100 Mcqs Botany General Science Questions With Answers For Competitive Exams

PHPWord

Here are 100 important multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on Botany, covering topics frequently asked in competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Railway, Banking, and State PCS.

1-25: Plant Morphology & Anatomy

Which part of the plant conducts photosynthesis?

a) Root

b) Stem

c) Leaf

d) Flower

Ans

c) Leaf

Xylem in plants is responsible for the transport of:

a) Food

b) Water

c) Oxygen

d) Hormones

Ans

b) Water

Which plant tissue is responsible for transporting food?

a) Xylem

b) Phloem

c) Epidermis

d) Cambium

Ans

b) Phloem

Which type of root is found in monocot plants?

a) Taproot

b) Fibrous root

c) Adventitious root

d) Prop root

Ans

b) Fibrous root

Which pigment gives plants their green

color

a) Carotene

b) Xanthophyll

c) Chlorophyll

d) Anthocyanin

Ans

c) Chlorophyll

Which part of the plant is modified into a tendril in peas?

a) Leaf

b) Stem

c) Root

d) Flower

Ans

a) Leaf

What is the outermost layer of a plant cell?

a) Cell membrane

b) Cell wall

c) Epidermis

d) Nucleus

Ans

b) Cell wall

Which tissue in plants provides mechanical support?

a) Xylem

b) Phloem

c) Collenchyma

d) Parenchyma

Ans

c) Collenchyma

Which gas is released during photosynthesis?

a) Carbon dioxide

b) Oxygen

c) Nitrogen

d) Hydrogen

Ans

b) Oxygen

Which part of a flower turns into a fruit?

a) Petal

b) Sepal

c) Ovary

d) Anther

Ans

c) Ovary

The edible part of an apple is formed from:

a) Ovary

b) Sepals

c) Thalamus

d) Petals

Ans

c) Thalamus

Which hormone is responsible for the ripening of fruits?

a) Auxin

b) Gibberellin

Cytokinin

d) Ethylene

Ans

d) Ethylene

Stomata are found in the:

a) Stem

b) Leaf

c) Root

d) Flower

Ans

b) Leaf

Leguminous plants help in nitrogen fixation due to the presence of:

a) Cyanobacteria

b) Rhizobium bacteria

c) Fungi

d) Virus

Ans

b) Rhizobium bacteria

Which plant is known as the “King of Spices”?

a) Pepper

b) Clove

c) Cardamom

d) Saffron

Ans

a) Pepper

Which tissue is responsible for secondary growth in plants?

a) Phloem

b) Cambium

c) Xylem

d) Collenchyma

Ans

b) Cambium

Which type of vascular bundle is found in dicots?

a) Open

b) Closed

c) Radial

d) Concentric

Ans

a) Open

Which hormone is known as a growth inhibitor in plants?

a) Auxin

b) Gibberellin

Cytokinin

Abscisic

acid

Ans

Abscisic

acid

Which plant part is used to prepare cork?

a) Xylem

b) Phloem

c) Cambium

Phellem

Ans

Phellem

Which plant is used for green manure?

a) Wheat

b) Sunflower

Sesbania

d) Mustard

Ans

Sesbania

Which part of the plant stores food in a potato?

a) Root

b) Stem

c) Leaf

d) Flower

Ans

b) Stem

The edible part of a coconut is:

a) Endosperm

b) Seed coat

c) Cotyledon

d) Pericarp

Ans

a) Endosperm

A plant that can survive in dry conditions is called a:

a) Xerophyte

b) Hydrophyte

Mesophyte

d) Bryophyte

Ans

a) Xerophyte

What is the botanical name of wheat?

Oryza

sativa

Zea

mays

Triticum

aestivum

Hordeum

vulgare

Ans

Triticum

aestivum

Which of the following is a non-vascular plant?

a) Fern

b) Moss

c) Pine

d) Sunflower

Ans

b) Moss

26-50: Plant Physiology

26. The process by which plants make their own food is called:

a) Respiration

b) Photosynthesis

c) Transpiration

d) Fermentation

Ans: b) Photosynthesis

27. The first stable product of the Calvin cycle is:

a) Pyruvic acid

b) Phosphoglyceric acid (PGA)

c) Oxaloacetic acid

d) Malic acid

Ans: b) Phosphoglyceric acid (PGA)

