2010-11 Academic Year
Plant Physiology (20343)
Qualification/course: Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology
Year: 2
Term: 1
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Number of study hours: 100 hours
Course Language(s): Catalan / Spanish
Teaching staff: Dr. Elisabeth Moyano and Dr. Lluís Cardona
1. Presentation of the course
Plant Physiology is an obligatory subject in the Human Biology syllabus, and is taught in the second year of the degree course. It has a value of 4 ECTS credits, distributed between 20 hours of theoretical classes, 8 hours of face-to-face activities and 16 hours of practical sessions.
The coordinator and lecturer responsible for the subject is Dr. Elisabeth Moyano. Dr. Lluís Cardona will share the teaching of the theoretical classes and practical sessions.
2. Competences to be achieved
The aim of the syllabus is to gain an understanding of how plant systems work: nutrition, development and metabolism. Considering that the plant cell is similar to a living factory, it is important to understand how the principal natural products used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and agri-food industries are synthesised and how the production is regulated. An additional aim of this subject is to acquaint students with the basic procedures of plant biotechnology, which are required to modify plant genotypes, with the aim of increasing and/or improving their production.
3. Contents
THEORY SYLLABUS
Topic 1
Introduction to the subject. Characteristics of plant cells. Study of the cell wall.
Lesson type: theoretical class
Duration: 1 hour
PART 1. MINERAL NUTRITION
Lesson types: theoretical class + face-to-face activity (seminar on mineral deficiencies in plants and their diagnosis by visual methods)
Duration: 3 + 2 hours
Topic 2
Introduction to the mineral nutrition of plants.
Topic 3
Absorption and transport of water and nutrient minerals.
Topic 4
Long-distance transport.
PART 2. PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Lesson types: theoretical class + face-to-face activity (seminar)
Duration: 5 + 2 hours
Topic 5
Concept and importance of photosynthesis. The chloroplast: structure and functions. Absorption and emission of light. Photosynthetic pigments.
Topic 6
Photosystems. Electronic phototransport. Photophosphorylation.
Topic 7
Assimilation of carbon dioxide and biosynthesis of photoassimilates. Photorespiration.
Topic 8
Photosynthetic adaptation of plants in their environment.
Topic 9
Environmental regulation of photosynthesis: light, CO2 and the greenhouse effect.
Topic 10
Assimilation of nitrogen and sulphur. Biological fixation of nitrogen. The rhizobium-legume symbiosis and its importance in agriculture.
PART 3. PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Lesson type: theoretical class
Duration: 5 hours
Topic 11
Introduction to plant development. Concept of the phytohormone.
Topic 12
Auxins. Chemical nature. Physiological activity and mechanism of action.
Topic 13
Gibberellins. Chemical nature. Physiological activity and mechanism of action.
Topic 14
Cytokinins. Chemical nature. Physiological activity and mechanism of action.
Theme 15
Abscisic acid, ethylene and other regulators.
PART 4. SECONDARY METABOLISM
Lesson types: theoretical class
Duration: 5 hours
Topic 16
Introduction to secondary metabolism.
Topic 17
Physiology of the phenols in plants. Particularities and biological significance.
Topic 18
Physiology of the terpenes in plants. Particularities and biological significance.
Topic 19
Physiology of the alkaloids in plants. Particularities and biological significance.
PART 5. BIOTECHNOLOGY
Lesson types: theoretical class + face-to-face activities (demonstrations of biotechnology)
Duration: 1 + 4 hours
Topic 20
Concept of transgenic and syngenic plants. Method of procurement. Applications in the agri-food and chemical-pharmaceutical industries.
PRACTICAL SYLLABUS
Practical Session 1. The adaptation of vegetation to hydric stress in the Garraf mountains
Observation of some plants that are representative of Catalan flora. Field study of the adaptation of a range of plants to hydric stress.
Duration: 4 hours (field excursion)
Practical Session 2. Microscopy. Plant cytology and histology
Use of the microscope and observation of a collection of plant histological preparations. Producing preparations of leaf epidermis so as to study the processes of plasmolysis and deplasmolysis, and to observe their stomata.
Duration: 3 hours
Practical Session 3. Induction of organogenesis in a callus of Nicotiana tabacum
Elicitation and culture of a callus of Nicotiana tabacum. Culture of the callus in a range of culture media with different growth regulators.
Duration: 2 hours
Practical Session 4. Improving alkaloid production
Elicitation and culture of transgenic roots which overexpress a tropane alkaloid metabolism gene, through infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes.
