GAMSAT- Biology

dorado99

Hi all,
I've got the first year textbook "Biology A Global Approach" by Campbell. I'd like to plan my study schedule for over the summer ( just finished first year in a science degree, not doing biology), but I don't know what topics to cover. Does anyone have a list of the relevant topics? Would greatly appreciate that. I didn't do Leaving cert biology.

debbysoap

dorado99 wrote: »

Hi all,
I've got the first year textbook "Biology A Global Approach" by Campbell. I'd like to plan my study schedule for over the summer ( just finished first year in a science degree, not doing biology), but I don't know what topics to cover. Does anyone have a list of the relevant topics? Would greatly appreciate that. I didn't do Leaving cert biology.

Hey, as you’re in freshman years, the advice I’d give you is to do your best to enjoy your first two summers, do some light/moderate study spread over the months, aim & work to get at least a 2.1 overall in your degree (your 1st year results should guide you on what you need to improve upon).
Some Australian sites, as well as previous posts here, have topic lists for GAMSAT but honestly, as you’ve just finished first year, preparing for GAMSAT now shouldn’t be as intense as it will be later on. Also the GAMSAT exam is becoming more reasoning based so maybe do some brain training, abstract reasoning exercises, reading (lots of reading and writing for section 2 of this large exam), keep up with current affairs, write essays/newspaper articles, etc. & expand your vocabulary. GAMSAT results only last 2 years so the earliest time for you to start taking it is September of your 3rd year. Try and get some research done in a field you like & I stress that you shadow some physicians and see if medicine’s the career for you. Good luck!

dorado99

debbysoap wrote: »

Hey, as you’re in freshman years, the advice I’d give you is to do your best to enjoy your first two summers, do some light/moderate study spread over the months, aim & work to get at least a 2.1 overall in your degree (your 1st year results should guide you on what you need to improve upon).
Some Australian sites, as well as previous posts here, have topic lists for GAMSAT but honestly, as you’ve just finished first year, preparing for GAMSAT now shouldn’t be as intense as it will be later on. Also the GAMSAT exam is becoming more reasoning based so maybe do some brain training, abstract reasoning exercises, reading (lots of reading and writing for section 2 of this large exam), keep up with current affairs, write essays/newspaper articles, etc. & expand your vocabulary. GAMSAT results only last 2 years so the earliest time for you to start taking it is September of your 3rd year. Try and get some research done in a field you like & I stress that you shadow some physicians and see if medicine’s the career for you. Good luck!

Thanks! I'll take that onboard. I guess it is more important that I focus on English comprehension and writing essays rather than biology for the moment. I'd love to shadow a physician! do I just call a hospital and ask for that?

debbysoap

dorado99 wrote: »

Thanks! I'll take that onboard. I guess it is more important that I focus on English comprehension and writing essays rather than biology for the moment. I'd love to shadow a physician! do I just call a hospital and ask for that?

No problem! Well if you can get your hands on some email addresses or office numbers and if you have friends/family connections, getting in contact with them would be a great start! Calling the main hospital might be a long shot but if you call their HR department they may be able to help you out!

futuremedic777

When it comes to EVERY topic that could appear on GAMSAT's section 3, one thing has always been consistent; Translating and Evaluating Data in all 3 sciences
Data shown mostly in graphs and tables, no matter what you study, if you're not familiar with extrapolating information from the data given to you, then you'll struggle. And this takes a lot of practice.

[font=museo-slab, serif]Biology[/font]
[font=museo-slab, serif]Syllabus[/font]

• Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure
• Microscopes, and other techniques in cytology
• The cell membrane; lipids and phospholipids
• Movement of substances across cell membranes: diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport
• Protein structure and function
• Enzyme action and factors affecting the rate of reaction; enzyme inhibitors.
• Metabolic pathways as sites of enzyme action and of feedback control
• The key features of mitosis – maintenance of genetic uniformity in growth and repair of cells
• Meiosis – haploid and diploid numbers in the life-cycle; creating genetic variation
• Carbohydrates as energy molecules
• Cellular metabolism – including aerobic and anaerobic respiration; Krebs’ cycle and glycolysis, the electron transfer system
• Respiratory system: lungs, and the mechanism of breathing; control of breathing rate
• Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport in the blood; the oxygen dissociation curve and the Bohr shift
• Circulatory system: the cardiac cycle, and its control; pressure and other changes in the circulation
• Blood – especially the immune response and other defences against disease
• Digestive system: physical and chemical digestion, followed by absorption; the control of digestive secretions
• Homeostasis and negative feedback: illustrated by e.g. thermoregulation
• Kidney function in excretion and osmoregulation, including the countercurrent multiplier
• Endocrine system: thyroxine and the hormones of the pancreas as examples of negative feedback control
• Nervous system – nerve impulse and synapse; nerve pathways; the autonomic nervous system
• Receptors, and the generator potential; eye and ear as sense organs
• The neuromuscular junction, and the mechanism of muscle contraction – the sliding filament mechanism
• Structure and function of nucleic acids
• Molecular genetics, and the mechanism of protein synthesis; genetic engineering
• Mendelian genetics, and exceptions to Mendelian laws: prediction of genetic ratios/probabilities, and analysis of family pedigrees
• Population genetics – the Hardy-Weinberg equation
• Taxonomy – an outline of the main taxonomic groups, and the relationship between evolution and a natural classification system
• Bacteria and viruses – overview of treatments for infectious diseases
• Population growth, and its analysis

[font=Calibri, Candara, Segoe, "Segoe UI", Optima, Arial, sans-serif]
These topics are covered in a problem-solving context, to develop an approach for dealing effectively with new situations. The more mathematical aspects of Biology, such as analysing and interpreting graphs, are an essential part of the exam and they will be covered throughout the course


More info; http://www.gamsat.ie/materials/sciences[/font]