaction, necrosis; host-parasitic plant interaction (such as Cuscuta). |
| Section 9: Ecology and Environment | Ecosystems – types, dynamics, degradation, biogeochemical cycles, ecological succession; food webs and energy flow through the ecosystem; vegetation types of the world, Indian vegetation types and biogeographical zones, climate and flora endemism; pollution and global climate change, speciation and extinction, biodiversity and conservation strategies, ecological hotspots, afforestation, habitat restoration; plant interactions with other organisms; epiphytes, parasites and endophytes. |
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GATE Life Science Microbiology [XL-S] Latest Syllabus 2025-
- Section 1: Historical Perspective
- Section 2: Methods in Microbiology
- Section 3: Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity
- Section 4: Prokaryotic Cells
- Section 5: Microbial Growth
- Section 6: Control of Micro-organisms
- Section 7: Microbial Metabolism
- Section 8: Microbial Diseases and Host Pathogen Interaction
- Section 9: Chemotherapy/Antibiotics
- Section 10: Microbial Genetics
- Section 11: Microbial Ecology
GATE Microbiology: Syllabus Subject Based on Topics Such as Historical Perspective, Methods in Microbiology, Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity, Prokaryotic Cells: Structure and Function, Microbial Growth, Control of Micro-organisms & more This means that you’d have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. While the syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why we’ve broken them down into the GATE Microbiology syllabus according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under them are involved so that it would be easy for you to be prepared for the upcoming exams.
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Historical Perspective | Discovery of microbial world; Landmark discoveries relevant to the field of microbiology; Controversy over a spontaneous generation; Role of microorganisms in the transformation of organic matter and in the causation of diseases. |
| Section 2: Methods in Microbiology | Pure culture techniques; Principles of microbial nutrition; Enrichment culture techniques for isolation of microorganisms; antigen and antibody detection methods for microbial diagnosis; Light-, phase contrast-, fluorescence- and electron-microscopy; PCR, real-time PCR for quantitation of microbes; Next generation sequencing technologies in microbiology. |
| Section 3: Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity | Bacteria, Archea and their broad classification; Eukaryotic microbes: Yeasts, molds and protozoa; Viruses and their classification; Molecular approaches to microbial taxonomy and phylogeny. |
| Section 4: Prokaryotic Cells: | Structure and Function Prokaryotic Cells: cell walls, cell membranes and their biosynthesis, mechanisms of solute transport across membranes, Flagella and Pili, Capsules, Cell inclusions like endospores and gas vesicles; Bacterial locomotion, including positive and negative chemotaxis. |
| Section 5: Microbial Growth | Definition of growth; Growth curve; Mathematical expression of exponential growth phase; Measurement of growth and growth yields; Synchronous growth; Continuous culture; Effect of environmental factors on growth; Bacterial biofilm and biofouling. |
| Section 6: Control of Micro-organisms | Disinfection and sterilization: principles, methods and assessment of efficacy |
| Section 7: Microbial Metabolism | Energetics: redox reactions and electron carriers; Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation; An overview of metabolism; Glycolysis; Pentose-phosphate pathway; Entner-Doudoroff pathway; Glyoxalate pathway; The citric acid cycle; Fermentation; Aerobic and anaerobic respiration; Chemolithotrophy; Photosynthesis; Calvin cycle; Biosynthetic pathway for fatty acids synthesis; Common regulatory mechanisms in synthesis of amino acids; Regulation of major metabolic pathways. |
| Section 8: Microbial Diseases and Host Pathogen Interaction | Normal microbiota; Classification of infectious diseases; Reservoirs of infection; Nosocomial infection; Opportunistic infections; Emerging infectious diseases; Mechanism of microbial pathogenicity; Nonspecific defense of host; Antigens and antibodies; Humoral and cell-mediated immunity; Vaccines; passive immunization; Immune deficiency; Human diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and pathogenic fungi. |
| Section 9: Chemotherapy/Antibiotics | General characteristics of antimicrobial drugs; Antibiotics: Classification molecular mechanism of mode of action and resistance; Antifungal and antiviral drugs. |
| Section 10: Microbial Genetics | Types of mutation; UV and chemical mutagens; Selection of mutants; Ames test for mutagenesis; Bacterial genetic system: transformation, conjugation, transduction, recombination, plasmids, transposons; DNA repair; regulation of gene expression: repression and induction; Operon model; Bacterial genome with special reference to E.coli; Phage λ and its life cycle; RNA; mutation in the virus genomes, virus recombination, and reassortment; Basic concept of microbial genomics. |
| Section 11: Microbial Ecology | Microbial interactions; Carbon, sulphur and nitrogen cycles; Soil microorganisms associated with vascular plants; Bioremediation; Uncultivable microorganisms; the basic concept of metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. |
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GATE Life Science Zoology [XL-T] Latest Syllabus 2025-
GATE Zoology: Syllabus Subject Based on Topics Such as Historical Perspective, Methods in Animal Diversity, Evolution, Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,Cell Biology & more This means that you’d have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. While the syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why we’ve broken them down into the GATE Zoology syllabus according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under them are involved so that it would be easy for you to be prepared for the upcoming exams.
