BOTANY
PAPER – I
Unit.1 : Microbial diversity: Viruses, Bacteria, Mycoplasma, Algae, Fungi.
Unit.2 : Diversity of Cryptogams: Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms.
Unit.3 : Taxonomy of Angiosperms, Economic Botany and Conservation of Plant resources.
Unit.4 : Ecology, Environmental Biology and Phytogeography.
Unit.5 : Plant Anatomy, Embryology, Plant breeding and plant Propagation.
Unit. 1:
Viruses, Mycoplasma, Bacteria, Algae and Fungi.
Viruses: General characteristics, classification, structure, chemical composition and life cycle of TMV and T2 phage.
Viroids and prions.
Mycoplasma : Structure, organization and reproducation.
Bacteria: General characteristics, ultra structure and reproduction of Archaebacteria, Eubacteria and Cyanobacteria.
Algae: Thallus,construction: unicellular, colonial, motile and non-motile algae, filamentous and siphonaceous algae.
Pigmentation, reproduction and life cycle in algae.
Fungi: General characteristics, classification, structure and reproduction. Heterothalism and parasexuality.
Reference
1. Prescott M L, Harley JP and Klein DA (1990) Microbiology, WMC Brown, USA.
2. Alexopoulos CJ and Mims CW (1990), Introductory Mycology. WileyEaston Ltd., New Delhi.
3. Bold HC & Wynne MJ (1978) Introducation to Algae: Structure and reproduction, Prantice Hall & Englewood
NJ.
Unit – 2:
Diversity of Cryptogams, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms.
Bryophytes:
Classification, structure,morphology of gametophytes and sporophytes. Methods of reproduction and evolutionary
tendencies.
Pteridophytes:
Classification, range in vegetative habit and reproduction in psilopsida,lycopsida,Sphenopsida and Pteropsida. Stelar
evolution, Heterospory and seed habit. Fossil pteridophytes.
Gymnosperms:
Classification, morphology,anatomy,reproduction and evolutionary tendencies of pteridosperms, cycadales,
Bennettitales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales.
Reference
1. Prempuri 1981. Bryophytes : Morphology,growth and differentiation. Atmaram & Sons, Delhi.
2. Rasid A 1986. An Introducation Pteridophytes. CBD Allahabad.
3. Biswas C and Johri BM 1997. The Gymnosperms. Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi
Unit –3:
Taxonomy of Angiosperms, Economic Botany, Conservation of plant resources.
Classificatiory Systems:
Bentham and Hooker’s, Engler and Prantal’s, Hutchinson’s, Taktajhan’s, Cronquist’s system of classification.
Anatomical, Cytological, embryological,palynogical, phytochemical and molecular approaches to taxonomy.
Nomenclature:
Principles, procedure, rules and recommendation of nomenclature. ICBN. Salient features,morphological peculiarities
and affinities of following orders: Ranales, Centrospermae, Tubiflorae, Alismatales, Lilliales and Microspermae.
Economic Botany:
Economic importance of bacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Role of
Herbarium & Botanical gardens. Economic importance of cereals, pulses, oil yielding plants, fiber yielding plants,
masticatories fumtaries, latex yielding,timber yielding and medicinal plants.Ethno botany.
Conservation of Plant resources:
Concept of biodiversity, rare, endangered and threatened plants. Red data book. In situ & exsitu conservation
methods IUCN.
Reference:
1. Bhattacharya B and Johri BU: Flowering plant taxonomy and phylogen. Naroda Pub.,house, New Delhi
(1996).
2. VH Heywood and Moore DN Taxonomy of Angiosperms. Academicpress, London(1994).
3. Good R. The geography of flowering plants. Longman, London.
4. Pandey BP- Economic Botany, S Chand & Co., New Delhi (1996).
Unit – 4:
Ecology, Envionmental Biology and Phytogeography :
Ecosystems,Concepts and components. Trophic levels, food chain and food web, ecological pyramids and energy
flow.
Biogeochemical Cycles:
Hydrological cycle, Gaseous cycles (carbon and Nitrogen) Nutrient cycles (Phosphorous and sulphur).
Population Ecology:
Growth characteristics of population, natality, mortality, life table, age structure.
Biotic Community:
Concept and structure, dominance, fluctuation and plant Succession.
