Railway Science (Biology – Plant Kingdom)

Nutrition concerns the chemicals required by an organism for its growth, tissue maintenance and reproduction. Potassium influences plant growth and metabolism. It also contributes to the survival of plants exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses.
Calcium helps plants to tolerate environmental stressors like drought, heat, and disease. Magnesium plays an important role in phosphate metabolism, plant respiration, and the activation of enzyme systems.

All living organisms are made up of cells and show living characteristics by showing some visible movement such as Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity (ability to detect changes in the environment), Growth (All living things grow), Reproduction (ability to reproduce and pass genetic), Excretion (Getting rid of waste), and Nutrition (The intake and use of nutrients).

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that lack a nuclear membrane, are metabolically active and divide by binary fission. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are photosynthetic microscopic organisms that are technically bacteria. Example - Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Spirulina, Microcystis, Anabaena. Fungi - Participate in decomposition of organic matter and deliver nutrients for plant growth. Example - Yeasts, Molds, Mushrooms, Puff balls and Smuts.

Animals need more energy than plants as they eat complex food so more energy is needed to synthesise it whereas plants need simple food substances like water and carbon dioxide and in this less energy is needed for synthesis as compared to animals.

Ficus - It is commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree. It is the official tree of Bangkok. Family - Moraceae, Order- Rosales, KingdomPlantae. Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Lentils belong to the Fabaceae family. The peanuts (goober, pindar or monkey nut) is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. Pea is a leguminous plant.

Angiosperms: A seed is produced by flowering plants and is enclosed within an ovary. Gymnosperms: A seed is produced by non-flowering plants and is unenclosed or naked. Pteridophytes are vascular plants that reproduce using spores. Bryophytes are an informal division that consists of 3 groups of nonvascular plants, namely mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

In botany, succulent plants (succulents) are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. Hence, they are drought-resistant. Examples of succulent plants - Aloe Vera, Snake Plant, Jade Plant, etc.

Bryophytes - The taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants: the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. They characteristically prefer moist habitats. The 5 classifications in the plant kingdom are thallophyta, bryophyta, pteridophyta, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. Deodar - Gymnosperms. Marsilea - Pteridophyta. Cladophora - Algae.

Sarpagandha is used to treat Blood pressure, Asthma, Insomnia. It is taken from the root of Rauvolfia serpentina plant or Indian snakeroot (Ayurvedic). They grow widely in the sub-Himalayan moist forests in Sikkim and Assam. Jamun fruits (good source of iron) are useful in the troubles of the heart and liver. Tulsi (Antimicrobial, Mosquito repellent, Anti-diarrheal, Anti-oxidant) is used to treat heart disease and fever. Babool Bark is helpful in the treatment of cold symptoms.

Pigweed (Family: Amaranthaceae) are tall, erect to bushy plants, oval to diamond shaped, alternate leaves. They emerge, grow, flower, set seed, and die within the frost-free growing season.
Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) - flowering plant, edible, fleshy, herbaceous native to western Mountain and Coastal regions of North America. Clovers (Genus Trifolium) - Short lived herbs usually with three toothed leaflets.