Scientifc Names | General Awareness for SSC CGL PDF Download

Biology plays a crucial role in helping us understand the natural world and the physical structure of our bodies. It forms the foundation of medical science and technology by explaining the mechanisms underlying both plants and animals. Additionally, biotechnology offers innovative solutions to a wide range of human challenges.

Economically Important Higher Plants

A. Food Yielding Plants

(a) Cereals

1. Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

   • Part Used: Caryopsis (a one-seeded fruit)
   • Uses: Flour for bread and chapatis, suji, and maida.

2. Rice (Oryza sativa)

   • Part Used: Caryopsis (a one-seeded fruit)
   • Uses: Staple food for 70% of the world's population, straw used for paper and mats.

3. Maize (Zea mays)

   • Part Used: Caryopsis (a one-seeded fruit)
   • Uses: Food, fodder, starch production, alcoholic beverages, biodiesel production. Zeatin, a cytokinin, is obtained from grains in the milk stage.

(b) Millets

1. Bajra (Pearl millet) (Pennisetum typhoideum)

   • Part Used: Small-sized grain
   • Uses: Grows in drought-prone, low soil fertility, high temperature areas. Food for the poor.

2. Jowar (Great millet) (Sorghum vulgare)

   • Part Used: Small-sized grain
   • Uses: Food for the poor and cattle.

3. Ragi (Finger millet) (Eleusine coracana)

   • Part Used: Small-sized grain
   • Uses: Flour for cakes and pudding.

(c) Legumes

1. Matar (Garden pea) (Pisum sativum)

   • Part Used: Ovule or seed
   • Uses: Eaten green, canned, or as a vegetable.

2. Chana (Bengal gram) (Cicer arietinum)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Besan, bread, cattle feed.

3. Arhar (Red gram or pigeonpea) (Cajanus cajan)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Dal, green manure, cattle feed.

4. Mung (Green gram) (Phaseolus aureus)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Dal, cattle feed.

5. Urad (Black gram) (Phaseolus mungo)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Dal, cattle feed.

6. Soyabean (Glycine max)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Eaten roasted, used as milk.

7. Mungphali (Groundnut or Peanut) (Arachis hypogea)

   • Part Used: Seed in (Lomentum, underground)
   • Uses: Grows in arid or semi-arid areas, rich in proteins, eaten roasted, used as vegetable ghee.

8. Lobia (Cow Pea) (Vigna sinensis)

   • Part Used: Young pods and seeds
   • Uses: Vegetable.

9. Masur (Lentil) (Lens culinaris)

   • Part Used: Seeds
   • Uses: Dal.

10. Guar (Cluster Bean) (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba)

    • Part Used: Seeds
    • Uses: Vegetable, various industrial applications, food, medicines, gum production used in shale gas extraction.

(d) Nuts

1. Almonds (Badam) (Prunus amygdalus)

   • Part Used: Seeds
   • Uses: Preparation of various dishes.

2. Green almond (Pista) (Pistacia vera)

   • Part Used: Seeds
   • Uses: Flavoring in ice creams, candy, and sweets.

3. Cashew nut (Kaju) (Anacardium occidentale)

   • Part Used: Kernels
   • Uses: Sugared or salted, used in confectionary.

4. English walnut (Akhrot) (Juglans regia)

   • Part Used: Kernels
   • Uses: Eaten raw, used in candy and ice creams.

B. Sugar Yielding Plants

1. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)

   • Part Used: Stem
   • Uses: Sugar, molasses, cardboard, paper, bagasse for energy production, molasses for ethanol and fertilizer.

2. Chukander (Beet sugar) (Beta vulgaris)

   • Part Used: Root
   • Uses: Paper, sugar, salad.

C. Fibre Yielding Plants

1. Kapas (Cotton) (Gossypium sp.)

   • Part Used: Fruit capsule containing seed with epidermal fibres
   • Uses: Cloth, cotton seed, oil cake, vegetable ghee.

2. Alsi (Flax) (Linum usitatissimum)

   • Part Used: Pericycle fibre
   • Uses: Bags, ropes, carpets, paper.

3. Jute (Corchorus capsularis, C. olitorius)

   • Part Used: Pericycle fibre
   • Uses: Bags, ropes.

4. Sunn hemp (Sunn) (Crotalaria juncea)

   • Part Used: Fibres from region outside cambium
   • Uses: Canvass, ropes, net.

5. Nariyal (Coir) (Cocos nucifera)

   • Part Used: Fibrous mesocarp
   • Uses: Coir rope, mats, carpets.

6. Bhang (Hemp) (Cannabis sativa)

   • Part Used: Fibres from bark
   • Uses: Brush ropes, carpets, sail-cloth, sacs, bags, cordage.

