A medicinal plant Rauwolfia vomitoria growing in different Himalayan range differ in potency and concentration of reserpine. The plant shows:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Genetic diversity
Biodiversity is studied at three levels: genetic, species and ecological diversity.
(1) Species diversity — Incorrect. This is the variety of species in a region. Here there is only one species, Rauwolfia vomitoria.
(2) Ecological diversity — Incorrect. This is the variety of ecosystems or habitats, such as forests, deserts and wetlands.
(3) Latitudinal diversity — Incorrect. This is a pattern, not a level of biodiversity. Species richness falls as we move from the equator towards the poles.
(4) Genetic diversity — Correct. This is the variation in genes within one species. The same plant growing in different Himalayan ranges makes different amounts of the drug reserpine, so the plants differ in their genes.
NCERT Extract:
Biodiversity – …