28. The enzyme responsible for carbon fixation in photosynthesis is:

a) Pepsin

b) Rubisco

c) Trypsin

d) Lipase

Ans: b) Rubisco

29. Which plant hormone is responsible for seed dormancy?

a) Auxin

b) Cytokinin

c) Abscisic acid

d) Ethylene

Ans: c) Abscisic acid

30. The main function of stomata is to:

a) Absorb water

b) Conduct photosynthesis

c) Exchange gases

d) Transport nutrients

Ans: c) Exchange gases

31. The loss of water in the form of vapor from leaves is called:

a) Respiration

b) Transpiration

c) Photosynthesis

d) Guttation

Ans: b) Transpiration

32. Leguminous plants increase soil fertility through:

a) Phosphorus absorption

b) Water retention

c) Nitrogen fixation

d) Salt accumulation

Ans: c) Nitrogen fixation

33. The movement of water through a plant from roots to leaves is called:

a) Translocation

b) Transpiration

c) Capillary action

d) Cohesion-tension theory

Ans: d) Cohesion-tension theory

34. The major site of protein synthesis in a plant cell is:

a) Golgi body

b) Ribosome

c) Mitochondria

d) Chloroplast

Ans: b) Ribosome

35. Which part of the plant is responsible for photosynthesis?

a) Xylem

b) Phloem

c) Mesophyll cells

d) Root hair

Ans: c) Mesophyll cells

36. Gibberellins are mainly responsible for:

a) Root growth

b) Flower development

c) Stem elongation

d) Fruit ripening

Ans: c) Stem elongation

37. The main function of mitochondria in a plant cell is:

a) Photosynthesis

b) Respiration

c) Water transport

d) Protein synthesis

Ans: b) Respiration

38. The energy currency of a cell is:

a) DNA

b) ATP

c) RNA

d) ADP

Ans: b) ATP

39. A process where plants use oxygen and release carbon dioxide is called:

a) Photosynthesis

b) Transpiration

c) Respiration

d) Germination

Ans: c) Respiration

40. Which gas is necessary for photosynthesis?

a) Oxygen

b) Nitrogen

c) Carbon dioxide

d) Hydrogen

Ans: c) Carbon dioxide

41. The first stable compound formed in C4 plants is:

a) Pyruvic acid

b) Oxaloacetic acid

c) PGA

d) Lactic acid

Ans: b) Oxaloacetic acid

42. Vernalization is related to:

a) Flowering at low temperature

b) Root growth

c) Seed germination

d) Leaf formation

Ans: a) Flowering at low temperature

43. The deficiency of which element causes chlorosis in plants?

a) Iron

b) Calcium

c) Sulfur

d) Potassium

Ans: a) Iron

44. Nodules in leguminous plants contain:

a) Virus

b) Bacteria

c) Fungi

d) Algae

Ans: b) Bacteria

45. Which mineral is essential for photosynthesis?

a) Calcium

b) Magnesium

c) Phosphorus

d) Iron

Ans: b) Magnesium

46. Which plant hormone promotes root growth?

a) Auxin

b) Gibberellin

c) Cytokinin

d) Abscisic acid

Ans: a) Auxin

47. The closing and opening of stomata are controlled by:

a) Mesophyll cells

b) Guard cells

c) Phloem cells

d) Cambium cells

Ans: b) Guard cells

48. Which element is required in large quantities for plant growth?

a) Zinc

b) Nitrogen

c) Copper

d) Boron

Ans: b) Nitrogen

49. Which gas is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis?

a) Oxygen

b) Carbon dioxide

c) Nitrogen

d) Hydrogen

Ans: b) Carbon dioxide

50. Plants with weak stems that climb with the help of tendrils are called:

a) Shrubs

b) Climbers

c) Creepers

d) Herbs

Ans: b) Climbers

Here are the remaining 51-100 MCQs on Botany, covering Genetics, Economic Botany, and Ecology for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Railway, Banking, and State PCS.

51-75: Plant Genetics & Evolution

The study of heredity and variation is called:

a) Botany

b) Taxonomy

c) Genetics

d) Ecology

Ans

c) Genetics

Who is known as the father of genetics?

a) Charles Darwin

b) Gregor Mendel

c) Robert Hooke

d) Aristotle

Ans

b) Gregor Mendel

Mendel conducted his experiments on which plant?

a) Wheat

b) Rice

c) Pea

d) Sunflower

Ans

c) Pea

The genetic material in most plants is found in:

a) Cytoplasm

b) Ribosome

c) Nucleus

d) Golgi body

Ans

c) Nucleus

Which term is used for an organism that has two identical alleles for a trait?

a) Heterozygous

b) Homozygous

c) Hybrid

d) Mutant

Ans

b) Homozygous

The outward expression of genes is called:

a) Genotype

b) Phenotype

c) Chromosome

d) Mutation

Ans

b) Phenotype

Which type of mutation affects only a single nucleotide?

