Botany

What kind of threats to biodiversity may lead to its loss?
Ans: Threats to biodiversity that can result in its extinction include habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, climate change, over-exploitation, and environmental changes brought on by humans.
1. Habitat Loss: Human activities like urbanisation, deforestation, and agricultural development are serious threats to biodiversity because they destroy and fragment ecosystems.
2. Climate Change: Climate change is affecting species’ life cycles, producing a shift in their ranges, and altering their abundance and distribution.
3. Pollution: Pollution, such as that in the air, water, and ground, can harm or destroy habitats and result in the extinction of species.
4. Invasive Species: These non-native species have the potential to outcompete native species for resources, reducing biodiversity.
5. Overharvesting: Taking too many species for commercial purposes might result in population decreases and put species in jeopardy.

(i) Hydrophilly: Pollination by water is known as hydrophily. The female reproductive organs of plants receive pollen that has been distributed by the water. Water pollination occurs frequently in a wide range of different plant species as well as in aquatic plants like water lilies.
(ii) Entomophilly: Pollination by insects is referred to as entomophily. Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects, move pollen from one flower to another so that plants can reproduce successfully.
(iii) Anemophilly: The process of pollination by the wind is known as anemophilly. Pollen is distributed in the air and transported to plants’ female reproductive systems. Grass and other wind-pollinated plants frequently undergo this kind of pollination.

Characteristics of the genetic code
1. There are triplets of nucleotides in the genetic code. It is non-overlapping in the genetic code.
2. Commas are absent from the genetic code.
3. Degenerate genetic code.
4. Order exists in the genetic code. (5’ to 3’)
5. Codons called start and stop can be found in the genetic code.
6. An almost universal genetic code exists.