Course Contents

a) Viruses 1. General features of viruses, viral architecture, classification, dissemination and replication of single and double – stranded DNA/RNA viruses. 2. Plant viral taxonomy 3. Virus biology and virus transmission 4. Molecular biology of plant virus transmission 5. Symptomatology of virus-infected plants: (External and Internal symptoms). 6. Metabolism of virus-infected plants 7. Resistance to viral infection 8. Methods in molecular virology b) Bacteria 1. History, characteristics and classification. 2. Evolutionary tendencies in Monera (Bacteria, actinomycetes and cyanobacteria) 3. Morphology, genetic recombination, locomotion and reproduction in bacteria 4. Bacterial metabolism (respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation) 5. Importance of bacteria with special reference to application in various modern sciences specially agriculture, biotechnology and genetic engineering. Practicals a) Viruses Observation of symptoms of some viral infected plant specimens. b) Bacteria, Actinomycetes and Cyanobacteria 1. Methods of sterilization of glassware and media etc. 2. Preparation of nutrient medium and inoculation. 3. Preparation of nutrient agar plates and inoculation by pour plate method. 4. Preparation of slides for the study of various forms, capsule/slime layer, spores and Gram-staining. 5. Growth of bacteria, sub culturing and identification of bacteria on morphological and biochemical basis (using available techniques). 6. Microscopic study of representative genera of Actinomycetes and Cyanobacteria from fresh collections and prepared slides.