Ecological niche:
Inter and Intraspecific interactions, Negative interactions(predation, competition, parasitism and allelopathy), positive
Interactions (commensalism, cooperation and mutualism).
Environmental Pollution:
Sources, nature of pollutants, it’s impact on air, water and soil pollution, radioactive pollution, plant indicators of
pollution, solid and liquid waste management, noise Pollution, global warming and ozone depletion, green house
effect, climate changes.Principles and application of remote sensing (RS), application of RS and GIS in vegetation
analysis.
Principles of plant geography, origin of islands. Continents, theory of continental drifts, floristic regions of the world,
phytogeographical regions of India and Karnataka.
Plant distribution:
Discontinuous distribution, barriers, endemic distribution, age and area hypothesis, and vicarious and relic species,
isofloras, polytopy. Centers of origin of cultivated plants. Major aquatic systems of world.
Reference:
1. Odum EP. Fundamentals of Ecology. Saunder, Philadelphia (1971).
2. Nobel BJ & Wright RT: Environmental science. Prentice hall, New Jersey.
3. Good R: The geography of flowering plants. Longman, London.
4. Lillesand TM & Kiefer RW (1987): Remote sensing & image interpretation. J Wiley & sons, New York.
Unit – 5:
Plant anatomy: Chemical structure and ultra structure of cell wall.
Meristem: Structure and organization of root and shoot apical meristem.
Ultrastructure of xylem and its evolutionary trends.
Structure, composition and differentation of phloem and an account of transfer cells.Secondary growth of plant body
and characteristic of wood.Leaf anatogeny and abscission.
Plant breeding: Scope of plants breeding conventional breeding methods. Reproduction genetic basis, sexual and cross
pollination, Apomixis, genetics induction and significanace in plant breeding.
Domestication, plant introduction and acclimatization hybridization: self and cross pollinated plants.
Distant hybridization: Barrier to the production of distant hybridization, techniques for distant hybidization and its
importance.
Quality seeds: classes, production, maintenance seed dormancy and breaking of seed dormancy.
Plant propagation: principles of plant propagation, methods of propagation, propagation structure shade house, net
house, mist propagation unit. Plant nurseries types, sites for their establishment, design and management.
Reference:
1. Abraham F : Plant Anatomy- pergamon press, oxford.
2. Poehlman JM and Sleper DA: breeding of plant crops-pamina pub. ltd. New Delhi (1999)
3. Hartman HJ: plant propagation. Principles and practice, prentice hall, New Delhi
4. Fahn A: plant anatomy pergman oxford.
Embryology:
Male gametophyte: microsporogenesis and microgamatogenesis.Female gametophyte megasporogenesis and
megagameto genesis Pollination and fertilization: structural and functional aspects of pollen, stigma, style. Double
fertilization.
Embryogenesis: embryo development (monocot and dicot)
Endosperm : Types, development and functions, Sexual incompatibility, Male sterility.
Reference
1. Bhojwani, S.S. and Bhatnagar, J.J.: Embryology of Angiosperms , Vikas pubishing , Ronat
2. B.M. Johri, (1986) – The Embryology of Angiosperms – Springer veslag
PAPER – II
Unit -1: Cell Biology, Genetics and Evolution.
Unit -2: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.
Unit -3: Plant biotechnology and molecular biology
Unit – 4: Microbiology and phytopathology.
3
Unit - 5 : Biological techniques, Biostatistics and Computer applications.
Unit – 1
Cell Biology, Genetics and Evolution : Organisation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Plasma membrane-molecular
organizations and models, functions, cell wall structure, bio synthesis assembly, growth and cell wall expansion.
Structure and function of endoplasmic reticulum, golgi complex, mitochondria, chloroplast, lysosomes and
peroxisomes.
Cytoskeleton: microfilaments, microtubules, actin and tubular gene, role of micro tubules during cell division.
Mechanism of cell division- mitotic apparatus, cytokinesis chromosome movement, regulation of eukaryotic cell,
molecular mechanism of regulating mitotic events, cell cycle control, meiotic stages, molecular basis crossing over,
chromosome mapping.
Eukaryotic chromosome- chromatin, chemical nature, nucleosome structure centromeric DNA, law of DNA
constancy, C value paradox, hertochromatic and its significance. B chromosome polytene chromosome and lamp bush
chromosome.
