Botany Optional Syllabus for UPSC
The UPSC Botany optional is examined in two Mains papers of 250 marks each, 500 marks in total. Paper I has 7 topics and Paper II has 7 topics, listed below with their subtopics.
Botany Paper I syllabus
1. Microbiology & Plant Pathology
- Viruses, bacteria, fungi structure
- Plant diseases & control measures
2. Cryptogams
- Algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes
- Evolution & reproduction
3. Phanerogams
- Gymnosperms & angiosperms
- Morphology, anatomy, embryology
4. Plant Taxonomy
- Principles of nomenclature
- Classification systems
- Herbarium techniques
5. Plant Anatomy
- Cell structure & organelles
- Tissue systems
- Secondary growth
6. Morphogenesis
- Cell cycle, differentiation
- Pattern formation
7. Cell Biology
- Membrane structure & function
- Cell signaling
- Cytoskeleton
Botany Paper II syllabus
1. Plant Physiology
- Water relations, mineral nutrition
- Photosynthesis, respiration
- Nitrogen & lipid metabolism
2. Plant Growth Regulators
- Auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins
- Ethylene, abscisic acid
- Photoperiodism, vernalization
3. Genetics
- Mendelian genetics, linkage
- Chromosomal aberrations
- Mutations, polyploidy
4. Molecular Biology
- DNA replication, transcription, translation
- Gene regulation
- Recombinant DNA technology
5. Plant Breeding
- Selection methods, hybridization
- Heterosis, mutation breeding
- Biotechnology applications
6. Ecology
- Ecosystem structure & function
- Community dynamics
- Environmental conservation
7. Economic Botany
- Food plants, fiber plants
- Medicinal plants, timber
Other Sciences optionals
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