7. Munj (Saccharum munja)

   • Part Used: Lower portion of stem, upper portion of stem and leaves
   • Uses: Making chairs, tables, baskets, screen, cordage.

D. Medicinal Plants

1. Sarpgandha (Rauwolfia serpentina)

   • Part Used: Root
   • Uses: Blood pressure, snake bite, mental disorders.

2. Opium (Afeem) (Papaver somniferum)

   • Part Used: Latex from unripe fruit (capsule)
   • Uses: Narcotic, sedative, pain relief.

3. Quinine (Cinchona officinalis)

   • Part Used: Bark
   • Uses: Malaria.

4. Belladona (Atropa belladona)

   • Part Used: Dried leaves and roots
   • Uses: Narcotic, diuretic, antispasmodic, CNS stimulant, pain relief.

5. Datura (Datura stramonium)

   • Part Used: Fruit juice
   • Uses: Removing dandruff, bronchial ailments.

6. Amla (Emblica officinalis)

   • Part Used: Fruit
   • Uses: Diuretic, laxative, haemorrhage, diarrhea, dysentery.

7. Kuchla (Strychnos nux-vomica)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Paralysis, mental disorders.

8. Isapgol (Plantago ovata)

   • Part Used: Seed husk
   • Uses: Constipation, peptic ulcers.

9. Liquorice (Mulhati) (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

   • Part Used: Roots
   • Uses: Cough, bronchitis.

10. Santonin (Artemisia cina)

    • Part Used: Flowers
    • Uses: Anthelmintic, anti-malarial, contains various steroids.

11. Yam (Dioscorea sp.)

    • Part Used: Tubers
    • Uses: Drugs, some used in birth control pills.

12. Digitalis (Digitalis purpurea)

    • Part Used: Leaves
    • Uses: Cardiac stimulant, toxic.

13. Sada bahar (Catharanthus roseus)

    • Part Used: Leaves
    • Uses: Treatment of leukemia, other cancers.

E. Timber Yielding Plants

1. Sisham (Dalbergia sisso)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Carved door panels, wooden statues.

2. Rosewood (D. latifolia)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Furniture, houses.

3. Teak (Sagaun) (Tectona grandis)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Furniture.

4. Sal (Shorea robusta)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Door frames, beams, railway sleepers.

5. Mulberry (Morus alba)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Sports goods, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, cricket stumps.

6. Walnut (Akhrot) (Juglans regia)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Musical instruments, rifle butts.

7. White willow (Salix alba)

   • Part Used: Wood
   • Uses: Cricket bats.

F. Oils

(a) Edible oils

1. Mungphali (Groundnut or Peanut) (Arachis hypogaea)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Edible oil, roasted seeds, oil cake for cattle feed and manure.

2. Rape and Mustard (Brassica napus, B. campestris)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Cooking oil, oil cake as manure and cattle feed.

3. Til (Sesame) (Sesamum indicum)

   • Part Used: Seeds
   • Uses: Cooking oil, hair oil, medicine.

4. Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

   • Part Used: Seeds
   • Uses: Cooking oil, hair oil, soaps, coir from husk.

5. Cotton seed (Gossypium sp.)

   • Part Used: Seed
   • Uses: Ghee, animal fodder.

(b) Non-edible oils

1. Castor (Ricinus communis)

   • Uses: Industrial uses, medicine.

2. Neem (Azadirachta indica)

   • Uses: Pesticide, pharmaceutical industry, biofuel production, hospital detergents.

G. Fruits

1. Mango (Mangifera indica)

   • Uses: Raw fruit for pickle, ripe fruit eaten, wood as timber.

2. Banana (Musa sapientum)

   • Uses: Ripe fruit eaten, raw fruit as vegetable, leaves as disposable plates.

3. Apple (Pyrus malus)

   • Uses: Ripe fruit eaten fresh, pulp for jams.

4. Grapes (Vitis vinifera)

   • Uses: Eaten as fruit.

5. Citrus (Citrus spp.)

   • Uses: Eaten fresh, as pickle.

6. Guava (Psidium guajava)

   • Uses: Jellies, rich in acid, sugar, pectin, vitamin A, B, C.

H. Vegetables

1. Brinjal (Egg plant) (Solanum melongena)

   • Uses: Cooked fruit or fried.

2. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

   • Uses: Raw or cooked fruit.

3. Okra (Bhindi) (Abelmoschus esculentus or Hibiscus esculentus)

   • Uses: Boiled fruits edible.

4. Onion (Allium cepa)

   • Uses: Fleshy leaves eaten raw, boiled, or pickled.