Structural changes in chromosomes, types, induction, genetics and significance, numerical changes euploidy, haploidy,
polyploidy, aneuploidy.
Mendelian principles, interaction of genes, allelism. Linkage and crossing over, cytological and genetic maps. Sex
determination and sex linked inheritance.
Chemical basis of heredity, fine structure of the gene, barlocus, complex loci, present concept of gene, split gene.
Extra chromosomal inheritance-mitochondria, chloroplast, episome.
Mutation: spontaneous and induced mutations. Molecular basis and evolutionary role of mutation.
Regulation of gene expression : operon concept, transpossible genetic elements, polygene, significance of polygene
control.
Population genetics – population and gene pool, Hardy Weinberg law and its deviations. Evolutionary agent’s fitness,
selection, migration, random drift, speciation and molecular evolution
Human genome project, genetherpy, clinical genetics.
Evolution: origin of life, theories of organic evolution- Lamarkism, Darwinisim, Neo-Darwinisim.
Evidences for the theories of evolution. Natural selection- types of selections, stabilizing, disruptive and directional
selection. Selection model, selection pressure and speciation models.
Isolation mechanism. Micro and macro evolution.
Reference:-
1. Alberts B, Bray D, Lewis J, Raff M. Roberts K and Watson J F (1994); Molecular Biology of the cell.
2. Tamarin Rm (2000): Principles of Genetics. 6th ed. WWC pub. Co. London.
3. Strickberger MW (1995): Genetics 3rd rd, Prentic Hall inc., London.
Unit – 2 : Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Plant and Water relationship, Water requirement, ascent of sap, transpiration, factors affecting transpiration, anti
transpiration. Membrane structure and organization, transport across membrane, mechanism of ion uptake, transportation
stomatal physiology.
Photosynthesis: structure and function of chloroplast, cyclic and non-cyclic phosphorylation, photolysis and Electron
transport system CO2 fixation C -C4 pathways, photorespiration.
Respiration: Glycolysis, kreb’s cycle, Electron transport oxidative phosphorylation, ATP synthesis.
N2 Metabolism: Assimilation of nitrates and ammonia, molecular mechanism of N2 fixation, role of leg hemoglobin
hif and hup genes.
Plant growth hormones: Biosynthesis. Physiological effect of auxin, gibberlins, cytokinins, ethylene, abscisicacid
commercial importance of growth hormones. Seed dormancy germination and senescence.
Environmental physiology: stress physiology, drought, salinity, heat and cold stress.
Enzymology: general aspects, allosteric mechanism, regulatory and active sites, isozymes, kinetics of enzyme activity,
extraction and purification of enzymes.
Physiology of flowering: photoperiodism, endogenous clock and its regulation, floral induction and development
genetic and molecular analysis, vernalization.
Protein: primary, secondary and tertiary structure of protein, biosynthesis of protein, extraction, purification of
protein.
Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism: classification synthesis and degradation of carbohydrates, lipids conversion of
lipid to carbohydrates.
Nucleic acid: classification, structure, bio synthesis, function and metabolism.
Vitamins: classification, distribution, structure, production and functions.
Secondary metabolites: structure, bio synthesis and distribution of terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols and flavanoids.
Signal transduction: receptors, phospholipids signallins, Calcium calmodulin cascade, specific signallins mechanism
in bacteria and plants.
Reference
1. Nelson DL and Cox MM : Principles of Biochemistry (2000) Macmillan worth pub.
2. Tiaz L and Ziger E (1998) Plant Physiology. Sinuar Associates inc. pub. Sanderland USA.
Unit – 3: Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology
Plant cell and tissue culture: Totipotency, selection of explant, induction of callus, organogenesis, factors influencing
organogenesis: cell culture, suspension culture.
Culture media and role of harmones: types of media, preparation of media, role of auxins, gibberellins, cytokineins,
other growth regulators.
Somatic hybridization: protoplast isolation, fusion, hybrid selection, regeneration, achievements and limitations of
protoplast research.
Genetic Engineering: identification, isolation, modification and transfer of genes. Polymerase chain, reaction, cloning
vectors.
Gene transfer methods: direct gene transfer. Agrobacterium mediated cloning method. Microinjection,
electroposation.