- Section 1: Animal Diversity
- Section 2: Evolution
- Section 3: Genetics
- Section 4: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Section 5: Cell Biology
- Section 6: Gene expression in Eukaryotes
- Section 7: Animal Anatomy and Physiology
- Section 8: Parasitology and Immunology
- Section 9: Development Biology
- Section 10: Ecology
- Section 11: Animal Behaviour
Get Best Study Notes for Life Science All Subjects to Check Sample – Click Here
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Animal Diversity | Distribution, systematics and classification of animals, phylogenetic relationships (based on classical and molecular phylogenetic tools). |
| Section 2: Evolution | Origin and history of life on earth, theories of evolution, natural selection, adaptation, speciation |
| Section 3: Genetics | Basic Principles of inheritance, molecular basis of heredity, sex determination and sex-linked characteristics, cytoplasmic inheritance, linkage, recombination and mapping of genes in eukaryotes, population genetics, genetic disorders, roles of model organisms in understanding genetic principles. |
| Section 4: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | Nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates; replication, transcription and translation, Krebs cycle, glycolysis, enzyme catalysis, hormones and their actions, roles of vitamins and minerals |
| Section 5: Cell Biology | Basic principles of cellular microscopy, the structure of the cell, cytoskeletal organization, cellular organelles and their structure and function, cell cycle, cell division, chromosomes and chromatin structure. |
| Section 6: Gene expression in Eukaryotes | Eukaryotic genome organization and regulation of gene expression, transposable elements. |
| Section 7: Animal Anatomy and Physiology | Comparative physiology, the respiratory system, Muscular system, circulatory system, digestive the system, the nervous system, the excretory system, the endocrine system, the reproductive system, the skeletal system. |
| Section 8: Parasitology and Immunology | Nature of parasite, host-parasite relation, protozoan and helminthic parasites, the immune response, cellular and humoral immune response. |
| Section 9: Development Biology | Gametogenesis, Embryonic development, cellular differentiation, organogenesis, metamorphosis, Model organisms used in developmental biology, genetic and molecular basis of development, stem cells |
| Section 10: Ecology | The ecosystem, Animal distribution, ecological niche and its contribution to ecological diversity, the food chain, population dynamics, species diversity, zoogeography, biogeochemical cycles, conservation biology, ecotoxicology. |
| Section 11: Animal Behaviour | Type of behaviours, courtship, mating and territoriality, instinct, learning and memory, social behaviour across the animal taxa, communication, pheromones, evolution of behavior in animals |
GATE Life Science Food Technology [XL-U] Latest Syllabus 2025 –
GATE Food Technology: Syllabus Subject Based on Topics Such as Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Characteristics of microorganisms,Processing principles, Food Engineering & more This means that you’d have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. While the syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why we’ve broken them down into the GATE Food Technology syllabus according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under them are involved so that it would be easy for you to be prepared for the upcoming exams.
