The GRE Biology Subject Test is administered by the
Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is designed to test
advanced knowledge that a student applying to graduate school in
the biological sciences is expected to understand. The test
requires knowledge of vocabulary and facts across a variety of
biological fields at the equivalent of an upper-level college
class.
The GRE Biology exam is a two hour and fifty minute exam and
consists of approximately 200 multiple-choice questions covering
three major areas:
- Cellular and Molecular Biology: 33-34%
- Organismal Biology: 33-34%
- Ecology and Evolution: 33-34%
Each area is further broken down into the following topical
subjects:
Cellular and Molecular Biology
A. Cellular Structure and Function (16-17%)
· Biological compounds
· Enzyme activity, receptor binding, and regulation
· Major metabolic pathways and regulation
· Membrane dynamics and cell surfaces
· Organelles: structure, function, synthesis, and targeting
· Cytoskeleton, motility, and shape
· Cell cycle
B. Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics
(16-17%)
· Genetic foundations
· Chromatin and chromosomes
· Genome sequence organization
· Genome maintenance
· Gene expression and regulation in prokaryotes and
eukaryotes
· Immunobiology
· Bacteriophages, animal viruses, and plant viruses
· Recombinant DNA technology
Organismal Biology
A. Animal Structure, Function, and Organization
(9-10%)
· Exchange with the environment
· Internal transport and exchange
· Support and movement
· Integration and control mechanisms
· Behavior
· Metabolic rates
B. Animal Reproduction and Development
(5-6%)
· Reproductive structures
· Meiosis, gametogenesis, and fertilization
· Early development
· Developmental processes
· External control mechanisms
C. Plant Structure, Function, and Organization
(6-7%)
· Tissues, tissue systems, and organs
· Water transport, including absorption and transpiration
· Phloem transport and storage
· Mineral nutrition
· Plant energies (respiration and photosynthesis)
D. Plant Reproduction, Growth, and Development
(6-7%)
· Reproductive structures
· Meiosis and sporogenesis
· Gametogenesis and fertilization
· Embryogeny and seed development
· Meristems, growth, morphogenesis, and development
· Control mechanisms
E. Diversity of Life (6–7%)
· Monera
· Protista
· Fungi
· Animalia
· Plantae
Ecology and Evolution
A. Ecology (16–17%)
· Environment/organism interaction
· Behavioral ecology
· Population structure and function
· Communities
· Ecosystems
B. Evolution (16–17%)
· Genetic variability
· Evolutionary processes
· Evolutionary consequences