Genomics and proteomics: molecular markers for introgression of useful traits, artificial chromosome, functional
genomics, micro array, protein profile.
Organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genome.
DNA replication, mechanism comparison of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
RNA synthesis and processing: prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA polymerases, initiation of transcription, elongation
and termination. RNA splicing mechanism.
Gene concept: classical and modern concept of gene, split genes, overlapping genes.
Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes, lacoperon, Trp operon, transcriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes,
transcription factors.
DNA amplification, DNA methylation and gene rearrangements.
Transposable genetic elements: prokaryotic and eukaryotic transposons retro transposons, mechanism of
transposition.
Genetics of cancer: molecular basis of cancer, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and proteins.
Reference
1. B Lewin Genes VIII oxford univ. press (2000).
2. Glick BR and Pasteranck JJ: Molecular Biotechnology. ASM press Washington.
Unit – 4: Microbiology
Methods of isolation and preservation of microbial culture. Preservation techniques, culture collection centres (ATCC,
MTCC).
Microbiology of water: microbial examination of water, water quality and methods of analysis.
Food Microbiology: Microbial spoilage of food, food poisoning, toxicity, methods of food preservation cultivation of
edible mushrooms.
Industrial microbiology: industrial uses of microorganisms, industrial production of citric acid, ethanol, enzymes and
antibiotics.
Environmental microbiology: methods of sampling for airborne, microbial degradation of organic wastes, pesticides,
xenobiotics, microbes in mining, bioremediation.
Agricultural microbiology: factors influencing soil microbial population, commercial production of bio fertilizers
(rhizobium & azatobacter), Biocontrol agents (Trychoderma, Bacillus Thuringenesis & NPV)
Phytopathology: classification of diseases, biotic and a biotic agents of diseases, Koch’s postulations.
Principles of plant infections, entry of pathogens ecto & endo parasitic colonization.
Role of enzymes, toxins, growth regulators reproduction and dissemination of pathogens.
Defence mechanism in plants: structural & bio chemical plant disease forecasting.
Plant disease management- regulatory, cultural, physical, biological, chemical methods & I PM Study of symptoms,
etiology, epidermology and management of important crops cultivated in Karnataka.
Seed pathology: seed processing, seed quality analysis parameters, drying, storage and marketing.
Principles of seed production: Agronomical and genetic principles.
Post harvest pathology: processing of major and minor forest products, medicinal plant products. Transportation,
packaging & storage conditions to overcome the biodeterioration and microbial spoilage.
Referencs:
1. RS Mehrothra: Plant pathaology (2003) Tata MaCgraw Hill, Delhi.
2. Agrios GN: Plant Pathology. ACA. Press, London.
3. Bedell PE (1998): Seed science & Technology. Allied pub.
4. Dasgupta NC and Mandal (1998) Text book of post harvest technology. IBH pub.
5. Reid J and Chan ECS: Microbiology 4th ed. Tata MaCgraw Hill, Delhi.
6. Prescott and Dunn (1999). Industrial microbiology.
Unit – 5: Bio statistics and Computer application
Bio statistics:
Basic statistics, sampling methods and presentation of data.
Measures of central tendencies (mean/average) statistics of dispersion, coefficient of variation, standard deviation,
standard error, test of significance, correlation, regression, analysis of variance.
Tests for statistical significance: Chi-square test,‘t’ test.
Computer applications:
Basic knowledge of computer systems, hardware and software: CPU and other peripheral devices (Input, Output
devices).
Software packages and programming language, scientific application of packages.
General awareness of Windows, documentation, data analysis and presentation techniques using windows
programme.
Computers and internet: The world wide web and local area network, information retrieval, communication using
internet, search engines, life science data base and tools, bioinformatics.
Reference:
1. Daniel WW: Biostatistics, 7th ed John Woley & sons, NY (2000).
2. Minieka E, Kurzeja Z: Statistics for Business data computer application. South Western college, pub. Australia
(2001).
Biological Techniques:
• Microscopy and microscopic techniques.
• Principles and importance of rotary and ultra microtomes.
• Plant culture techniques.
• Electrochemical techniques.
• Centrifugation techniques
• Chromatographic techniques.
• Electrophoretic techniques.
• Autoradiography and spectrophotometer, staining techniques.