Botany

Botany

1. Cell Biology :
Structure and function of cell wall (extracellular matrix or ECM),
cell membrane and cell organelles. Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear
pore complex (NPC), chromosome and nucleosome. Mitosis, meiosis,
molecular control involving checkpoints in cell division cycle.
Differentiation, cellular senescence.

2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology :
Laws of inheritance. Concept of gene and allelomorph. Linkage,
crossing over and gene mapping. Structural and numerical
changes in chromosomes and gene mutations. Sex determination
and differentiation. Structure and synthesis of nucleic
acids and proteins. Genetic code. Regulation of gene expression.
Genetic engineering and crop improvement. Protoplast, cell, tissue
and organ cultures. Somatic hybridization. Biofertilizers and
biopesticides. Biotechnology in agri-horticulture, medicine and industry.

3. Tissue Systems :
Origin, development, structure and function of primary and
secondary tissues.

4. Plant Diversity and Systematics :
Structure and function of plant forms from evolutionary aspects
(viruses to Angiosperms including fossils). Principles of nomenclature,
classification and identification of plants. Modern approaches in plant
taxonomy. Recent classification of living organism into three groups
(bacteria, archaea and eukarya).

5. Plant Physiology:
Water relations. Mineral nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Nitrogen
metabolism. Enzymes and coenzymes. Dynamics of growth, growth movements,
growth substances, photomorphogenesis. Secondary metabolites. Isotopes
in biological studies. Physiology of flowering.

6. Methods of Reproduction and Seed Biology :
Vegetative, asexual and sexual methods of reproduction.
Pollination and fertilization. Sexual incompatibility.
Development, structure, dormancy and germination of seed.

7. Plant Pathology :
Diseases of rice, wheat, sugarcane, potato, mustard, groundnut
and cotton crops. Factors affecting infection (host factors,
pathogen factors, biotic factors like rhizosphere and phyllosphere
organisms). Chemical, biological and genetic methods of disease
control (including transgenic plants).

8. Plant and Environment :
Biotic and abiotic components. Ecological adaptation. Types of
vegetational zones and forests of India. Deforestation, afforestation,
social forestry and plant introduction. Soil erosion, wasteland,
reclamation. Environmental pollution and its control
(including phytoremediation). Bioindicators. Global warming.

9. Biodiversity, Plant Genetic Resources:
Methods of conservation of plant genetic resources and its importance.
Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). Endangered, threatened and
endemic taxa. Role of cell/tissue culture in propagation and enrichment
of genetic diversity. Plants as sources of food, fodder, forage, fibres,
oils, drugs, wood and timber, paper, rubber, beverages, spices, essential
oils and resins, gums, dyes, insecticides, pesticides and ornamentation.
Biomass as a source of energy.

10. Origin of Life and Evolution: Basic concepts of origin of earth and
origin of life. Theories of organic evolution, molecular basis of evolution.

Main Examination Syllabus

Paper-I

1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology:
Viruses, bacteria, and plasmids-structure and reproduction. General
account of infection, Phytoimmunology. Applications of microbiology
in agriculture, industry, medicine and pollution control in air,
soil and water.

Important plant diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma,
fungi and nematodes. Mode of infection and dissemination.
Molecular basis of infection and disease resistance/defence.
Physiology of parasitism and control measures. Fungal toxins.

2. Cryptogams:
Algae, Fungi, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes-structure
and reproduction from evolutionary viewpoint. Distribution of
Cryptogams in India and their economic potential.

3. Phanerogams:
Gymnosperms: Concept of Progymonosperms. Classification and
distribution of Gymnosperms. Salient features of Cycadales,
Conferrals and Gnetales, their structures and reproduction.
General account of Cycadofilicales, Bennettitales and Cordaitales.

4. Angiosperms:
Systematics, anatomy, embryology, palynology and phylogeny.

Comparative account of various systems of Angiosperm Classiification.
Study of angiospermic families–Magnoliaceae, Ranunculaceae, Brassicaceae
(Cruci-ferae), Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae,
Dipterocar-paceae, Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), Asclepiadaceae, Verbenaceae,
Solana-ceae, Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae (Composite),
Poaceae (Gramineae), Arecaceae (Palmae), Liliaceae, Musaceae, Orchidaceae.

