B.Sc Botany

Course Structure
First Year
Semester I:
Paper I - Diversity and Classification of Plant Kingdom-I
Plant kingdom: Classification of kingdoms and the criteria (according to Mayr, the seven kingdoms of living organisms); Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes; diversity in habitat, form (Habit), life span, nutrition and ecological status; origin, evolution and phylogeny of land plants; extinctions and possible causes; fossils and living fossils (a brief account).

Paper II - Cell biology
The Cell: Historical background; cell theory; kingdom-wise cell size and cell structure; viroids and prions; comparative account of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell; characteristics of archaebacteria, mycoplasma, MLO and PPLO.

Semester II:
Paper III - Diversity and Classification of Plant Kingdom-II
Pteridophytes: Salient features of primary vascular plants; classification (Foster & Gifford), comparative study of morphology, anatomy, reproduction; stelar evolution; a general account of evolutionary significance of Psilopsida-, Lycopsida-, Sphenopsida- and Pteropsida-; heterospory and seed habit; economic importance.

Paper IV - Principles of Biochemistry
ellular chemistry: Bioelements and biomolecules; chemical bonds, interactions and their significance; peptide bonds, disulphide bonds, structure, properties of water and its biological significance; pH, inorganic and biological buffers and their significance