Plant Biology

Course Code: 1.1

Semester: 1st Semester

Specialization Category: Compulsory

Course Hours: 2 Theory + 2 Lab

ECTS: 5

 

Eukaryotic plant cell: Cell theory. Structure and function of organelles, biological membranes and cell wall.

Chemical composition of biological systems. Biological macromolecules: Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic acids.

Energy flow in biological systems

Flow of genetic information and principles of Molecular Biology: Nature of genetic material, Structure of DNA, Replication of DNA, Transcription of DNA, genetic code, Translation of mRNA, regulation of gene expression.

Fundamentals of Genetics: Mendel’s Laws. Mitosis and reduction. Chromosomes as carriers of genetic information, allelic genes, mutations.

Introduction to plant morphology and anatomy: development of the plant body, anatomy and functions of vegetative and reproductive organs.

Basic physiological processes of plants (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration)

Water relations, mineral nutrition, secondary metabolites.

Developmental physiology.

Stress physiology.

 

Laboratory Part of the Course

The laboratory part includes the following exercise sections:

 

• Principles of Microscopy.
• Microscopic observation to identify the cell wall, nucleus and basic organelles in plant cells.
• Observation and study of protective tissues: epidermis and its appendages (hair, mouths) and mechanical/supporting tissues.
• Microscopic observation of underlying tissues, tissue conduits and transport elements.
• Inorganic plant nutrition (observing the symptoms of nutrient deficiency in plant growth).
• Photosynthesis (isolation of chloroplasts and measurement of their reducing capacity).
• Water relations of plant tissues (determination of the water potential).
• Phytohormones and plant growth.
• In vitro plant tissue culture.
• DNA isolation from plant tissues and agarose gel electrophoresis.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify part of a gene

 

RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY

BREGMAN A.A., Laboratory investigations in Cell and Molecular Biology.. 4th Edition. New York: John Wiley, 2002.

GRUISSEM W. & JONES R.L., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants, Buchanan B.B., Wiley J & Sons, Ltd., 2002.

GILMARTIN P.M & BOWLER C (EDS.) Molecular Plant Biology, Oxford University Press, 2002.

HOPKINS W.G., HUNER N.P.A., Introduction to Plant Physiology, Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004

LEWIN B., Genes VIII, 8th edition, Oxford University Press, 2004.

LEYSER O. & DAY S., Mechanisms in Plant Development, Blackwell Publishing, 2002.

ROGER R. M.J., Handbook of Plant Ecophysiology, Techniques, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001.

SCOTT P., Physiology and Behavior of Plants, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2008

SLATER A., NIGEL W.S, FOWLER M.R., Plant Biotechnology, Oxford University Press, 2003

STERN, KINGSLEY ROWLAND, SHELLEY JANSKY, JAMES E. BIDLACK. Introductory Plant Biology. 9th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

TAIZ L., ZEIGER E., Plant Physiology, 4rd edition, Sinauer Associates Inc., 2006

 

Related scientific journals

• Plant Physiology,
• Journal of Experimental Botany,
• Plant Molecular Biology,
• Plant Science,
• Plant Physiology & Biochemistry, etc.