Paper VII- Plant Morphology, Development Anatomy and Reproductive Biology

Paper VII- Plant Morphology, Development Anatomy and Reproductive Biology

Unit-I

Introduction :  

• Unique features of plantdevelopment, 

• Differences between animal and plant development.

• Seed germination and seedling growth : Metabolism of nucleic acids,proteins and mobilization of food reserves,      
  
  
  • Tropisms,

• Hormonal control of seedling growth & gene expression, 

• use of mutants understanding seedlingdevelopment.

 Shoot development : 
Organization of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) cytological and molecular analysis of SAM, control of vision and cell to cell communication, control of tissue differentiaon, especially xylem and phloem, secretory ducts and laticifers, wood development in relation to environmental factors 

Unit-II

Leaf growth and differentiation: Determination, phyllotaxy control of teaf form, differentiation of epidermis (with special reference to stomata and trichomes) and mesophyll.

Root development: Organization of root apical meristem (RAM) cell fates and illineages vascular tissue differentiation lateral roots, root hairs, root microbe interactions, mutant in Arabidopsis and antirrhinum sex determination.

Unit-III

•  Male gametophyte: Structure of anthers,microsporogenesis, role tapetum, pollen development and gene expression, 

• malesterility,   
• sperm dimorphism and 
• hybrid seedProduction, 
• pollen germination pollen tube growth and guidance, pollen storage,pollen allergy, 
• pollen embryos 

• Femalegametophyte: Ovule development, megasporogenesis, organizaionof the embryo sac, structure of the embryo sac cells. 

• Pollination,pollen-pistil interaction and fertilization Floralcharecterstics, pollination mechanisms of  vectors, 

• breeding system Commercial considerations, 
• structure of the pistil,
• sporophytic and gametophytic self-incompatibility (cytological biochemical and molecular aspects), pollen-stigma attraction
• double fertilization in vitrofertilization. 

Unit-IV

• Seed developmet and fruit growth : Endosperm develop- during earlymaturation and desiccation stages, 

• embryogenesis ultrastructure and nuclear cytology, cell lineages during late embryo development, 
• storage proteins ofendosperm and embryo,
•  polyembryony, apomixis, embryo culture, 
• dynamics of fruitgrowth, biochemistry and molecular biology of fruit maturation 

• Latent life- dormancy:Importance and types of dormancy, 

• seed dormancy, overcoming seed dormancy, 

• buddormancy 

Senescence and programmed cell death (PCD): Basic concepts of cell death, PCD in the lifecycle of plants, metabolic changes, associated with senescence and its regulation, influence of hormones and environmental factors on senescence