CSIR NET Life Sciences Diversity Of Life Forms Syllabus

Differentiate gymnosperms from angiosperms by seed character.

Gymnosperms bear naked (exposed) ovules/seeds not enclosed in an ovary; angiosperms have ovules enclosed within an ovary that ripens into fruit.

What characters separate bryophytes from pteridophytes?

Bryophytes lack true vascular tissue and the gametophyte is dominant; pteridophytes have vascular tissue (xylem/phloem) and a dominant sporophyte.

State the chief diagnostic features of Phylum Porifera.

Pore-bearing (ostia), cellular grade, asymmetrical/radial body with choanocytes (collar cells), spongocoel, water canal system, and skeleton of spicules/spongin.

What features define Phylum Cnidaria?

Radial symmetry, diploblastic, tissue-level organization, cnidocytes/nematocysts for stinging, gastrovascular cavity, and polyp/medusa body forms.

List the unique echinoderm features.

Pentaradial symmetry (adults), water vascular system with tube feet, endoskeleton of calcareous ossicles, and they are exclusively marine deuterostomes.

Name the five classes of vertebrates and one defining feature of each.

Pisces (gills, fins); Amphibia (moist skin, dual life); Reptilia (dry scales, amniotic eggs); Aves (feathers, beak, flight); Mammalia (hair, mammary glands).

What three synapomorphies define the Phylum Chordata?

Notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail (present at some life stage).

What criteria distinguish the three classes of bacteria by Gram staining and cell wall?

Gram-positive: thick peptidoglycan retaining crystal violet; Gram-negative: thin peptidoglycan plus outer lipopolysaccharide membrane; distinguished by Gram stain reaction.

Name the major biogeographic/habitat zones of the Indian subcontinent.

Trans-Himalaya, Himalaya, Indian Desert (Thar), Semi-arid, Western Ghats, Deccan Peninsula, Gangetic Plain, North-East, Coasts, and Islands.

Which two global biodiversity hotspots lie wholly or partly within India, plus the Himalayan one?

The Western Ghats–Sri Lanka hotspot, the Indo-Burma hotspot, and the Himalaya hotspot (Sundaland touches the Nicobar Islands).

What is endemism, and name an iconic endemic mammal of the Western Ghats.

Endemism is the restriction of a species to a specific geographic area; the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) and Nilgiri tahr are Western Ghats endemics.

What is phenology?

The study of periodic biological events (flowering, leafing, migration, breeding) in relation to seasonal and climatic changes.

How does the monsoon drive seasonality and phenology in the Indian subcontinent?

The southwest (June–September) monsoon triggers a flush of vegetative growth, breeding of amphibians/insects, and synchronized flowering/fruiting; the dry season triggers leaf fall and dormancy.

Name three of the 'Big Cats' found in India and a key habitat for each.

Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) — Sundarbans/central forests; Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) — Gir forest; Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) — widespread forests/scrub.

Which large Indian mammals are the one-horned rhinoceros and Asian elephant, and where is the rhino's stronghold?

Rhinoceros unicornis (greater one-horned rhino) and Elephas maximus (Asian elephant); the rhino's stronghold is Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

Identify India's national bird and national aquatic animal.

National bird: Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus); national aquatic animal: Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica).

Name two critically endangered Indian vulture species affected by diclofenac.

White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Indian/long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus); the veterinary NSAID diclofenac caused mass population crashes.

Which migratory crane winters in India, and at which famous site?

The Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) historically wintered at Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur), Rajasthan.

What is the Central Asian Flyway, and why is it important to India?

A major bird migration corridor linking Arctic/Central Asian breeding grounds to South Asian wintering grounds; India is a key wintering destination for waterfowl and waders along it.

Name the malaria parasite genus and the most lethal human species, plus its vector.

Genus Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum is most lethal; transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito.

Which parasite causes amoebic dysentery and which causes kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis)?

Amoebic dysentery: Entamoeba histolytica; kala-azar: Leishmania donovani (transmitted by sandfly Phlebotomus).

Name the helminth causing lymphatic filariasis and its mosquito vector.

Wuchereria bancrofti, transmitted chiefly by Culex mosquitoes.

Which protozoan causes redwater fever (babesiosis) in cattle, and how is it transmitted?

Babesia species, transmitted by ixodid (hard) ticks.

Name two major fungal pathogens of crops and the diseases they cause.

Puccinia graminis — black/stem rust of wheat; Magnaporthe oryzae (Pyricularia) — rice blast.

What pathogen caused the Bengal famine-associated brown spot of rice, and what was the 1840s Irish potato blight pathogen?

Bengal brown spot: Bipolaris oryzae (Helminthosporium oryzae); Irish potato blight: the oomycete Phytophthora infestans.

What do the IUCN Red List categories EX, EW, CR, EN, VU stand for?

Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.

Name two critically endangered birds of India.

Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) and the Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis).

Differentiate in-situ and ex-situ conservation with examples of each.

In-situ: conservation in natural habitat (national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves); ex-situ: conservation outside habitat (zoos, botanical gardens, seed/gene banks, cryopreservation).

What are India's flagship species-specific conservation programmes for the tiger and elephant?

Project Tiger (1973) establishing tiger reserves, and Project Elephant (1992) for elephant corridors and habitat.

What is the difference between a biosphere reserve and a national park in conservation strategy?

A national park is a strictly protected area for wildlife with no human exploitation; a biosphere reserve is a larger multi-zone area (core, buffer, transition) integrating conservation with sustainable human use and research.