BOT 221:  Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Palaeobotany

• Study of vegetative and reproductive structures of the following genera: Psilotum, Lycopodium, Selaginella, Isoetes, Equisetum, Ophioglossum, Marsilea and any available fern.

• Study of vegetative and reproductive structures of the following genera: Cycas, Ginkgo , Abies, Pinus, Picea , Taxus, Cryptomeria, Araucaria , Cephalotaxus, Cupressus, Podocarpus, Ephedra, Welwitschia, Gnetum

• Study of the following genera: Rhynia, Horneophyton, Lyginopteris, Medullosa,    Neuropteris, Glossopteris. 

BOT 222:  Environmental Science

• To determine minimum number of quadrats required for reliable estimate of biomass in grasslands.
• To study the frequency of herbacious species in grassland and to compare the frequency distribution with Raunkair's standard frequency diagram
• To estimate importance value index for grassland species on the basis of relative frequency, relative density and relative biomass in protected and grazed grassland.
• To measure the vegetation cover of grassland through point frame method.
• To measure the above ground plant biomass in a grassland.
• To determine Kemps constant for dicot and monocot leaves and to estimate the leaf area index of a grassland community.
• To determine diversity indices (richness, Simpson, Shannon weinner) in grazed and protected grassland.
• To estimate bulk density and particle density of grassland and woodland soils.
• To determine moisture content and water holding capacity of grassland and woodland soil.
• To study the vegetation structure through profile diagram.
• To estimate transparency, pH, and temperature of different water bodies.
• To measure dissolved oxygen content in polluted and unpolluted water samples.
• To estimate salinity of different water samples.
• To determine the percent leaf area injury of different leaf samples collected around polluted sites.
•      To estimate dust holding capacity of the leaves of different plant species

BOT 223: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry-I

• Demonstration of phenomenon of osmosis by using potato osmometer.
• Demonstration of phenomenon of imbibition.
• Demonstration of the stomatal transpiration by four leaves method.
•  To demonstrate that oxygen is evolved during photosynthesis by inverted funnel method.
• To demonstrate that CO₂, water, light and chlorophyll are essential for photosynthesis by ‘Moll’s half leaf’ experiment.
• To determine the chlorophyll a / chlorophyll b ratio in C₃ and C₄ plants.
• Isolation of intact chloroplasts and estimation of chloroplast proteins by spot protein assay.
• Extraction of chloroplast pigments from leaves and preparation of the absorption spectrum of chlorophylls and carotenoids.
• To demonstrate photophosphorylation in intact chloroplasts, resolve the phosphoproteins by SDS-PAGE and perform autoradiography.
• To determine the value of RQ of different respiratory substrates using Ganong’s respirometer.
• Demonstration of respiratory enzymes in plant tissues.
• Demonstration of the substrate inducibility of the enzyme nitrate reductase.
• Measurement of growth using auxanometer.
• To study the effect of plant growth regulators on plant growth.

BOT 224: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry - II

• To separate the given mixture of dyes using paper chromatography.
• To separate the given mixture of amino acids using thin - layer chromatography.
• To separate the given mixture of pigments using thin – layer chromatography.
• Principles of colorimetry and spectrophotometry.
• To estimate the conc. of protein using Folin’s reagent.
• To estimate the conc. of protein using Biuret reagent.
• Desalting of proteins by gel filtration chromatography, employing SephadexG-25.
• Preparation of the standard curve of protein (BSA) and estimation of the protein content in extracts of plant material by Lowry’s or Bradford’s method.
• Effect of time and enzyme concentration on the rate of reaction of enzyme
• Effect of substrate concentration on activity of any enzyme and determination of its Km value.
• Microchemical tests for the following – Cellulose, Cutin, Suberin, Lignin, Latex, Glucose, Sucrose, Proteins, Fats, Starch.
• Phytochemical tests for – Alkaloids, Terpenes, Tannins and Anthocyanins