TNPSC Syllabus - Microbiology

Paper - I
General Microbiology, Immunology, Sytematic bacteriology, Microbiological techniques


Unit - I : General Microbiology

• History of Microbiology - Important contributions and Contributers.
• General Properties of Bacteria.
• Morphology and Cell Structure.
• Metabolism, pathways and enzymes.
• Growth and cultivation - Growth curve, Nutrients and Media
• Control of Microorganisms
• Sterilisation
• Disinfectants
• Anti Microbial agents
• Genetics
• Host parasite relationship - Normal flora, pathogens, Routes of infection, virulence factors.
• Use and Care of laboratory animals
• Principles of epidemiology of infections

Unit - II : Immunology

• Structure and development of Immune system
• Cells involved in Immune systems
• Non specific resistance mechanisms
• Antigens
• Immunoglobulins - structure and function
• Complement system
• Antigen, Antibody reactions and applications
• Specific immune response, humoral and cellular against micro organisms
• Hypersensitivity reactions (Different types)
• Major histocompatibility complex - HLA systems
• Transplantation immunity
• Autoimmunity (Mechanism and diagnosis)
• Immuno deficiency mechanisms and diagnosis
• Principles of Tumour immunology
• Immunisation and Immunotherapy

Unit - III : Systematic Bacteriology

• Morphology, cultural characteristics, pathogenicity, laboratory diagnosis, and principles of management and control and epidemiology of the following medically important bacteria.
• Gram positive cocci - Staphylococci, streptococci, Entrococci
• Gram Negative Cocci - Gonococci, Meningococci, Brahamella
• Gram positive non sporing bacilli - Corynebacteria, Actinomycetes (aerobic and anaerobic)
• Gram positive spore forming bacilli - Bacillus, Clostridia
• Acid fast bacteria - M. tuberculosis, M.leprae, other mycobacteria
• Small gram negative bacteria - Haemophilus, Bordetella, Yersinia, Brucella
• Enteric Gram Negative bacilli
• Entcrobacteriaceae
• Vibrios
• Campy labacter
• Helicobacter
• Pseudomonas and other related non fermenting organisms.
• Legionella
• Anaerobic gram negative bacilli
• Bacteriodes
• Prevotella
• Porphyromonas
• Fusobacterium
• Spirochaetes : treponema, leptospira, borellia
• Mycoplasma
• Chlamydia
• Rickettsiae

Unit - IV : Microbiological Techniques

• Microscopy -
• Different types and usefullness
• Technical specifications
• General maintenance
• Staining - Preparation and use of stains for bacteriology, parasitology,mycology and virology
• Specimen collection, preservation, transport, processing
• Principles and techniques employed in indentification of micro organisms.
• Immunisation
• Hyperimmune sera preparation
• Use of adjuvants
• Maintenance of stock cultures
• Blood grouping, Rh typing, cross matching.
• HLA typing
• Principle and techniques of sera diaganosis of infections
• Maintenance of equipments - Deep freezers, centrifuges etc.
• Methods of assessing status of immune system.
• Complement system
• Estimation of T & B Cells
• Estimation of antibodies
• Tests for hypersensitivity reactions
• Tests for auto immune diseases
• Preparation and uses of monoclonal antibodies.

Paper - II


Virology, Parasitology, Mycology, Laboratory, Management, Applied Microbiology and Recent advances

Unit - I : Virology

• General Properties of all RNA and DNA virus families of medical importance and prions
• Pathogenesis and pathology of individual viral diseases
• Laboratory diagnosis (including molecular techniques) of viral diseases
• Antiviral therapy
• Viral vaccines and antisera
• Epidemiology and control of viral diseases
• Oncogenis viruses
• Bacteriophages
• Tissue culture techniques

Unit - II : Parasitology

• Morphology, life cycle, pathogenesis, laboratory diagnostic methods,drug used for therapy, and epidemiology of following parasites :-
• Protozoa :-
• Intestinal amoebae
• Free living pathogenic amoebae
• Intestinal and genital flagellates
• Haemoflagellates
• Ciliates of medical importance
• Malarial parasites
• Opportunistic protozoa - P - carinii, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, microsporidia
• Helminths
• Nematodes -
• a) Intestinal
• b) Tissue
• Cestodes
• Trematodes
• Larva migrans
• Entomology : related to transmission of parasitic infections

Unit - III : Mycology

• General properties of Yeast like fungi, filamentous fungi, dimorphic fungi
• Isolation and Identificaiton of medically important fungi
• Morphology, cultural characteristics, pathogenesis, laboratory diagonis, treatment and epidemiology of the following :-
• Candida and Cryptococci
• Dermatophytes
• Dimorphic fungi
• Agents of mycetoma
• Agents of subcutaneous mycosis
• Opportunistic fungi.
• Mycotoxins

Unit - IV : Laboratory Management

• Quality control in Microbiology
• External
• Internal
• Safety in Microbiology laboratory
• Staff - Requirements, pattern, training, Continuing education.
• Materials purchase, storage, accounting maintenance equipment - glassware, reagents and chemicals.
• Laboratory design and maintenance
• Records - Requisitions, reporting, recording, including computerisation, statistics.
• Budget and costing
• Research design and methodology

Unit - V : Applied Microbiology (Clinical, Industrial, food)

• Nosocomial infections
• Types
• Surveillence
• Investigation of an outbreak
• control
• Etiology and laboratory diagnosis of infections of each system
• Urinary tract
• respiratory tract
• Gastro intestinal Tract
• Central nervous system
• Cardio vascular system and blood
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Genital tract
• Infections in immuncompromised host
• Microbiology of air, water, milk and food
• National programmes in prevention of infectious diseases.

Unit - VI : Recent Advances

• Emerging and Reemerging infections
• Laboratory techniques
• Bacteriology
• Virology
• Immunology
• Parasitology
• Mycology