Paper I. Cytology, Genetics, Molecular Biology And Plant Breeding
UNIT-I
1. Cell structure and division: cytoplasmic organelles, nucleus, chromosomes,
mitosis, meiosis, comparison of mitosis and meiosis.
2. Laws of inheritance: Mendel’s experiments, principles of segregation,
independent assortment, incomplete dominance, sex chromosomes and sex linked
inheritance, gene interactions, modified ratios: complementary, supplementary,
duplicate and epistatic factors.
3. Linkage and crossing over: complete and incomplete linkage, linkage group and crossing over.
4. Mutations, Chromosomal abbrrations- deficiency, duplication, translocation,
inversion and polyploidy.
5. Sex determination in Drosophila, Man and Melandrium.
UNIT-II
1. Structure and function of nucleic acids and genetic code: Nucleic acid as genetic
material, structure of nucleic acids, properties of genetic code.
2. Classical and modern concept of genes.
UNIT-III
1. Plant breeding: aims and objectives, basic techniques of Plant breeding.
2. Crop improvement methods, Selection , Plant introduction and acclimatization,
hybridization and mutational breeding etc. and hybrid vigour.
Paper II. Biotechnology and Economic Botany
UNIT-I
1. Introduction to Biotechnology: role in modern life, isolation and culture of
different types of microorganisms.
2. Recombinant DNA technology: Tools of genetic engineering, enzymes, plasmids
and cosmids vectors, brief idea of techniques and scope of genetic engineering.
3. Plant tissue culture techniques: Plant cell, tissue and organ cultures, tissue culture
techniques, collection and storage of germplasm (cryopreservation), application of
plant tissue culture with reference to somaclonal variation, synthetic seeds,
embryo culture and embryo resque, anther culture, meristem culture, somatic
hybridization and somatic seed production.
4. Industrial biotechnology: Fermentation Technology with reference to alcohol
production.
5. Agriculture Biotechnology: Biofertilizers and biological control in fields.
6. Nutritional Biotechnology: Mycotoxins and Health hazards, control of mycotoxin
production, single cell protein.
7. Elementary idea of the following:
(i) Gene Bank (ii) Nif and Nod Genes (iii) C-DNA
(iv) Totipotency (v) Antibiotics (vi) Mycoprotein
UNIT-II
A brief knowledge of Botany and commercial utilization/ uses of the following plant
products:
1. Cereals and millets- wheat, rice and maize.
2. Food plants: potato, sugarcane.
3. Fruits: mango, apple, banana, citrus and litchi.
4. Fibres: cotton, jute, hemp and coir.
5. Vegetables: root vegetables, stem vegetables and fruit vegetables.
6. Timbers: Teak, shisham, sal chir and deodar.
7. Medicinal Plants: Aconitum, Atropa, Cinchona, Rauwolfia, Ephedra and Withania.
8. Oils: Coconut oil, linseed oil, mustard oil and groundnut oil.
9. Beverages: Tea and Coffee.
Paper III. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
UNIT-I
1. Diffusion, Osmosis, Plasmolysis and Inhibition.
2. Absorption of Water.
3. Transpiration: Factors affecting the rate of transpiration, significance of
transpiration, mechanism of stomatal opening and closing.
4. Wilting and wilting coefficient.
5. Mineral Nutrition, Macro and Micronutrients, mineral deficiency symptoms,
absorption of minerals.
6. Translocation of solutes and factors affecting translocation, mechanism of phloem transport.
UNIT-II
1. Respiration: ATP- the biological energy currency, structure of mitochondria,
mechanism of aerobic and anaerobic respiration., Oxidative phosphorylation,
fermentation, RQ and the factors affecting the rate of respiration, Kreb cycle.
2. Electron transport system (chemi-osmotic theory), redox potential, Pentose
Phosphate Pathway.
3. Photosynthesis: Historical aspects, action spectra and enhancement effect,
conceps of two photosystems, Z-scheme, structure of chloroplast, pigments,
mechanism of photosynthesis: Light Phase (Exitation of Chlorophyll, Scheme of
ATP and NADPH formation, PS I and PS II): Dark Phase- Path of Carbon
(reductive pentose phosphate cycle in C3 plants), Hill reaction, photo-
phosphorylation, factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis, CAM Plants, photorespiration.
UNIT-III
1. Enzymes: Properties, classification, mechanism of enzyme action and factors
affecting enzyme activities.
2. Nitrogen fixation and Protein synthesis, importance if Nitrate reductase and its
regulation, ammonium assimilation and cryptochrome.
3. Phytochrome system.
4. Growth and Developments: Definition, phase of growth, seed dormancy,
germination, plant movement, Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinin, Abscissic acid
and ethylene.
UNIT-IV
1. Carbohydrates: Structure and function of Monosaccharides, Oligosaccharides
and Polysaccharides.
2. Amino acids and Proteins: an elementary accounts.
3. Elementary idea of fats and lipids: Structure and function of lipids, Fatty acids
biosynthesis, storage and mobilization of fatty acids, β- oxidation.
