Third Semester M.Sc. Degree Examination, March 2025BotanyBO 232: BIOCHEMISTRY, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY

Third Semester M.Sc. Degree Examination, March 2025

Botany

BO 232: BIOCHEMISTRY, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

Time: 3 Hours

(2019 Admission Onwards)

Max. Marks: 75

(Instruction: Draw diagrams and illustrate with examples wherever necessary)

1.Answer the following questions.

1.What is Km value? Mention its significance.

2.Draw the structure of sucrose.

3.List any two-sulphur containing amino acids.

4.What is salinity stress?

5.Name any two weedicides.

6.What is lag phase?

7.What are phytoalexins?

8.What are quantasomes?

9.What is biochemical methodology of experimental design?

10. List any two statistical tools for the citation of reference.

(10 × 1 = 10 Marks)

II.Answer the following questions not more than 50 words.

11. (a) Compare pH and pKa? Mention its significance.

(b) What is monoacyl glycerol? Explain its biosynthesis.

12. (a) Explain the classification of protein based on function.

(b) Compare secondary and quaternary structure of proteins.

13. (a) What is a biological clock? How does it differ from water oxidizing clock?

(b) How does the breakdown of fatty acids occur during seed germination?

14. (a) Compare symbiotic and nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation in plants.

(b) Compare phloem loading and phloem unloading.

15. (a) What are the essential tips for preparing the methodology section of a research paper?

(b) Explain the importance of the abstract and title in a thesis.

(5 x 2 = 10 Marks)

III. Answer the following questions not more than 150 words.

16. (a) What are abzymes? Give an example.

(b) Explain mevalonic acid pathway of terpenoids.

17. (a) What are protein domains? Mention it importance in enzyme activity.

(b) Describe the oxidation of lipids. Mention different types of it.

18. (a) Briefly describe the structure and biosynthesis of adenine.

(b) What is RUBISCO? Mention its importance.

19. (a) Give a concise account on cold stress and its physiologic response in plants.

(b) Explain the various physiological effects of ethylene.

20. (a) Draw the schematic representation of glycolate metabolism.

(b) Explain the physiology of abscission.

21. (a) Write an account on the structure and functions of phytochromes.

(b) What is allelopathy? Mention its importance in plants with examples.

22. (a) Write an account on various steps of a research design.

(b) Write a note on the use of statistical tools and the interpretation of results with any statistical tool you have studied.

(7 x 5 = 35 Marks)

III. Answer the following questions in not more than 250 words.

23. (a)Explain the structure, function and metabolism of starch.

(b) Explain IUB system of classification and nomenclature of enzymes. Add a note on its regulation of enzyme activity.

24. (a) Create a schematic representation of the C3 pathway and provide an explanation. Why are CAM plants called so?

(b) Critically analyze aerobic and anaerobic respiration in plants. Add a note on the regulation of the TCA cycle.

(2 x 10 = 20 Marks)

Comments

Genetically modified microbes - biodegradation, biopesticides, bioremediation, mineral leaching and biofertilizers.

Genetically Modified Microbes (GMMs) covering biodegradation, biopesticides, bioremediation, mineral leaching and biofertilizers. Genetically Modified Microbes (GMMs) Introduction Genetically Modified Microbes (GMMs) are microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast or algae whose genetic material has been altered using recombinant DNA technology to enhance or introduce desirable traits. These microbes are engineered to improve efficiency, specificity and speed of biological processes useful in agriculture, industry and environmental management. GMMs play a vital role in sustainable development by reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and polluting industrial processes. 1. Genetically Modified Microbes in Biodegradation Definition Biodegradation is the microbial breakdown of complex organic pollutants into simpler, non-toxic substances. Role of GMMs Natural microbes often degrade pollutants slowly. Genetic modification enhances: Enzyme activity Substrate sp...

