Studying for The Biology Section of the DAT

Below is a list of topics that are covered on the DAT, as listed by the ADA on the DAT portion of their website: 

http://www.ada.org/dat.aspx

The scope of the test covers a wide range of topics, but the questions are not as in depth as one might see in a class devoted to a specific topic like Ecology.


Major Biology Topics to Know for the DAT
Cell and Molecular Biology

• Origin of life 
• Cell metabolism (including photosynthesis/enzymology)
• Cellular processes
• Thermodynamics
• Organelle structure and function
• Mitosis/meiosis
• Cell structure 
• Experimental cell biology

Diversity of Life

• Biological Organization and Relationship of Major Taxa (Six-Kingdom, Three-Domain System) – plantae, animalia, protista, fungi, eubacteria (bacteria), archae, etc.

Structure and Function of Systems

• Integumentary
• Skeletal muscular 
• Circulatory
• Immunological 
• Digestive 
• Respiratory 
• Urinary 
• Nervous/senses
•  Endocrine 
• Reproductive 
• 
  

Developmental Biology 

• Fertilization 
• Descriptive embryology 
• Developmental mechanisms
• Experimental embryology

Genetics

• Molecular genetics,
• Human genetics
• Classical genetics 
• Chromosomal genetics
• Genetic technology

Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior

• Natural selection
• Population genetics/speciation
• Cladistics 
• Population and community ecology
• Ecosystems 
• Animal behavior (including social behavior)

Two great test prep materials that I highly recommend using for preparing for this section and brushing up on your Biology are: Cliffs AP Bio Book and Kaplan's Blue Book.

Kaplan's Blue Book has material for each and every section on the DAT. It is a great resource to refresh yourself with the general concepts of many of the topics tested on the DAT. However, I would not recommend using only KBB to prepare, as it does not everything.

As I was preparing for my test, I read many good recommendations about the Cliff's AP Biology Prep Book. It is not super in depth, but it does cover a very wide array of topics. Also it's very easy on your wallet!

You can sometimes find a great deal on these books used at eBay or half.com, but I often find that Amazon has the cheapest prices, used or new.

Buying both of these books NEW will probably cost around $55-60, including shipping. Not a bad investment to improve your DAT score!

                            

NYU Dental School Gets Sued by Former Student Part 2

MANHATTAN — A former student at NYU's College of Dentistry was denied her diploma because she fell short of the $20,000 in dental procedures she says she was required to perform while attending the school, according to a lawsuit.

The ex-student, Katie Kickertz, said the university told her on her graduation day in May 2009 that she missed the target dollar amount of completed dental work by about $2,000, according to court documents.

Manhattan's appellate court ruled in Kickertz' favor Thursday, overturning a lower court finding in favor of NYU.

The court determined that NYU must grant Kickertz her bachelors and dental school degrees, as it would be unfair to leave Kickertz with "no degree of any kind after seven years of educational toil and the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars," according to the ruling.

Kickertz told the New York Post that when she was told of the $2,000 shortfall, faculty advisers urged her to make up the difference. After she made a credit card payment, school officials canceled the payment, calling it an ethical breach.

NYU, which is planning to challenge the decision issued Thursday, argues that Kickertz was expelled. . . .

Read the rest of the article HERE at DNAinfo New York