- Section 1: Food Chemistry and Nutrition
- Section 2: Food Microbiology
- Section 3: Food Products Technology
- Section 4: Food Engineering
| Unit Number & Name | Topics |
|---|---|
| Section 1: Food Chemistry and Nutrition | Carbohydrates: structure and functional properties of mono-, oligo-, & poly- saccharides including starch, cellulose, pectic substances and dietary fibre, gelatinization and retrogradation of starch. Proteins: classification and structure of proteins in food, biochemical changes in post-mortem and tenderization of muscles. Lipids: Classification and structure of lipids, rancidity, polymerization and polymorphism. Pigments: carotenoids, chlorophylls, anthocyanins, tannins, and myoglobin. Food flavors: terpenes, esters, aldehydes, ketones and quinines. Enzymes: specificity, simple and inhibition kinetics, coenzymes, enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning. Nutrition: balanced diet, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, protein efficiency ratio, water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, role of minerals in nutrition, co-factors, anti-nutrients, nutraceuticals, nutrient deficiency diseases. Chemical and biochemical changes: changes occur in foods during different processing. |
| Section 2: Food Microbiology | Characteristics of microorganisms: morphology of bacteria, yeast, mold and actinomycetes, spores and vegetative cells, gram-staining. Microbial growth: growth and death kinetics, serial dilution technique. Food spoilage: spoilage microorganisms in different food products including milk, fish, meat, egg, cereals and their products. Toxins from microbes: pathogens and non-pathogens including Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shebelle, Escherichia, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Aspergillums genera. Fermented foods and beverages: curd, yoghurt, cheese, pickles, soya-sauce, sauerkraut, idly, dose, vinegar, alcoholic beverages and sausage. |
| Section 3: Food Products Technology | Processing principles: thermal processing, chilling, freezing, dehydration, the addition of preservatives and food additives, irradiation, fermentation, hurdle technology, intermediate moisture foods. Food packaging and storage: packaging materials, aseptic packaging, controlled and modified atmosphere storage. Cereal processing and products: milling of rice, wheat, and maize, parboiling of paddy, bread, biscuits, extruded products and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Oil processing: expelling, solvent extraction, refining and hydrogenation. Fruits and vegetables processing: extraction, clarification, concentration and packaging of fruit juice, jam, jelly, marmalade, squash, candies, tomato sauce, ketchup, and puree, potato chips, pickles. Plantation crops processing and products: tea, coffee, cocoa, spice, extraction of essential oils and oleoresins from spices. Milk and milk products processing: pasteurization and sterilization, cream, butter, ghee, ice- cream, cheese and milk powder. Processing of animal products: drying, canning, and freezing of fish and meat; production of egg powder. Waste utilization: pectin from fruit astes, uses of by-products from rice milling. Food standards and quality maintenance: FPO, PFA, A-Mark, ISI, HACCP, food plant sanitation and cleaning in place (CIP). |
| Section 4: Food Engineering | Mass and energy balance: Momentum transfer: Flow rate and pressure drop relationships for Newtonian fluids flowing through a pipe, Reynolds number. Heat transfer: heat transfer by conduction, convection, radiation, and heat exchangers. Mass transfer: molecular diffusion and Flick’s law, conduction and convective mass transfer, permeability through single and multilayer films. Mechanical operations: size reduction of solids, high-pressure homogenization, filtration, centrifugation, settling, sieving, mixing & agitation of liquid. Thermal operations: thermal sterilization, evaporation of liquid foods, hot air drying of solids, spray and freeze-drying, freezing, and crystallization. Mass transfer operations: psychometric, humidification, and dehumidification operations.. |
GATE Life Science [XL] Exam Pattern-
Total Number of Questions in GATE 2025
- GATE 2025 will have a total of 55 + 10 (General Aptitude) questions.
- General Aptitude will have 10 questions + Chemistry 15 Questions and Optional 1 will have 20 questions & 20 Questions from Second Optional Paper
- There is No Restriction to move to and from among the Papers.
- All the questions are compulsory to attempt.
