Unit PLANT PHISYSIOLOGY

Course
Agricultural and environmental sciences
Study-unit Code
A002028
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Luisa Ederli
Teachers
  • Luisa Ederli
Hours
  • 54 ore - Luisa Ederli
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2022
Offered
2022/23
Learning activities
Base
Area
Discipline biologiche
Academic discipline
BIO/04
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
This course will examine the key concepts of plant physiology: principles of bioenergetics; water transport, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis and respiratory metabolism; plant hormones in plant growth and development; photoreceptors in plant photomorphogenesis; seed germination.
Reference texts
Elementi di Fisiologia Vegetale. N. Rascio III Edizione EdiSES.
Teaching materials (PDF file with slides presented in class) available on the UniStudium website.
Educational objectives
This course is designed to provide students with adequate knowledge of the biochemical and physiological processes underlying the life cycle of plants. After completing the course the student should have a good understanding of the relationship between plant structure and function at the organ to organism level. The student should also have knowledge of plant adaptations to different environments with particular attention to the relationship between plant physiology and inputs from agriculture practices.
Main knowledge acquired will be:
- principles of bioenergetics and thermodynamics;
- transport mechanisms across membranes;
- plant-water relations;
- mineral uptake, transport and assimilation;
- photosynthesis, allocation, translocation and partitioning of photoassimilates ;
- plant hormones and their control in development;
- photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism and floral induction;
- seeds and germination.
Ability to apply knowledge and skills:
- ability to interpret aspects of plant development to streamline crop production;
- ability to interpret the relationship between the environment and the plant in order to suggest appropriate vegetative and cultural choices;
- acquire the skills to solve problems in the field of plant/crop physiology;
- acquire autonomy of judgement regarding the evaluation and interpretation of experimental data;
- ability to acquire the cognitive basis to continuously update their knowledge.
Prerequisites
In order to be able to understand and apply the majority of the plant physiology topics treated, the student must have successfully passed the Fundamental Botany exam. It is also required the ability to perform simple mathematical calculations, the use of scientific terminology and knowledge of elements of molecular biology.
Teaching methods
The course is organized in frontal classroom lessons on the topics listed in the program, laboratory activity and/or tests that include short open answers or closed and multiple-choice answers, discussion of case studies on the latest research published in scientific journals.
Other information
Attendance: optional but strongly advised. Consulting hours: by appointment to be agreed by email: luisa.ederli@unipg.it
Learning verification modality
The exam consists of an oral text of about 30-40 minutes long aiming to ascertain the knowledge level and understanding capability acquired by student on contents as indicated on the program. The questions will focus on both the fundamental physiological processes in higher plants and the plant strategies to respond to endogenous and exogenous inputs which control the growth.
The oral exam will also test the student communication skills and his autonomy in the organization and exposure concerning topics covered by the course.
Extended program
1. Principles of bioenergy and thermodynamics; entropy and free energy; endo- and exo-ergonic reactions; redox reactions.
2. Plant-water relations; properties of water and its vital role in plant life; water movement in plants; water potential in plant; transpiration and mechanisms of stomata opening and closing.
3. Plants and mineral nutrition; root, soil and nutrient absorption; mycorrhizae.
4. Photosynthesis and reactions to light; photosynthesis in higher plants; Photosynthetic pigments; Structure and function of the photosystem I and II; photosynthetic electron transport.
5. Photosynthesis and reactions of carbon; Rubisco and the Calvin Benson cycle; photorespiration. C4 and CAM metabolism; Metabolism of starch and sucrose. Phloem translocation and sink-source relations; ecophysiology of photosynthesis.
6. Energy yield of respiration; the TCA cycle; the mitochondrial electron transport in plants; the pentose-P pathway; glycolysis and fermentation.
7. Nitrogen assimilation; nitrogen biogeochemical cycle, biological nitrogen fixation; plant sulfur assimilation.
8. The plant hormones: biochemistry and metabolism, control of development.
9. Photomorphogenesis; plant photoreceptors; the phytochromes and the control of flowering and floral organ development; circadian rhythms.
10. Development and structure of seeds; seed dormancy and germination.
11. Plant movements and orientation in space: phototropism, gravitropism, nastic movements.
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