Laboratory Rules and Safety Quiz

Pharmacognosy is the study of medicinal drugs originating from biological sources, covering aspects like identification, preparation, content, trade, storage, usage, and control.

The Pharmacognosy-1 lab involves practical work divided into two main parts: microscopic examination of drugs and phytochemical analysis.

A light microscope is a tool for examining small structures like plant tissues and cells. It's primarily composed of mechanical and optical components.

The mechanical parts provide the structural foundation and support, while the optical parts focus and magnify the image.

The magnification power of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the magnification of the ocular (eyepiece) lens by the magnification of the objective lens.

When using a microscope, ensure a stable surface, keep it away from the edge, remove clutter, and avoid crushing cables.

Starch is a carbohydrate composed of numerous glucose units linked by glycosidic bonds, serving as a reserve energy source for plants.

Starch is produced in leaves through photosynthesis as 'assimilation starch' and stored in various plant parts as 'reserve starch' to balance osmotic pressure.

Starch is a tasteless and odourless powder that is partially soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol, used in food for thickening and in pharmacy as a filler.

Starch is stored as a reserve within leucoplasts in plant tissues like bark, root, rhizome, tuber, and seed.

The hilum is the starting point of starch formation in a starch grain, appearing as a point, and the layers around it are called starch circles.

Starch grains can either have a central hilum (centric) or a hilum at the edge (eccentric).

Simple starch consists of a single starch granule within a leucoplast, while compound starch has multiple hilums and granules.

The epidermis is a protective tissue covering the outer surface of plants, usually single-layered but occasionally multi-layered.

Parenchyma is a living tissue composed of thin-walled cells involved in various functions like photosynthesis, respiration, secretion, ventilation, and storage.

Cork tissue is a protective, non-living tissue formed in the outer bark, with dark-colored, deepened cell walls and varying thickness.

Sclerenchyma is a supportive tissue with thick secondary walls containing lignin, providing mechanical resistance to bending and twisting.

Stone cells are cells with thickened walls due to lignin accumulation, known for their rigidity and often found as idioblasts.

Conduction tissue, composed of xylem and phloem, transports water, nutrients, and assimilation products throughout the plant.

Stomata are pores on the epidermis that allow gas exchange between the plant and its environment, regulated by guard cells.

Trichomes are outgrowths from epidermal cells that can be either covering (protective) or glandular (secretory).

Crystals are mineral products of plant metabolism, mainly calcium oxalate, often found in parenchyma cells and classified as simple or compound.

Simple crystals include raphides, crystal sand, and single crystals, while compound crystals include twin crystals, druses, and simple crystal arrays.

Flowers (Flores) are the reproductive organs of angiosperm plants, containing sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils.

Leaves (Folia) are the main organs for photosynthesis and transpiration, consisting of epidermis, mesophyll, and vascular bundles.

Covering trichomes are outgrowths from epidermal cells that provide protection and can be single-celled or multicelled.

Glandular trichomes are epidermal cells that secrete substances, consisting of a stem and head with different structures.

Fruits (Fructus) are developed ovaries that contain seeds, typically consisting of three layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp.

Seeds (Semen) are formed from fertilized ovules, containing an embryo and nutrient tissue (endosperm) enclosed by a testa (seed coat).

Flavonoids are chromone derivatives, primarily found in plants as pigments, responsible for the colour of flowers, leaves, and fruits.

Anthocyanidins are pigments with a benzopyrylium structure, forming anthocyanins when combined with oses.

Anthracene derivative heterosides are compounds containing an anthracene derivative as an aglycone, often possessing cathartic properties.

Coumarin derivative heterosides have a coumarin structure as an aglycone and often exhibit fluorescent properties.

Saponosides are heterosides that create persistent foam when shaken in water, having haemolytic ability and being classified as steroidal or triterpenoid.

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds with astringent properties, found in plants, often used for leather tanning and classified as hydrolysable or condensed.

Cardioactive heterosides are compounds affecting heart function, with aglycones like cardenolides (23 carbons) and bufadienolides (24 carbons).