What is the main idea of the passage?

Janaki Ammal used chromosome research to illuminate plant relationships, improve breeding, and support botanical diversity. (The passage follows one method across crop breeding, broader botanical study, and conservation concerns.)

Why did researchers study crosses with locally suited plants?

They sought sugarcane that combined desirable sweetness with the ability to thrive in Indian conditions. (The second paragraph contrasts sweet imported cane with its limits in local climate and states the desired combination.)

What does “fertile” mean when describing hybrids?

capable of producing offspring (Chromosome comparisons helped breeders determine which plant crosses could reproduce and remain useful.)

Which plant group besides sugarcane does the passage say she studied?

magnolias (The third paragraph specifically names magnolias among her later botanical work.)

Janaki Ammal Counts the Chromosomes: Level 3 Reading Comprehension Questions

Botanist Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal studied plants at a time when few Indian women held senior scientific roles. She specialized in cytogenetics, a field that connects inherited traits with structures called chromosomes inside cells. Counting and comparing chromosomes can reveal relationships among plant varieties and guide breeding.

At a sugarcane research station in India, breeders wanted crops that combined sweetness with strength in local conditions. Imported canes often had high sugar content but did not always thrive in India's climate. Janaki Ammal studied crosses among sugarcane and related grasses. Her chromosome work helped researchers understand which hybrids could be fertile and useful.

Her career later extended far beyond one crop. She worked at botanical institutions in India and Britain, studied magnolias and other plants, and contributed to a major reference on chromosome numbers. She also supported the protection of plant diversity, arguing against treating forests merely as unused land.

Janaki Ammal's work joined close observation in a laboratory with questions about farms and landscapes. A chromosome count was not just a number on a slide. It could help explain a plant's history, shape a breeding decision, or strengthen the case for preserving biological variety.

Comprehension questions