a) Point mutation

b) Frameshift mutation

c) Chromosomal mutation

d) Deletion mutation

Ans

a) Point mutation

Which plant was used for the discovery of DNA?

a) Pea

b) Tobacco

c) Maize

d) Bacteriophage-infected plants

Ans

d) Bacteriophage-infected plants

A cross between two plants differing in two traits is called:

a) Monohybrid cross

b) Dihybrid cross

Trihybrid

cross

d) Test cross

Ans

b) Dihybrid cross

Which of the following is an example of a polygenic trait?

a) Flower

color

b) Plant height

c) Seed shape

d) Leaf venation

Ans

b) Plant height

Which term describes the sudden change in genetic composition?

a) Adaptation

b) Evolution

c) Mutation

d) Variation

Ans

c) Mutation

The process of artificial selection was first applied by:

a) Gregor Mendel

b) Charles Darwin

c) Norman Borlaug

d) Aristotle

Ans

b) Charles Darwin

Golden rice is genetically modified to be rich in:

a) Vitamin A

b) Iron

c) Protein

d) Calcium

Ans

a) Vitamin A

Hybridization in plants is mainly done to:

a) Reduce pests

b) Increase yield

c) Change leaf

color

d) Reduce height

Ans

b) Increase yield

Which gas was absent in the primitive atmosphere of the Earth?

a) Oxygen

b) Nitrogen

c) Carbon dioxide

d) Hydrogen

Ans

a) Oxygen

Which scientist proposed the theory of natural selection?

a) Lamarck

b) Mendel

c) Darwin

d) Linnaeus

Ans

c) Darwin

Which plant hormone is responsible for seed dormancy?

Cytokinin

b) Auxin

Abscisic

acid

d) Ethylene

Ans

Abscisic

acid

The smallest unit of genetic material is:

a) Chromosome

b) Gene

c) Nucleotide

d) Codon

Ans

c) Nucleotide

DNA fingerprinting is used for:

a) Studying plant diseases

b) Identifying genetic relationships

c) Increasing crop yield

d) Improving photosynthesis

Ans

b) Identifying genetic relationships

Which plant part is used for vegetative propagation in sugarcane?

a) Root

b) Stem

c) Leaf

d) Flower

Ans

b) Stem

76-100: Economic Botany & Ecology

The Green Revolution in India was led by:

a) M.S.

Swaminathan

b) Norman Borlaug

c) Gregor Mendel

d) Charles Darwin

Ans

a) M.S.

Swaminathan

The richest source of protein among plants is:

a) Wheat

b) Rice

c) Soybean

d) Maize

Ans

c) Soybean

The plant used to make paper is:

a) Bamboo

b) Teak

c) Rosewood

Neem

Ans

a) Bamboo

Rubber is obtained from which plant?

Hevea

brasiliensis

Ficus

elastica

c) Papaver

somniferum

d) Cinchona

Ans

Hevea

brasiliensis

Turmeric is obtained from:

a) Leaves

b) Stem

c) Root

d) Rhizome

Ans

d) Rhizome

Tea is made from the leaves of:

a) Camellia

sinensis

Theobroma

cacao

Coffea

arabica

d) Cinchona

officinalis

Ans

a) Camellia

sinensis

Which crop is known as the "King of Cereals"?

a) Wheat

b) Rice

c) Maize

d) Barley

Ans

a) Wheat

The world’s largest seed is found in:

a) Mango

b) Coconut

c) Coco de

mer

d) Jackfruit

Ans

c) Coco de

mer

Which crop requires waterlogging conditions?

a) Rice

b) Wheat

c) Maize

d) Barley

Ans

a) Rice

The Amazon rainforest is also known as:

a) The Green Belt

b) Lungs of the Earth

c) The Carbon Sink

d) Rainforest Reservoir

Ans

b) Lungs of the Earth

Cactus is an example of which type of plant?

a) Xerophyte

b) Hydrophyte

Mesophyte

d) Epiphyte

Ans

a) Xerophyte

Which of the following is a medicinal plant?

a) Aloe

vera

b) Eucalyptus

Tulsi

d) All of the above

Ans

d) All of the above

Which element is essential for chlorophyll formation?

a) Magnesium

b) Zinc

c) Calcium

d) Iron

Ans

a) Magnesium

The term ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’ was coined by:

a) Norman Myers

b) Gregor Mendel

c) M.S.

Swaminathan

d) Charles Darwin

Ans

a) Norman Myers

Which plant part is used in making aspirin?

a) Bark

b) Leaves

c) Root

d) Flower

Ans

a) Bark