KCET Biology - Botany Syllabus

Biology - Botany syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Biology - Botany in KCET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Diversity and Morphology of Plants

   4 topics

   • Living World and Biological Classification
     • Taxonomy and binomial nomenclature
     • Five kingdom classification
     • Monera, Protista and Fungi
   • Plant Kingdom
     • Algae, bryophytes and pteridophytes
     • Gymnosperms and angiosperms
   • Morphology of Flowering Plants
     • Root, stem and leaf
     • Inflorescence, flower and fruit
   • Anatomy of Flowering Plants
     • Plant tissues and tissue systems
     • Secondary growth
2. 2

   Cell Biology and Cell Division

   3 topics

   • Cell - The Unit of Life
     • Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
     • Cell organelles and their functions
   • Biomolecules
     • Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
     • Enzymes and nucleic acids
   • Cell Cycle and Cell Division
     • Phases of the cell cycle
     • Mitosis and meiosis
3. 3

   Plant Physiology

   5 topics

   • Transport in Plants
     • Water and mineral absorption
     • Transpiration and translocation
   • Mineral Nutrition
     • Essential mineral elements
     • Nitrogen metabolism
   • Photosynthesis in Higher Plants
     • Light and dark reactions
     • C3, C4 pathways and photorespiration
   • Respiration in Plants
     • Glycolysis and Krebs cycle
     • Electron transport and fermentation
   • Plant Growth and Development
     • Plant growth regulators
     • Photoperiodism and vernalisation
4. 4

   Plant Reproduction and Genetics

   4 topics

   • Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
     • Structure of flower and gametophytes
     • Pollination and double fertilisation
     • Seed and fruit development
   • Principles of Inheritance and Variation
     • Mendel's laws
     • Linkage, recombination and mutations
   • Molecular Basis of Inheritance
     • DNA structure and replication
     • Transcription, translation and gene regulation
   • Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production
     • Plant breeding and single cell protein
     • Tissue culture
5. 5

   Ecology and Biotechnology

   4 topics

   • Organisms and Populations
     • Population attributes and growth
     • Population interactions
   • Ecosystem
     • Energy flow and food chains
     • Nutrient cycling and ecological pyramids
   • Biodiversity and Conservation
     • Patterns and importance of biodiversity
     • Conservation strategies
   • Biotechnology and its Applications
     • Recombinant DNA technology principles
     • Applications in agriculture and medicine

Biology - Botany flashcards for KCET

20 of 80 cards from the Biology - Botany deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three domains of life in Carl Woese's classification, and what is its basis?

   Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. Basis: differences in rRNA (16S/18S) sequences.

2. In binomial nomenclature, what are the two components of a scientific name and which is written first?

   Genus (generic name, written first, capitalized) and species (specific epithet, lowercase). The whole name is italicized/underlined.

3. Name the five kingdoms of Whittaker's classification and the basis used.

   Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia. Basis: cell structure (pro/eukaryotic), body organisation, mode of nutrition, reproduction, and phylogenetic relationships.

4. What pigment combination characterises the algal classes Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyceae?

   Chlorophyceae (green algae): chlorophyll a, b; Phaeophyceae (brown algae): chlorophyll a, c + fucoxanthin; Rhodophyceae (red algae): chlorophyll a, d + phycoerythrin (r-phycoerythrin).

5. What is the haploid dominant photosynthetic phase in bryophytes, and which generation is dependent on it?

   The gametophyte is the dominant, photosynthetic, haploid phase; the sporophyte is dependent (semi-parasitic) on the gametophyte.

6. What is heterospory and which plant groups show it?

   Production of two kinds of spores — microspores and megaspores. Shown by some pteridophytes (e.g., Selaginella, Salvinia) and all gymnosperms and angiosperms; it is a precursor to seed habit.

7. How do gymnosperms differ from angiosperms in seed and ovule structure?

   Gymnosperms have naked (uncovered) ovules/seeds not enclosed in an ovary/fruit; angiosperms have ovules enclosed within an ovary that matures into a fruit, with seeds covered.

8. What is double fertilisation in angiosperms and what two products result?

   One male gamete fuses with the egg (syngamy → diploid zygote) and the other fuses with two polar nuclei (triple fusion → triploid primary endosperm nucleus). Results: zygote (2n) and endosperm (3n).

9. Differentiate taproot and fibrous root systems with examples.

   Taproot: one primary root with lateral branches, found in dicots (e.g., mustard). Fibrous: cluster of thin roots from base of stem, found in monocots (e.g., wheat).

10. Define racemose and cymose inflorescence based on growth of the main axis.

    Racemose: main axis keeps growing (indeterminate), flowers borne acropetally (oldest at base). Cymose: main axis ends in a flower (determinate), so growth is limited, flowers in basipetal/centrifugal order.

11. What are the three types of placentation: marginal, axile, and parietal — give one example each?

    Marginal: ovules on one margin of single locule (pea). Axile: ovules on central axis in multilocular ovary (tomato, lemon). Parietal: ovules on inner ovary wall, one locule made two by false septum (mustard, Argemone).

12. In a floral formula, what do the symbols K, C, A and G represent?

    K = calyx (sepals), C = corolla (petals), A = androecium (stamens), G = gynoecium (carpels). P is used for perianth (undifferentiated).

13. Differentiate aestivation types valvate, twisted, imbricate and vexillary.

    Valvate: sepals/petals just touch (Calotropis). Twisted: one margin overlaps next (China rose). Imbricate: irregular overlapping (Cassia). Vexillary: largest petal (standard) overlaps two laterals which overlap two smallest (keel) — pea family.

14. Name the components of the dermal, ground and vascular tissue systems in plants.

    Dermal: epidermis (with stomata, trichomes), epiblema, periderm. Ground: parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma (cortex, pith, etc.). Vascular: xylem and phloem (conducting tissues).

15. What is the function of the Casparian strip and where is it located?

    Suberin/lignin band on radial and tangential walls of endodermal cells in the root; it blocks the apoplastic pathway, forcing water/minerals through the symplast (selective uptake).

16. Distinguish open and closed vascular bundles, and which plant groups have each.

    Open bundle: cambium present between xylem and phloem → secondary growth possible (dicots). Closed bundle: no cambium → no secondary growth (monocots).

17. What is the arrangement of xylem and phloem in a typical dicot vs monocot root?

    Dicot root: 2–4 xylem arches (di- to tetrarch), radial bundles. Monocot root: polyarch (many xylem bundles). Both have radial bundles with xylem and phloem on different radii.

18. Name the activity of vascular cambium and the tissues it forms during secondary growth.

    Vascular cambium forms secondary xylem (wood) towards the inside and secondary phloem (bast) towards the outside, increasing girth.

19. State the three main components of the fluid-mosaic model of the plasma membrane.

    A phospholipid bilayer (fluid) with embedded/peripheral proteins (mosaic) that can move laterally, plus cholesterol and carbohydrates (glycoproteins/glycolipids on outer surface).

20. What are the key structural differences between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell?

    Prokaryote: no true membrane-bound nucleus (nucleoid), no membrane-bound organelles, 70S ribosomes, smaller (1–10 µm). Eukaryote: true nucleus, membrane-bound organelles, 80S ribosomes (70S in mitochondria/chloroplast), larger (10–100 µm).

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