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Botany Optional Syllabus for UPSC 2025
Complete syllabus guide for Botany Optional in UPSC Civil Services Examination. Master both papers with our comprehensive study material.
PAPER—I
1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology
- Viruses, bacteria, and plasmids - structure and reproduction
- General account of infection and defense mechanisms
- Applications of microbiology in agriculture, industry, medicine and pollution control
- Important plant diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi and nematodes
- Mode of infection and dissemination
- Molecular basis of infection and disease resistance/defense
- Physiology of parasitism and control measures
- Fungal toxins
2. Cryptogams
- Algae, Fungi, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes - structure and reproduction from evolutionary viewpoint
- Distribution of Cryptogams in India and their ecological and economic importance
- Morphology of Cryptogams
- Evolution of Cryptogams
- Life cycles of major groups
3. Phanerogams
- Gymnosperms: Concept of Progymnosperms
- Classification and distribution of Gymnosperms
- Salient features of Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales
- Their structure and reproduction
- General account of Cycadofilicales, Bennettitales and Cordaitales
- Geological time scale
- Type of fossils and their study techniques
4. Morphology of Angiosperms
- Morphology, anatomy, embryology and reproduction
- Comparative account of various systems of Angiosperm Classification
- Modern trends in taxonomy, including chemotaxonomy
- Rules of botanical nomenclature
- Modern trends in Angiosperm phylogeny
- Taxonomic resources and their utilization
- Floral anatomy in relation to taxonomy
5. Plant Physiology
- Water relations, mineral nutrition and ion transport
- Mineral deficiencies
- Photosynthesis - photochemical reactions
- Photophosphorylation and carbon fixation pathways
- Respiration and fermentation
- Nitrogen fixation and nitrogen metabolism
- Enzymes, coenzymes
- Energy transfer and energy conservation
- Growth, development and differentiation
- Plant growth regulators and hormones
PAPER—II
1. Cell Biology
- Cell theory and cell as the basic unit of life
- Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
- Plant cell organelles and their functions
- Cell wall, cell membrane and cell organelles
- Cell division - mitosis and meiosis
- Chromosome organization
- Cell cycles and regulation
- Nuclear and extra nuclear genome
2. Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution
- Development of genetics
- Gene versus allele concepts
- Laws of inheritance
- Genetic linkage and crossing over
- Linkage maps
- Multiple alleles
- Gene mapping
- Gene interaction
- Role of RNA in protein synthesis and replication
- Mutations - spontaneous and induced
- Role of mutations in evolution
- DNA damage and repair
3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics
- Methods of plant breeding
- Heterosis and its exploitation
- Male sterility and its applications
- Plant tissue culture
- Protoplast fusion
- Plant transformation
- Genetic engineering and transgenics
- PCR, molecular markers and marker assisted breeding
- Standard deviation
- Standard error
- Correlation and regression
- Tests of significance
4. Plant Resource Development
- Domestication and introduction of plants
- Origin of cultivated plants
- Vavilov's centres of origin
- Plants as sources for food, fodder, fibres, spices, beverages, drugs, narcotics, insecticides, timber, gums, resins and dyes
- Latex, cellulose, starch and their products
- Perfumery
- Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian context
- Energy plantations
- Botanical Gardens and Herbaria
5. Environmental Botany
- Ecosystem - concept, components, stability and dynamism
- Plant communities and ecological adaptations
- Ecological succession
- Environmental pollution and its control
- Phytogeographical regions of India
- Principles of conservation
- Environmental legislation
- Conservation of natural resources
- Endangered plants and their conservation
- Role of plants in human welfare
Recommended Study Resources
Essential Books
- • Plant Biology by A.C. Dutta
- • Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Evolution and Ecology by P.S. Verma and V.K. Agarwal
- • Plant Physiology by S.N. Pandey and B.K. Sinha
- • Economic Botany in the Tropics by S.L. Kochhar
- • Plant Systematics by Simpson
Reference Materials
- • IGNOU Study Materials for Botany
- • Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts
- • Plant Anatomy by Fahn
- • Plant Taxonomy by V.V. Sivarajan
- • Ecology by Eugene Odum
Academic Journals
- • Current Science Journals for latest developments in Botany
- • Indian Journal of Plant Sciences
- • Journal of Plant Biology
- • Plant Cell Reports
- • Nature Plants
Practice Materials
- • Previous Years' UPSC Botany Papers
- • CSIR NET Life Sciences Study Materials
- • Model Question Papers
- • Botany MCQs and Problem Sets
- • Subject-wise Practice Questions