Unit GENETICS OF FOOD PLANTS - BIOLOGY OF FOOD PLANTS
- Course
- Human feeding and nutrition sciences
- Study-unit Code
- A000786
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Valeria Negri
- CFU
- 11
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2024/25
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa integrata
BIOLOGY OF FOOD PLANTS
| Code | A000788 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 5 |
| Teacher | Daniela Gigante |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
| Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
| Academic discipline | BIO/03 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Morphological and functional organization of plants in order to evaluate the nutritional properties of the parts used as food, as well as the mechanisms through which plants grow, reproduce and propagate. Botanical characterization, description and use of plant species belonging to the main groups of food interest. |
| Reference texts | Fondamenti di Botanica Generale. Pancaldi S. Baldisserotto C. Ferroni L. Pantaleoni L. McGraw-Hill, 2023 Piante Alimentari - Biologia, Composizione chimica, Utilizzo. Calogero Rinallo. PICCIN Nuova Libraria, 2018. Lecture presentations available on the platform Unistudium |
| Educational objectives | The student will acquire knowledge about: - morpho-functional organization of plants; - characteristics of organs site of synthesis of primary and secondary metabolites; - transport and accumulation of metabolites; - the main storage organs and their use for food; - the development of seeds and fruits; - taxonomy of Magnoliophyta (Angiosperms): botanical characterization, description and use of plant species belonging to the main groups of food interest. The main skills (the ability to apply the knowledge) will be:- Identification of different types of fruit and seeds;- Identification of the plant species used for human nutrition. |
| Prerequisites | Good knowledge of biology is required, with special attention to cytology, biochemistry and basic botany |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized as follows:- Lectures on all subjects of the course- Laboratory exercises at the " Polo Didattico di Microscopia” del Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali |
| Other information | Availability of educational material in UniStudium platform. Availability of educational material on the UniStudium platform. Consulting hours by appointment via email: lara.reale@unipg.it daniela.gigante@unipg.it |
| Learning verification modality | The exam consists of a discussion of about 30 minutes aiming to ascertain the knowledge level and understanding capability acquired by students on contents as indicated in the program. The oral exam will also test the students' communication skills and their autonomy in the organization and exposure of the theoretical topics. |
| Extended program | General information on the main vegetative and reproductive organs of plants of food interest, with particular attention to those with a reserve function (fruits, seeds, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs) (4 hours). Identification and characterization of plant organs containing metabolites of food interest. (1 hour). Botanical characterization, description and use of plants belonging to the main groups of food interest: Cereals (wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats, rye), Pseudocereals (buckwheat, amaranth), Legumes (chickpea, lentil, bean, pea, broad bean, soybean, peanut), Sugar plants (sugar cane, beetroot), Fruit plants (peach, apricot, almond, plum, cherry, pear, apple; vine), Horticultural plants (tomato, pepper, potato, cabbage, pumpkin, courgette, cucumber), Oilseed plants (olive, rapeseed, sunflower), Drug-producing plants (tea, coffee, cola, cocoa), Aromatic plants (sage, rosemary, thyme, celery, parsley, onion, garlic, shallot, leek), Spice plants (ginger, turmeric, vanilla, pepper, chilli, mustard); Plants producing food additives, colourants, sweeteners (25 hours). Practical lessons: Direct observation of parts and organs of plants used for food purposes; analysis of the identifying characteristics of the various species (10 hours). |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile | Health and wellness; quality education; Life on earth |
GENETICS OF FOOD PLANTS
| Code | A000787 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Teacher | Valeria Negri |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
| Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
| Academic discipline | AGR/07 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Elements of fundamental biology (animal and vegetal cell, organula, tissues, organs, individual, populations, species, food chain). Heredity and variability, DNA and RNA: structure and functions, DNA replication; central dogma of molecular biology, protein synthesis and genetic code, organisation of heredity material, mitosis and meiosis, Mendel’s experiences, interactions among alleles at the same locus and at different loci, mutations (genomic, chromosomic, genic), quantitative traits, types of cultivated varieties, genetically modified organisms. Wheat: food and nutrition. Pulses: food and nutrition. Brassicaceae: food and nutrition |
| Reference texts | Reference text: "Genetica Agraria", Lorenzetti et al., Patron editore. In Unistudium:connecting elements, Seminars and papers of interest |
| Educational objectives | comprehension of a) basic phenomena of life transmission, b) diversity of food for a correct nutrition |
| Prerequisites | basic knowledge of maths and biology |
| Teaching methods | lectures and seminars |
| Other information | https://www.unipg.it/personale/valeria.negri |
| Learning verification modality | Oral examination aimed at assessing knowledge and comprehension of the information provided during the course and capacity of putting them in relationship with the human nutrition. Three questions on foundamental parts of the program will be asked to the candidate. However if the candidate will fail to answer the first question on basic concepts he/she will be invited to retire. The length of the exam (for the part concerned genetics) is half a hour as an average. The final mark of the entire course will be obtained as a weighted average of both the genetic and botany part |
| Extended program | Elements of fundamental biology (animal and vegetal cell, organula, tissues, organs, individual, populations, species, food chain). Heredity and variability, DNA and RNA: structure and functions, DNA replication; central dogma of molecular biology, protein synthesis and genetic code, organisation of heredity material, mitosis and meiosis, Mendel’s experiences, interactions among alleles at the same locus and at different loci, mutations (genomic, chromosomic, genic), quantitative traits. Origin of our food: types of cultivated varieties. Genetically modified organisms. Wheats and gluten. Brassicas and glucosinolates. Legumes: nutritional value and biofortification. |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile | 2,3,12 |