- Different Negative marking for Each Subject
| GATE Paper | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude [Same for All Subejcts] | 10 | 15 | Cumulative time duration of 3 hours.Shift 1: 9.30 AM – 12.30 PMShift 2: 2.30 PM – 5.30 PM |
| Chemistry [Compulsory] | 15 | 25 | |
| GATE Life Science Optional 2 | 20 | 30 | |
| GATE Life Science Optional 2 | 20 | 30 | |
| Total | 65 MCQs | 100 Marks | 180 minutes |
Marking Scheme for GATE Life Science All Subjects Exam 2025-
Below, we are sharing the GATE Life Science marking scheme that will make you aware of the exam paper’s difficulty level.
Section A:
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 05 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 05 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts.
Section B: [Chemistry]
This section contains 15 Multiple. The first part will contain 05 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
Remaining 10 Questions for 2 Marks & No Negative Marking [ Only 4 Questions Negative Marking of 2/3]
Section C: Biochemistry
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 10 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 10 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts
Section D – Botany
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 10 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 10 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts Question 8,9 & 10 No Negative Marking.
Section E – Microbiology
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 10 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 10 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts Question 6,78,9,10,17,18,19,20 No Negative Marking.
Section F – Zoology
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 10 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 10 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts Question 7,8,9,10,17,18,19,20 No Negative Marking.
Section G – Food Technology
This section is divided into two parts. The first part will contain 10 Multiple Choice Questions of 1 mark. There is a negative marking for every wrong answer (1/3 will be deducted for the 1-mark question).
The remaining 10 Multiple Choice Questions are of 2 marks each, and 2/3 marks will be deducted for these types of questions in case of wrong attempts Questions 14 to 20 No Negative Marking.
Frequently Asked Question [FAQ] GATE Life Science Syllabus
Q1. What is the GATE Life Science XL syllabus 2025 ?
Ans- The GATE Life Science syllabus has three Section. General Aptitute is a common paper for all Life Science the candidates. The Secound Section Chemsitry Complusory Section has 9 Chapters then Third Section is Optional Any of 2 subjects out of 5 Subjects etc.
subjects Are-
- Biochemistry (XL-Q),
- Botany (XL-R),
- Microbiology (XL-S),
- Zoology (XL-T) and
- Food Technology (XL-U)
Q2. How Many Chapters are in GATE Life Science Chemistry Syllabus?
Ans- GATE Life Science has 9 Chapters ,the Syllabus Given Above in Details for life Science all Students
Q3. How Many Topics are given in GATE Life Science Syllabus in Each Chapter ?
Ans – As per the Syllabus in Each Chapter are More than 50 Topics & Many Subtopics .all topics are equally Important suggest going through all Topics.
Q4.How can we download the GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025 PDF?
Ans- the Download Life Science Syllabus Fill the Form given above & Click on Submit Button after submitting it will redirect you to Syllabus where you can Download & Also Save on Your Google Drive
Q5.Is there any change in GATE Life Science Syllabus recently?
Ans- the Syllabus for GATE Exam 2025 has Already Declared by IIT Karagpur for All Subjects
Q6. How to prepare GATE Life Science Syllabus 2025?
Ans- Check Details& Study Plan Above in Article
Q7.Does GATE Life Science Syllabus Available in Hindi Also ?
Ans- No , The paper Medium is English Only so Syllabus also in English
Q8.How Many Questions Asked from Gate Life Science Syllabus?
Ans- There are 3 Sections GA : 5 x 1 + 5 x 2 =15 : 5 questions carrying 1-mark each and 5 questions carrying 2-marks each
Subject: Chemistry (Compulsory): 9 x 1 + 8 x 2 =25 marks : 9 questions carrying 1-mark each and 8 questions carrying 2-marks each Only TWO optional sections can be answered at a time.
Each of the optional sections of the XL paper (Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Food Technology) contains 19 questions carrying a total of 30 marks: 8 questions carrying 1-mark each (sub-total 8 marks) and 11 questions carrying 2-marks each (sub-total 22 marks). General Aptitude: 15 Marks + Chemistry: 25 Marks + Optional TWO Subjects: 60 Marks , Total: 100 Marks
| GATE Life Science Books | GATE Life Science XL |
| GATE Life Science Syllabus | GATE Life Science Eligiblity Criteria |
