NEET Plant Physiology: Photosynthesis, Respiration & Growth Guide
Plant Physiology is 10-12 questions in NEET Biology. Photosynthesis and respiration are the most detailed and highest-frequency topics. Here is a chapter-by-chapter guide to mastering plant biology for NEET.
Photosynthesis in Higher Plants (4-5 questions)
Light reactions: absorption by photosystems I and II (P700, P680), Z-scheme (non-cyclic photophosphorylation), cyclic photophosphorylation (only PS I, only ATP produced), photolysis of water, oxygen evolution. Dark reactions: Calvin cycle steps, RuBisCO enzyme, C3 vs C4 vs CAM plants (Kranz anatomy in C4).
Respiration in Plants (3-4 questions)
Glycolysis (cytoplasm, net 2 ATP), Krebs cycle (mitochondrial matrix, per glucose: 2 turns, produces 2 ATP, 6 NADH, 2 FADH₂, 4 CO₂), Electron Transport Chain (inner mitochondrial membrane, chemiosmosis, oxidative phosphorylation). Total ATP yield: 36-38 per glucose.
Transport in Plants (2-3 questions)
Apoplast vs symplast pathways. Osmosis, plasmolysis, turgor pressure, water potential equation (Ψ = Ψs + Ψp). Transpiration types (stomatal, cuticular, lenticular). Mineral absorption: passive vs active. Phloem loading and unloading (source-sink concept).
Plant Growth Regulators (2-3 questions)
Auxin: apical dominance, cell elongation, fruit development. Gibberellins: stem elongation, seed germination, bolting. Cytokinins: cell division, delay senescence (Richmond-Lang effect). Abscisic Acid: dormancy, stomatal closure (stress hormone). Ethylene: fruit ripening, triple response in pea seedlings.
Mineral Nutrition (1-2 questions)
Essential macronutrients and micronutrients (and their deficiency symptoms). Nitrogen fixation: biological (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Nostoc), abiological. Nitrification, denitrification, ammonification. NEET question type: match mineral to deficiency symptom or to function in plant metabolism.
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