protoplast fusion

Protoplast Fusion – Detailed Notes 1. Definition Protoplast fusion is a technique in which two or more protoplasts (cells without cell walls) are fused to form a single hybrid cell. It is widely used in plant biotechnology for hybridization, gene transfer, and somatic hybrid production. Also called somatic hybridization or somatic cell fusion. 2. Principle Cell wall removal: Plant cells are treated with cell wall-degrading enzymes (cellulase, pectinase) to generate protoplasts. Fusion of protoplasts: The naked cells are induced to fuse physically or chemically. Hybrid cell formation: Nuclei from different protoplasts combine to form a heterokaryon. Regeneration: The hybrid cell regenerates a new cell wall and divides, eventually forming a somatic hybrid plant. Key Concept: Protoplast fusion bypasses sexual incompatibility barriers, allowing hybridization between distant species or genera. 3. Steps in Protoplast Fusion Step 1: Isolation of Protoplasts Plant tissues (leaves, callus, cell...

Mapping of DNA

DNA MAPPING 1. Introduction DNA mapping refers to the process of determining the relative positions of genes or DNA sequences on a chromosome. It provides information about the organization, structure, and distance between genetic markers in a genome. DNA mapping is an essential step toward genome sequencing, gene identification, disease diagnosis, and genetic engineering. DNA maps serve as roadmaps that guide researchers to locate specific genes associated with traits or diseases. 2. Objectives of DNA Mapping To locate genes on chromosomes To determine the order of genes To estimate distances between genes or markers To study genome organization To assist in genome sequencing projects. 3. Principles of DNA Mapping DNA mapping is based on: Recombination frequency Physical distance between DNA fragments Hybridization of complementary DNA Restriction enzyme digestion Use of genetic markers The closer two genes are, the less frequently they recombine during meiosis. 4 . Types of DNA...

Protein Sequence DatabasesPIR, SWISS-PROT and TREMBEL

Protein Sequence Databases PIR, SWISS-PROT and TREMBEL 1. Introduction Protein sequence databases are biological databases that store information about amino acid sequences of proteins, along with their functional, structural, and biochemical characteristics. Since proteins are the functional molecules of the cell, protein databases are essential for understanding gene expression, metabolism, enzymatic activity, signaling pathways, and evolution. Protein sequence databases mainly contain data derived from translated nucleotide sequences and experimental protein studies. 2. Types of Protein Sequence Databases Protein sequence databases are broadly classified into: A. Primary Protein Databases Contain original protein sequence data Minimal or no manual annotation B. Secondary Protein Databases Derived from primary databases Provide curated functional and structural information C. Composite Protein Databases Combine protein data from multiple sources Reduce redundancy 3. Protein Informati...

Secondary Databases (PROSITE, PRINTS, BLOCKS)

Secondary Databases (PROSITE, PRINTS, BLOCKS Secondary Databases Introduction Biological databases are broadly classified into primary and secondary databases. Primary databases store raw experimental data (e.g., nucleotide or protein sequences), whereas secondary databases contain derived information obtained by analyzing primary sequence data. Secondary databases are mainly used to: Identify protein families Detect conserved motifs, patterns, and domains Predict protein function Study structure–function relationships Examples of secondary databases include PROSITE, PRINTS, BLOCKS, Pfam, etc. 1. PROSITE Database Definition PROSITE is a secondary database that documents protein domains, families, and functional sites in the form of patterns and profiles. Developed by Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB) Maintained along with UniProt Principle PROSITE is based on the idea that functionally important regions of proteins are conserved during evolution. These conserved regions can ...

✩‧₊ Plaque Blotting Technique

Plaque Blotting Technique *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Introduction Plaque blotting is a molecular biology screening technique used to identify specific DNA or RNA sequences present in bacteriophage plaques formed on a bacterial lawn. It is especially useful in the screening of recombinant phage libraries such as λ (lambda) phage genomic or cDNA libraries. This technique combines: Plaque assay (to isolate individual phage clones) Blotting technique (to transfer nucleic acids onto a membrane) Hybridization (to detect specific sequences using labeled probes) Principle of Plaque Blotting The principle of plaque blotting is based on nucleic acid hybridization. Each plaque represents a clone of phage particles containing identical DNA. DNA from phage particles in plaques is: Released Denatured into single strands Transferred onto a nitrocellulose or nylon membrane The membrane is incubated with a labeled DNA/RNA probe complementary to the target sequence. Hybridization between probe and t...