Stomata and their types. Anomalous secondary growth, Anatomy of
C 3 and C 4 plants.

Development of male and female gametophytes, pollination, fertilization.
Endosperm–its development and function. Patterns of embryo development.
Polymbryony, apoxmix, Applications of palynology.

5. Plant Utility and Exploitation
Origin of cultivated plants, Vavilov's centres of origin. Plants
as sources for food, fodder, fibres, spices, beverages, drugs,
narcotics, insecticides, timber, gums, resins and dyes.

Latex, cellulose Starch and their products. Perfumery. Importance of
Ethnobotany in Indian context. Energy plantation. Botanical Gardens
and Herbaria.



6. Morphogenesis:
Totipotency, polarity, symmetry and differentiation. Cell,
tissue, organ and protoplast culture. Somatic hybrids and Cybrids.

Paper-II

1. Cell Biology:
Techniques of Cell Biology. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells -structural
and ultrastructural details. Structure and function of extracellular matrix
or ECM (cell wall) and membranes-cell adhesion, membrane transport and
vesicular transport. Structure and function of cell organelles
(chloroplasts, mitochondria, ER, ribosomes, endosomes, lysosomes,
peroxisomes, hydrogenosome). Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear pore complex.
Chromatin and nucleosome. Cell signalling and cell receptors. Signal
transduction (G-1 proteins, etc.). Mitosis and meisdosis; molecular
basis of cell cycle. Numerical and structural variations in chromosomes
and their significance. Study of polytene, lampbrush and
B-chromosomes–structure, behaviour and significance.

2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution:
Development of genetics, and gene versus allele concepts (Pseudoalleles).
Quantitative genetics and multiple factors. Linkage and crossing
over–methods of gene mapping including molecular maps
(idea of mapping function). Sex chromosomes and sexlinked inheritance,
sex determination and molecular basis of sex differentiation.
Mutation (biochemical and molecular basis). Cytoplasmic inheritance
and cytoplasmic genes (including genetics of male sterility).
Prions and prion hypothesis.

Structure and synthesis of nucleic acids and protines. Genetic
code and regulation of gene expression. Multigene families.

Organic evolution-evidences, mechanism and theories. Role of
RNA in origin and evolution.

3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics:
Methods of plant breeding -- introduction, selection and
hybridization (pedigree, backcross, mass selection, bulk method).
Male sterility and heterosis breeding. Use of apomixis in plant
breeding. Micropropagation and genetic engineering–methods of
transfer of genes and transgenic crops; development and use of
molecular markers in plant breeding.

Standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV). Tests of
significance (Z-test, t-test and chi-square tests). Probability
and distributions (normal, binomial and Poisson distributions).
Correlation and regression.

4. Physiology and Biochemistry:
Water relations, Mineral nutrition and ion transport, mineral
deficiencies. Photosynthesis–photochemical reactions,
photophosphorylation and carbon pathways including C pathway
(photorespiration), C, C and CAM pathways. Respiraion
(anaerobic and aerobic, including fermentation–electron
transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Chemiosmotic
theory and ATP synthesis. Nitrogen fixation and nitrogen
metabolism. Enzymes, coenzymes, energy transfer and energy
conservation. Importance of secondary metabolites. Pigments as
photoreceptors (plastidial pigments and phytochrome).
Photoperiodism and flowering, vernalization, senescence. Growth
substances-their chemical nature, role and applications in
agri-horticulture, growth indices, growth movements. Stress
physiology (heat, water, salinity, metal). Fruit and seed
physiology. Dormancy, storage and germination of seed.
Fruit ripening -- its molecular basis and manipulation.

5. Ecology and Plant Geography:
Ecological factors. Concepts and dynamics of community.
Plant succession. Concepts of biosphere. Ecosystems and
their conservation. Pollution and its control (including
phytoremediaion).

Forest types of India -- afforestation, deforestation and
social forestry. Endangered plants, endemism and Red
Data Books. Biodiversity. Convention of Biological Diversity,
Sovereign Rights and Intellectual Property Rights.
Biogeochemical cells. Global warming.