MCQ: Getting to know Plants - UPSC MCQ

Explanation:

• Herbs: These are small, non-woody plants with a soft stem. They typically have a single stem and do not usually have branches at the base. Examples include basil, mint, and coriander.

• Shrubs: These are medium-sized plants with multiple woody stems that usually start branching out from the base or near the ground. Shrubs are bushy and shorter than trees. Examples include rose, hibiscus, and bougainvillea.

• Creepers: These are plants with very weak stems that grow along the ground or other surfaces. They don't usually have branches at the base, but they spread out horizontally. Examples include pumpkin, watermelon, and ivy.

• Trees: These are tall, woody plants with a single main trunk and branches that usually grow higher up from the ground. They typically do not have branches at the base. Examples include oak, pine, and mango.

Shrubs are the correct answer because they are characterized by having branches that grow from the base, giving them a bushy appearance.

The correct option is C.
Tomato, wheat, paddy, grass and bananas are a few examples of herbs.

There are some plants with weak stems that cannot stand upright and spread on the ground. These are called creepers, while those that take support on neighbouring structures and climb up are called climbers. These are different from the herbs, shrubs and trees.

Root usually grows under the ground while shoot usually grows above the ground. The shoot has different parts called the stem, leaves, flowers and fruits. The stem is the stalk of the plant.

The plant parts like root, stem, and leaves are called vegetative parts because they have the power of growing asexually without getting involved in the process of reproduction. These do not contain any germ cells (sexually reproducing cells) but still are capable of giving rise to young plants by vegetative propagation. New shoot and root germinate from nodes and adventitious buds. Plants raised by vegetative propagation can bear flowers and fruits earlier than those produced from seeds.

• Flowers: They hold the plant's baby-making parts and aid in pollination, where pollen reaches the eggs for fertilization.
• Fruits: They come from a flower's ripe ovary, housing seeds. Fruits help seeds spread for new plant growth.
• Seeds: These are baby plants' beginnings with all the genetic details for future growth. They often travel with the help of wind, animals, or water.
• In contrast, roots, stems, and leaves are about plant support, growth, and food-making through photosynthesis.

Roots prevents Soil Erosion. 

Tree roots begin as thick stems that branch into fine filaments to create a network of flexible tendrils that help stabilize the soil around the tree and hold it in place. 

Plants with green and tender stems are called herbs. They are usually short and may not have many branches.

Whorls of a flower are circular sections of a flower with a common centre. When a flower is seen from the top its whorls can easily be distinguished. A flower is made up of four whorls:

1) The outermost whorl is known as the Calyx and comprises of the sepals.
2) The second whorl comprises of the petals and is known as the Corolla.
3)The Stamens and Carpels constitute the inner whorls that contain the reproductive organs of a flower.

When a flower has all the sets of whorls, it is described as complete flower. 

Apical dominance in plants is the main stem of the plant, spurting with growth from its bud, due to the growth hormone called auxin.

- Absorbing water and minerals from the soil (A): Roots take in water and essential nutrients from the soil, crucial for plant growth and photosynthesis.

- Holding the plant firmly in the soil (B): Roots anchor the plant, providing stability against wind and erosion.

- Preparing food for the plant (C): This is not a root function. Leaves perform photosynthesis to prepare food.

- Storing food for future use (D): Some roots, like carrots, store nutrients for the plant.

Thus, the correct answer is C.

Trunk: Strongest part of the tree providing the support for the rest of the tree.

The part of a leaf by which it is attached to the stem is called petiole.

During photosynthesis, chlorophyll containing cells of leaves in the presence of sunlight, use carbon dioxide and water to synthesise carbohydrates in the form of glucose and stores the synthesized food as starch.

- The ovary is a part of the pistil in a flower.
- The pistil is the female reproductive part of a flower and consists of three main parts: the stigma, style, and ovary.
- The ovary is located at the base of the pistil.
- It contains ovules, which develop into seeds after fertilization.
- The stamen is the male reproductive part and includes the anther and filament.
- Therefore, the correct answer is C: Pistil.