Callus Culture and Regeneration of Plants

Callus Culture and Regeneration of Plants Introduction Callus culture is an in vitro plant tissue culture technique in which an unorganized mass of proliferating cells (callus) is induced from explants such as leaf, stem, root, or meristem under aseptic and controlled conditions. These callus cells retain totipotency, enabling regeneration of complete plants under suitable hormonal and nutritional conditions. Callus culture forms the foundation of plant biotechnology, playing a crucial role in micropropagation, genetic transformation, somaclonal variation, and secondary metabolite production. Definition Callus is a mass of undifferentiated parenchymatous cells produced by continuous cell division of explant tissues when cultured on a nutrient medium supplemented with plant growth regulators. Principle of Callus Culture Based on the concept of cellular totipotency. Dedifferentiation of mature cells occurs due to the action of auxins and cytokinins. Redifferentiation and organ formation ...

Protein Structure Database (PDB)

Protein Structure Database (PDB) Introduction The Protein Structure Database (PDB) is the primary global repository for the three-dimensional (3D) structures of biological macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and protein–ligand complexes. These structures are determined experimentally using techniques like X-ray crystallography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM). PDB plays a vital role in understanding: Protein structure and function Molecular interactions Drug discovery and design Structural biology and bioinformatics History and Development Established in 1971 Founded by Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA) Initially contained only 7 protein structures Now maintained by the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) Members of wwPDB RCSB PDB (USA) PDBe (Europe) PDBj (Japan) BMRB (Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank) Objectives of PDB To collect, store, and distribute 3D structural data of biomolecules To provide free and ope...

Information retrieval from databases - search concepts, Tools for searching, homology searching, finding Domain and Functional site homologies

Information retrieval from databases - search concepts, Tools for searching, homology searching, finding Domain and Functional site homologies Information Retrieval from Databases 1. Introduction Information retrieval in bioinformatics refers to the process of extracting relevant biological data (DNA, RNA, protein sequences, structures, or functional information) from databases. Aim : Identify sequences, functions, or structural features for analysis, comparison, and annotation. Databases can be primary (raw sequence data) or secondary/derived (annotated, processed data). 2. Search Concepts in Biological Databases 2.1 Types of Searches Exact Match Search Returns results only if the query exactly matches database entries. Useful for known accession numbers or IDs. Pattern/Keyword Search Searches based on specific motifs, keywords, or annotations. Example: “kinase domain,” “signal peptide.” Similarity/Homology Search Detects sequences similar to the query based on sequence alignment. Use...

❃LC-MS (LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY – MASS SPECTROMETRY)

LC-MS (LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY – MASS SPECTROMETRY) ┏━━━━━ •❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━━━•━━━┓ 1. INTRODUCTION LC-MS is a hyphenated analytical technique combining Liquid Chromatography (LC) and Mass Spectrometry (MS). It is used for separation, identification, and quantification of compounds in complex mixtures. LC separates analytes based on polarity, size, or charge, while MS detects molecules based on mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Developed in the 1970s–1980s, LC-MS is now widely used in pharmaceutical, clinical, environmental, and food analysis. Importance : Detects trace levels of compounds (ng–pg range) Analyzes non-volatile, thermally labile compounds that cannot be analyzed by GC-MS Provides structural information through mass fragmentation Example: Detection of drugs in plasma, protein identification in proteomics, pesticide residue analysis in food. 2. COMPONENTS OF LC-MS The LC-MS system has three main parts: A. Liquid Chromatograph (LC) Function: Separates components of a mixture befor...

Notethepoint 43official Previous Question Paper Updates2.0

Search This Blog