Duration: 2 + 2 hours (practical session 4.I + practical session 4.II)
Practical Session 5. Identification of the anticholinergic compounds hyoscyamine and scopolamine in plant extracts
Using plant material pertaining to one of the species producing tropane akaloids (Datura stramonium, Datura metel or Duboisia spp.) the student will perform the extraction and the titration of the scopolamine and hyoscyamine material.
Duration: 3 hours
4. Assessment
The assessment of the students' academic performance will follow the general criteria of the Faculty. The assessment of theoretical and practical material will be in the form of Multiple-Choice Questions (40% of the total mark) and a short question test (20% of the total mark). The practical sessions will be assessed through continuous assessment (20% of the total mark). Students' contributions during the face-to-face sessions will be evaluated via continuous assessment in the form of classroom presentations (10% of the total mark) and seminar reports (10% of the total mark).
Any form of copying in any of the part of the assessment process will result in the student failing the subject.
5. Bibliography and teaching resources
5.1. Basic bibliography
- Fisiología vegetal. Barceló Coll i d'altres. Madrid: Pirámide, cop. 2001.
- Fundamentos de fisiología vegetal. Coord.: J. Azón-Bieto; M. Talón. Madrid [etc.]: McGraw-Hill Interamericana/ Barcelona: Edicions UB, cop. 2008.
- Taiz, Lincoln. Plant physiology / Lincoln Taiz, Eduardo Zeiger. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, 2006.
5.2. Complementary bibliography
- Biochemistry & molecular biology of plants / [editat per] Bob B. Buchanan, Wilhelm Gruissem, Russell L. Jones. Rockville: American Society of Plant Physiologists, cop. 2000. Epstein, Emanuel.
- Mineral nutrition of plants: principles and perspectives / Emanuel Epstein, Arnold J. Bloom. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, cop. 2005. Evans, William Charles.
- Farmacognosia / William Charles Evans / [traducció: Jesús Cabo Torres]. Mèxic, D.F.: Interamericana - McGraw Hill, cop. 1991. Evans, William Charles.
-Trease and Evans' pharmacognosy / William Charles Evans; revised with the assistance of Daphne Evans. Edimburg: Saunders, 2002.
- Fisiología y bioquímica vegetal. Coordinació: J. Azcón-Bieto, M. Talón. Madrid [etc.]: McGraw-Hil l/ Interamericana de España, 1993.
- Illustrations from biochemistry & molecular biology of plants [Recurs electrònic] / [editat per Bob B. Buchanan, Wilhelm Gruissem, Russell L. Jones]. [Rockville]: American Society of Plant Physiologists, cop. 2006.
- Plant hormones: biosynthesis, signal transduction, action! / editat per Peter J. Davies.
Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, cop. 2004. Salisbury, Frank B.
- Fisiología vegetal; Frank B. Salisbury, Cleon W. Ross / traductor: Virgilio González Velázquez; revisor: Roberto Palacios Martínez. Mèxic, D.F.: Grupo Editorial Iberoamérica, cop. 1994. Seigler, David S.
- Plant secondary metabolism / David S. Seigler. Boston: Kluwer Academic, cop. 1998.
- Biotecnología vegetal / Manuel Serrano García, M. Teresa Piñol Serra. Madrid: Síntesis, cop. 1991.
6. Methodology
The course is made up of lectures, face-to-face activities (seminars) and practical sessions. The students will be divided into two groups for the seminars and into four groups for the practical classes.
7. Activities schedule
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Topics |
Number of hours |
Seminars |
Number of hours |
Number of sessions |
Number of hours |
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Week 1 |
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1 |
1 |
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Week 2 |
2 and 3 |
2 |
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2 |
3 |
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4 |
1 |
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Week 3 |
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S1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
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5 and 6 |
2 |
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Week 4 |
7 |
1 |
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8, 9 and 10 |
2 |
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4,1 |
2 |
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Week 5 |
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S2 |
2 |
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11 and 12 |
2 |
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Week 6 |
13 and 14 |
2 |
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3 |
2 |
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15 and 16 |
2 |
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Week 7 |
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5 |
3 |
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17 and 18 |
2 |
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Week 8 |
19 |
2 |
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4,2 |
2 |
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20 |
1 |
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Week 9 |
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S3.1 |
2 |
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Presentations & report S3 |
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S3.2 |
2 |
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Presentations & report S3 |
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Week 10 |
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