Q7
(a) Write the botanical name, family, morphology of useful parts and uses of the following plants: (i) Safflower (ii) Fennel (iii) Chicory (iv) Tapioca (v) Teak 20 (b) Explain the various steps involved in plant protoplast culture. Mention the major limitations of this technique. What is the role of somatic hybridization in crop improvement ? 5+5+5=15 (c) Give an account of different types of axial parenchyma found in dicotyledonous woody plants stating their phylogenetic significance. Mention two primitive and two advanced features of ray parenchyma. 6+5+4=15
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
(a) निम्नांकित पादपों के वानस्पतिक नाम, कुल, उपयोगी भागों की आकृति एवं उपयोगिता लिखिए : (i) कुसुम (ii) सौंफ (iii) चिकोरी (iv) टैपिओका (v) सागवान 20 (b) पादप प्रोटोप्लास्ट संवर्धन में शामिल विभिन्न चरणों की व्याख्या कीजिए। इस तकनीक की प्रमुख सीमाओं का उल्लेख कीजिए। कायिक संकरण की फसल सुधार में क्या भूमिका है ? 5+5+5=15 (c) द्विबीजपत्री काष्ठीय पौधों में पाए जाने वाले विभिन्न प्रकार के अक्षीय मृदुतक का उनके जातिवृत्तीय महत्व के साथ विवरण दीजिए। अर (रे) मृदुतक के दो आदिम एवं दो उन्नत लक्षणों का उल्लेख कीजिए। 6+5+4=15
Directive word: Describe
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How this answer will be evaluated
Approach
The directive 'describe' demands systematic, factual exposition across all sub-parts. Allocate approximately 40% of time/words to part (a) given its 20 marks, with roughly 30% each to parts (b) and (c). Structure as: concise introduction stating scope; body addressing (a) through tabular or bullet format for five plants, (b) through stepwise protocol with limitations, and (c) through anatomical classification with phylogenetic interpretation; brief conclusion on applied significance of plant biotechnology and wood anatomy.
Key points expected
- Part (a): For each of five plants—Carthamus tinctorius (Asteraceae), Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae), Cichorium intybus (Asteraceae), Manihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae), Tectona grandis (Lamiaceae)—correct binomial, family assignment, morphological description of useful part(s), and principal economic uses
- Part (b): Sequential steps of protoplast culture (isolation via enzymatic/machenical methods, purification, viability testing, culture in suitable medium, cell wall regeneration, callus formation, organogenesis/embryogenesis); limitations including genetic instability, somaclonal variation, regeneration recalcitrance, and technical complexity; somatic hybridization's role in overcoming sexual incompatibility, combining cytoplasmic genomes, and creating novel nuclear-cytoplasmic combinations for crop improvement
- Part (c): Classification of axial parenchyma types (apotracheal: diffuse, diffuse-in-aggregates, banded; paratracheal: scanty, vasicentric, aliform, confluent, lozenge-aliform, winged-aliform, banded); phylogenetic trends from diffuse (primitive) to paratracheal (advanced) with increasing specialization; ray parenchyma features—primitive: homocellular composition, uniseriate/multiseriate with upright cells; advanced: heterocellular composition, procumbent cells, storied arrangement
- Integration of Indian context: mention of safflower cultivation in Maharashtra/Rajasthan, tapioca in Kerala/Tamil Nadu, teak in Madhya Pradesh/Kerala; protoplast work at NCL Pune or BARC; ICFRE/IFGTB research on teak wood anatomy
- Accurate use of technical terminology: mesophyll protoplasts, nurse culture, cybrids, symplastic isolation, vessel-ray pits, storied wood structure
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept correctness | 25% | 12.5 | Demonstrates flawless taxonomic classification for all five plants in (a); accurately distinguishes protoplast isolation methods (enzymatic vs. mechanical) and culture stages in (b); correctly identifies all axial parenchyma types and their evolutionary sequence in (c); no factual errors in anatomical or biotechnological concepts | Minor errors in family assignment (e.g., confusing Asteraceae with Apiaceae) or parenchyma type identification; incomplete understanding of protoplast regeneration stages; some confusion between apotracheal and paratracheal categories | Major taxonomic errors (wrong genera/species), fundamental misunderstanding of protoplast culture as mere tissue culture, inability to distinguish axial from ray parenchyma, or confusion of primitive/advanced character states |
| Diagram / labelling | 15% | 7.5 | Includes well-drawn, properly labelled diagrams for: protoplast isolation and culture sequence (b); axial parenchyma distribution patterns in TS/LS wood (c); optional but beneficial floral/fruit diagrams for economic plants (a); clear indication of scale and tissue relationships | Diagrams present but incompletely labelled, missing critical stages (e.g., omitting cell wall regeneration in protoplast culture), or showing parenchyma types without clear vessel associations; acceptable but not exemplary | No diagrams despite clear pictorial demands; or diagrams that are misleading, incorrectly oriented, or bear no relation to the described structures; failure to illustrate wood anatomical features |
| Examples & nomenclature | 20% | 10 | All botanical names follow ICBN with correct authority indication where relevant; families align with APG IV; Indian cultivars/regional varieties mentioned (e.g., Nira safflower, CO-1 tapioca); specific research institutions (NCL Pune, ICFRE Dehradun) cited for protoplast and wood anatomy work | Correct binomials but missing authorities; families generally correct with occasional outdated nomenclature (e.g., Leguminosae instead of Fabaceae for unrelated context); limited Indian examples; generic references to 'research centres' without specificity | Incorrect or misspelled scientific names (e.g., 'Carthamus tinctoria'), wrong families (e.g., teak in Verbenaceae), no Indian context, or invented institutional references; confusion between common and scientific names |
| Process explanation | 25% | 12.5 | Part (b) presents logically sequenced, technically precise steps from explant selection through to plantlet regeneration with medium composition details (e.g., MS medium, osmoticum, hormone ratios); limitations critically evaluated with mechanistic explanations; somatic hybridization explained through actual protocols (PEG-mediated fusion, electrofusion) and documented successes (e.g., potato + tomato, Citrus cybrids) | Steps listed but sequence occasionally confused; culture medium mentioned generically without specific components; limitations stated as bullet points without elaboration; somatic hybridization described superficially without fusion mechanisms | Disordered or incomplete step sequence; conflation of protoplast culture with anther culture or other techniques; limitations merely listed without explanation; no understanding of how somatic hybridization differs from sexual hybridization |
| Application / ecology | 15% | 7.5 | Explicitly connects: (a) plants to their agro-ecological zones in India and industrial applications (dyes, pharmaceuticals, timber trade); (b) protoplast technology to practical crop improvement programs (disease resistance transfer, CMS systems); (c) wood anatomy to timber quality assessment, identification of archaeological wood, and phylogenetic systematics of angiosperms; demonstrates awareness of current research frontiers | Mentions uses without ecological context; protoplast applications stated generically; wood anatomy linked to identification but not to evolutionary or practical significance; limited awareness of ongoing research | No applied dimension; treats economic botany as mere listing, protoplast culture as laboratory curiosity without agricultural relevance, or wood anatomy as purely descriptive exercise; complete disconnect from contemporary research or Indian priorities |
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