Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Botany Main Syllabus
Paper-I
1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology: Structure and reproduction/multiplication of viruses, viroids,bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma; Applications of microbiology in agriculture, industry, medicine and incontrol of soil and water pollution; Prion and Prion hypothesis. Important crop diseases caused byviruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi and nematodes; Modes of infection and dissemination; Molecularbasis of infection and disease resistance/defence; Physiology of parasitism and control measures;Fungal toxins; Modelling and disease forecasting; Plant quarantine.
2. Cryptogams: Algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes - structure and reproduction fromevolutionary viewpoint; Distribution of Cryptogams in India and their ecological and economicimportance.
3. Phanerogams: Gymnosperms: Concept of Progymnosperms; Classification and distribution ofgymnosperms; Salient features of Cycada-les, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales, their structure andreproduction; General account of Cycadofilicales, Bennettitales and Cordaitales; Geological time scale;Type of fossils and their study techniques.
Angiosperms: Systematics, anatomy, embryology,palynology and phylogeny. Taxonomic hierarchy; International Code of Botanical Nomenclature;Numerical taxonomy and chemotaxonomy; Evidence from anatomy, embryology and palynology.Origin and evolution of angiosperms; Comparative account of various systems of classification ofangiosperms; Study of angiospermic families – Mangnoliaceae, Ranunculaceae, Brassicaceae,Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Apiaceae, Asclepiadaceae,Verbenaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Astera-ceae, Poaceae, Arecaceae, Liliaceae,Musaceae and Orchidaceae.
Stomata and their types; Glandular and non-glandular trichomes; Unusualsecondary growth; Anatomy of C3 and C4 plants; Xylem and phloem differentiation; Wood anatomy.
Development of male and female gametophytes, pollination, fertilization. Endosperm - its developmentand function; Patterns of embryo development; Polyembroyony and apomixes; Applications ofpalynology.
4. Plant Utility and Exploitation: Origin of cultivated plants, Vavilov's centres of origin. Plants as sources as 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 Herbania.
5. Morphogenesis: Totipotency, polarity, symmetry and dfferentiation; Cell, tissue, organ andprotoplast culture; Somatic hybrids and Cybrids.
Paper-II
1. Cell Biology: Techniques of cell biology; Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells - structural andultrastructural details; Structure and function of extracellular matrix (cell wall), membranes-celladhesion, membrane transport and vesicular transport; Structure and function of cell organelles(chloroplasts, mitochondria, ER, dictyosomes ribosomes, endosomes, lysosomes, peroxisomes);Cytoskelaton and microtubules; Nucleus, nucleolus, nuclear pore complex; Chromatin and nucleosome;Cell signalling and cell receptors; Signal transduction; Mitosis and meiosis; Molecular basis of cellcycle; Numerical and structural variations in chromosomes and their significance; Chromatinorganization and packaging of genome; Polytene chromosomes; B-chromosomes – structure, behaviourand significance.
2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution: Development of genetics; 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 sex-linked inheritance, sex determination and molecular basis of sex differentiation; Mutations (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 proteins; Genetic code and regulation of gene expression; Genesilencing; Multigene families.
Organic evolution – evidences, mechanism and theories. Role of RNA inorigin and evolution.
3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics: Methods of plant breeding – introduction,selection and hybridization (pedigree, backcross, mass selection, bulk method); Mutation, polyploidy,male sterility and heterosis breeding; Use of apomixes in plant breeding; DNA sequencing; Geneticengineering – methods of transfer of genes; Transgenic crops and biosafety aspects; Development anduse of molecular markers in plant breeding; Tools and techniques - probe, southern blotting, DNAfingerprinting, PCR and FISH. Standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV); Tests ofsignificance (Z-test, ttest and chi-square test); Probability and distributions (normal, binomial andPoisson); Correlation and regression.
4. Physiology and Biochemistry: Water relations, mineral nutrition and ion transport, mineraldeficiencies; Photosynthesis – photochemical reactions; photophosphorylation and carbon fixationpathways; C3, C4 and CAM pathways; Mechanism of phloem transport; Respiration (anerobic andaerobic, including fermentation) – electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation;Photorespiration; Chemiosmotic theory and ATP synthesis; Lipid metabolism; Nitrogen fixation andnitrogen metabolism; Enzymes, coenzymes; Energy transfer and energy conservation; Importance ofsecondary metabolites; Pigments as photoreceptors (plastidial pigments and phytochrome); Plantmovements; Photoperiodism and flowering, vernalization, senescence; Growth substances – theirchemical nature, role and applications in agri-horticulture; Growth indices, growth movements; Stressphysiology (heat, water, salinity, metal); Fruit and seed physiology; Dormancy, storage and germinationof seed; Fruit ripening – its molecular basis and manipulation.
5. Ecology and Plant Geography: Concept of ecosystem; Ecological factors; Concepts and dynamicsof community; Plant succession; Concept of biosphere; Ecosystems; Conservation; Pollution and itscontrol (including phytoremediation).
Forest types ofIndia - Afforestation, deforestation and social forestry. Endangered plants, endemism, Red Data Books. Biodiversity. Convention of Biological Diversity, Sovereign Rights and Intellectual Property Rights. Biogeochemical cycles. Global Warming.