Chemotaxonomy is primarily based on which information?

Correct answer: Chemical constituents of plants like DNA, RNA, and proteins

Chemotaxonomy is a method of classification that uses chemical characters of organisms, especially the substances found in their cells and tissues. In plants, useful evidence may include proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA, pigments, and other characteristic compounds. These chemical similarities can help scientists compare organisms and clarify relationships when visible features give uncertain or conflicting results. It is therefore part of evidence-based modern taxonomy.

Option B is correct because it refers to the chemical constituents of plants, including DNA, RNA, and proteins. Chromosome structure can provide taxonomic evidence, but it is not the main meaning of chemotaxonomy. Habitat and leaf shape may help in identification, yet they are ecological or morphological features rather than chemical evidence. The term combines “chemo,” meaning chemical, with “taxonomy,” meaning classification. Therefore, internal chemical information is the key basis of this approach.