CMR NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

CBSE BOARD PRACTICALS GRADE XII 2023-24

SUBJECT – BIOLOGY

Total Marks: 30 Time: 3 hours

General Instructions
• Answer all the questions.
• All work including rough work should be done on the same sheet.
• Show the slides prepared after focusing it under the microscope to the examiner.
• Draw a neat, labelled diagram wherever necessary.

Q. No. Marks

1. Major Experiment- Isolate DNA from given plant material (banana). 5marks
a. Write the procedure and record your observation in the answer sheet.
(4marks)
b. Mention two precautions to be followed. (1mark)
Show the test tube to the examiner.

2. Minor Experiment- Study the plant population given by using quadrat 4Marks
method. Note down the following:
a. Observation table (2marks)
b. Calculate the population density and frequency. (2marks)

3. Slide Preparation 5Marks

a. Prepare a temporary mount to observe pollen germination. Write the
principle (1marks), procedure (2marks), diagram (1mark) and
observation (1mark) for the experiment:
OR
b. Prepare a temporary acetocarmine stained mount of onion root tip to
study various stages of mitosis. Write the principle (1mark), procedure
(2marks), observation (1mark) and draw (1mark) only the stage
observed under the microscope.
Show the slide to the examiner.
4. Spotting (1mark each) 7Marks
A. Mention the floral adaptions for pollination by the given agent.
B. What is the artificial hybridisation technique used in the given
flashcard. Comment 2 points to support your answer.
C. Identify and comment on stages of gamete development.
D. Study the prepared pedigree chart for colour blindness and explain
its inheritance.
E. Identify the disease-causing agent and mention the specific
symptoms of the disease.
F. Identify the given population interaction and define it.
G. Identify and define the flashcard model given as homologous or
analogous organs.

5. Practical Record + Viva Voce 4Marks

6. Investigatory Project + Viva Voce 5marks

 ANSWER KEY
1. Major Experiment- Isolate DNA from given plant material (banana).
a. Write the procedure and record your observation in the answer sheet. (4marks)
b. Mention two precautions to be followed. (1mark)

PROCEDURE:
1. Take ½ banana and few drops of water and completely pulverized it using a mortar and
pestle. Filter the slurry into a beaker using a strainer and filter paper.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of soap with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of distilled water in a
beaker. Stir gently to avoid creating a foam until the salt dissolves. This is the buffer
solution.
3. Now add 2 drops of the banana extract and 3ml of buffer solution to the test tube and
shake it gently.
4. Add chilled ethanol using a dropper along the sides of the test tube. Place the test tube
with the alcohol and filtrate in a beaker or test tube holder. Let it sit undisturbed for about
four minutes.
5. The white material coming out of the solution as a precipitate is DNA.
6. Dip a glass rod into the test tube, slowly rotating it to spool out the banana DNA.

OBSERVATION: DNA appears as a white precipitate of very fine threads.

PRECAUTIONS:

• The salt solution acts as a buffer to maintain a constant pH and binds up the positive
ions to prevent enzymes (DNAses) from chewing up the DNA.
• The salt shields the negative phosphates of the DNA which allows these ends to come
closer so that they can precipitate out of a cold alcohol solution.
• A detergent is added which causes the cell membrane to break down by emulsifying
the lipids and proteins which allows the cell membrane to break apart.
 2. Minor Experiment- Study the plant population given by using quadrat method. Note
down the following: a. Observation table (2marks) b. Calculate the population density and
frequency. (2marks)

OBSERVATION AND RESULT:

Sl. Plant No. of individuals per Total no. of Total no. Total no. Population Frequency
No. species quadrat individuals in of quadrats of density percentage
all the in which quadrats N/B A/B X
I II III IV V quadrats species studied 100
studied (N) occurred (B)
(A)

1. A

2. B

3. C

4. D

5. E

CALCULATION:

Population Density = Total No. of individuals in all the quadrats studied

Total No. of quadrats studied

Population frequency = Total no. of quadrats in which species occurred X 100

Total No. of quadrats studied
3. Slide Preparation

a. Prepare a temporary mount to observe pollen germination. Write the principle (1marks),
procedure (2marks), diagram (1mark) and observation (1mark) for the experiment:

PRINCIPLE: Pollen grains or microspore is the male gametophyte. The pollen grains are shed
at 2 celled stage- containing a small generative cell and a large tube or vegetative cell. It
germinates and form pollen tubes after they get deposited by the process of pollination on
compatible stigma. On the stigma the pollen grain absorbs water and nutrients from the
stigmatic secretion through its germ pore. The tube cell gives rise to a pollen tube which
emerges through one of the germ pores and passes through tissues of stigma and style to reach
the ovule. The generative cell also descends into the pollen tube and brings about fertilization.

PROCEDURE:
1. Germination medium or nutrient solution is prepared by dissolving 10g sucrose, 30mg
calcium nitrate and 10mg boric acid in 100ml of distilled water. Alternatively, 10% sucrose
solution can also be used.
2. Dust a few pollen grains from the stamen of the freshly plucked flower on clean slide. Add
a few drops of the germination medium on the pollen grains and put a coverslip.
3. After 10 minutes, observe the slide under microscope.
OBSERVATION:
1. The pollen tube germinates through one of the germ pores.
2. The tube nucleus descends to the tip of the pollen tube.
The generative cell is also visible which soon divides into two male gametes
b. Prepare a temporary acetocarmine stained mount of onion root tip to study various stages of
mitosis. Write the principle (1mark), procedure (2marks), observation (1mark) and draw
(1mark) only the stage observed under the microscope.

PRINCIPLE: Somatic growth in plants and animals takes place by the increase in the number
of cells. A cell divides mitotically to form two daughter cells wherein the number of
chromosomes remains the same (i.e., unchanged) as in the mother cell. In plants, such divisions
rapidly take place in meristematic tissues of root and shoot apices, where the stages of mitosis
can be easily observed. In animals, mitotically dividing cells can be easily viewed in the bone
marrow tissue of vertebrate, epithelial cells from gills in fishes and the tail growing tadpole
larvae of the frog.

PROCEDURE:
1. Cut 5 mm of the tips of roots of onion bulb and put them into a mixture of 1:3 acetic acid
and methanol. Keep for 1 hour. This process is called fixation.
2. Remove 3 root tips and hydrolyse them by warming to 60℃ in 1N hydrochloric acid.
3. Place a drop of acetocarmine on a slide. Put one hydrolysed root tip in a drop and place a
coverslip on the root.
4. Gently squash the root by tapping the coverslip with the blunt end of a pencil/needle until
the cells separate and spread out into a very thin layer. Make sure that there are no air bubbles
under the coverslip.
5. Gently warm the slides over a flame for a few seconds.
6. Examine the different stages of mitosis under the microscope.

OBSERVATION: The stages of mitosis can be broadly classified into two parts: karyokinesis
(division of the nucleus) followed by cytokinesis (division of the cytoplasm, and ultimately of
the cell). Those cells, which are not in the phases of cell division are considered to be in
interphase.