Learning objectives
The course of Botany is part Teaching or Integrated Course of Animal and Plant Biology.
The course aims to provide students with general and specific knowledge of the molecular constitution of the plant cell, as well as to its organization into tissues and organs and functioning of the same. This knowledge will provide the student with the ability to understand the function of the plant in terms of ecology and as food for heterotrophic organisms. The course will provide the student with the basic skills also to recognize and describe the different plant species of interest in agriculture and animal production and indicate the ways to use them for productive purposes.
Knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to acquire and develop the basic knowledge of plant biodiversity, considered as part of the global evolutionary process. Knowledge of cellular and tissue specific structures, acquisition and recognition of principal plant species through the use of specific systematic keys. Knowledge of the various organs and their functions.
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding: Students will be able to acquire and develop basic botanical knowledge, in order to understand the structure-function relationship and its connection to both natural and agricultural environment. They also will acquire the ability to comprehend biodiversity, evaluating its concern related to climate change, invasion of alien species, and exploitation of resources.
Judging autonomy: students will acquire autonomy of judgment for the evaluation/ interpretation of experimental data, aimed at the setting of technological strategies for the exploitation and protection of plant species of interest.
Communicative Skills: students will improve their exposure clarity and language skills, using bibliographic tools to communicate specific knowledge.
Learning Skills: students will be able to expand acquired skills, through the access to bibliographic resources and other internet available tools, in order to understand and transmit it. Acquiring these skills will enable them to improve their knowledge and to independently reach upgraded levels of learning, to be exploited also in the preparation of the final test.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The first part of the course concerns the study of histology and anatomy of the plant, passing from the cellular organization to the level of tissue, organ and then the whole plant.
The second part of the course is characterized by the discussion of the physiology of plant organisms, including the study of the processes of absorption, transport and assimilation of nutrients, as well as the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, with considerations on the physiology of stress and the production of secondary metabolites .
The third part of the course is devoted to the study of the classification of plants as well as the description of some herbaceous plant species of interest in agriculture and animal production.
Full programme
ANATOMY OF ANGIOSPERMAE
- Plant Cell
- Root
- The stem
- The leaf
- Plant tissues
- the cell cycle
- Monocots and Dycots
- Life cycle of Angiosperms: flower, fertilization, embryogenesis, seed, fruit .
- Seed dormancy and germination.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
- WATER BALANCE OF PLANT
- The water in the soil
- Water absorption by the roots
- Transport of water through the xylem
- Movement of water from the leaf to the atmosphere
-Symplast and apoplast
- THE MINERAL NUTRITION AND TRANSPORTATION OF SOLUTI
- Essential nutrients for plants
- Soil, roots and microbes
- Absorption of mineral elements from the soil
- Processes of membrane transport
- Transport of ions in the roots
- THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS: Light reactions
- Organization photosynthetic apparatus
- Organization of antenna systems for light absorption
- Phases of the photosynthesis
- Mechanisms of the electron transport
- Transport of protons and ATP synthesis in the chloroplast
- Synthesis of glucose
- THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS: dark reactions
- The Calvin cycle
- C3, C4 and CAM plants.
- Starch and sucrose
- Regulation of the photosynthetic machinery
- TRANSLOCATION in the phloem
- Routes of translocation
- Models of translocation: from sources to sinks
- Substances translocated in the phloem and speed of movement
- The model of the pressure flow for the transport of the phloem
- Loading and unloading of the phloem
- Distribution of photosynthesis: the allocation and distribution
- The transport of signaling molecules
- MITOCHONDRIA AND LIPID METABOLISM
- Glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, electron transport and mitochondrial ATP synthesis
- Lipid Metabolism
- ASSIMILATION OF MINERAL NUTRIENTS
- Assimilation of nitrate and ammonium
- Assimilation of sulfur
- Assimilation of phosphate
- Assimilation of cations
- Assimilation of oxygen
- SECONDARY METABOLITES AND DEFENSES OF PLANTS
- Cutin, suberin and waxes
- Secondary metabolites: terpenes, phenolic compounds, N-containing compounds, VOCs
- Induced plant defenses against insects and herbivores against pathogens
- Phytopathogenic fungi and mycotoxins.
-PLANT HORMONES
-structure
-function
-morphogenetic role
- tropisms
- CELL WALLS: STRUCTURE, AND EXPANSION BIOGENESIS
- Structure and synthesis of plant cell wall
- Models of cell expansion
- Speed of cell elongation
- Degradation of the wall and plant defenses
- STRESS RESPONSE IN PLANTS
- Water, thermal and saline stress
- Lack of oxygen
- heavy metal stress
-SYMBIOSES :
– lichens
– mycorrhizae,
- nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
- SYSTEMATIC
- Classification
- Taxonomy
- the evolution of land plants
- Divisions of the plant kingdom
- Classification of plants of agricultural relevance
- CEREALS
- Wheat
- Durum wheat
- Farro small, medium and big spelled
- Barley
- Rye
- Oats
- Triticale
- Corn
- Sorghum
- Rice
- INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
- Soy
- Rape
- Sunflower
- Peanut
- Castor
- Safflower
- Sesame
- Sugar beet
- Tobacco
- Hemp
- Cotton
- Flax
- FODDER
- Fodder legume
- Alfalfa
- Red Clover or violet
- White clover
- Berseem
- Persian clover
- Clover hybrid
- Crimson Clover
- Forage grasses
- Association between legumes and grasses
- erbaio
- Pastures
- PLANT DOMESTICATION and GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
- the domestication process
- some examples of genetically modified plants
- applications.
Bibliography
Mauseth.
BOTANICA - parte generale.
Idelson&Gnocchi, 2006
Kingsley.
Introduzione alla biologia vegetale.
McGraw-Hill, 2008
Rost, Barbour, Stocking, Murphy.
Biologia delle piante.
Trad. di Bertotti, Bevilacqua, rev. di A. Minelli
Zanichelli, 2008
Teaching methods
Lectures will be conducted in presence. Lectures will be held through the support of POWER POINT presentations. It is planned to show presentations full of pictures, graphs and diagrams that enable maximum understanding and synthesis of the topics covered.
Depending on the sanitary situation and following the current regulations, the contextual streaming transmission on the authorized web platform could be provided; in this case, recorded lessons will be available on the Elly platform for 3 days after each lesson.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of the success of the planned course includes an open-questions test. By means of specific questions, it will be determined whether the student has acquired general and particulars knowledge of the course contents, he gained the ability to understand the function of plants and has the basic skills to recognize and describe the plant species studied.
The evaluation will be performed through the evaluation of 11/12 questions, covering each part of the course; questions will be posed in open form.
Students with specific learning disability diagnosis (DSA), certified under law n° 17/2010, will be granted the facilities provided by law.
Other information
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