Botany Major · 1st Semester
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Major papers
- Unit 1 · Origin of Life: theories of origin, role of water, origin of land plants
- Unit 2 · Microbes: viruses and bacteria, structures and economic importance
- Unit 3 · Algae: characteristics, major classes, ecology and economic importance
- Unit 4 · Fungi: characteristics, groups, nutrition, reproduction, mycorrhiza and lichens
- Unit 5 · Introduction to Archegoniate: land adaptation and alternation of generations
- Unit 6 · Bryophytes: main classes and land adaptations
- Unit 7 · Pteridophytes: major groups and significance
- Unit 8 · Gymnosperms: Cycadophyta, Coniferophyta, Gnetophyta
- Unit 9 · Angiosperms: floral features, herbarium and botanical gardens
Identification from specimens or slides: bacterial forms, selected algae and fungi, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The official PDF gives the required example genera and specimen structures.
The PDF also lists Minor, multidisciplinary, skill enhancement and value-added components. Your registered combination determines what you take.
Study suggestions
Original questions mapped to the listed major paper. These are practice suggestions, not a prediction of the exam.
- Origin of life: Explain two roles water plays in life's chemistry and why early land plants needed adaptations.
Answer guide
Water acts as a solvent and reaction medium and supports transport. On land, plants needed ways to limit drying and support gas exchange and reproduction away from continuous immersion.
- Microbes: Compare a virus and a bacterium in terms of cellular structure and reproduction.
Answer guide
A bacterium is a prokaryotic cell and can divide independently under suitable conditions; a virus is acellular and replicates only inside a host cell.
- Fungi: Distinguish ectomycorrhiza from endomycorrhiza.
Answer guide
In ectomycorrhiza fungal hyphae form a mantle around roots and grow between root cells; in endomycorrhiza hyphae enter root cortical cells. Both are fungus-root associations.
- Plant evolution: What is alternation of generations?
Answer guide
It is the life-cycle alternation of a haploid gametophyte that produces gametes and a diploid sporophyte that produces spores by meiosis.