66989 - Plant Biology and Diversity (M-Z)

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Moduli: Stefano Del Duca (Modulo 1) Licia Podda (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biological Sciences (cod. 8012)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students acquire basicknowledges on plant biology at cytological, istological, anatomical and evolutive level as well as on some aspect related to plant reproduction, differentiation, physiology and biodiversity; students will acquire knowledges about fungi kingdom and about procaryotic and unicellular eucaryotic photosynthetic taxa; moreover students will acquire knowledges on updated research methodologies in biology research.

Course contents

INTRODUCTION: Articulations of plant biology and historical milestones. Study methodologies. Main characteristics and utility of plants. Plant nutrition (autotrophy and eterotrophy). Chemical components of living organisms (water, micronutrients, sugars,prteins and lipids).

CITOLOGY:Plant cell of vascular plants (morphology, dimension and organization).Peculiar aspects of fungal and algae cells. Structure and function of organelles. Plastids: ontogenesis and transformation of plastids. Non green plastids (leucoplast, cromoplast ed etioplast) and chloroplast (morphology, dimension, ultrastructure, pigments, plastidial genome). Algae plastids. Vacuols. Golgi. Microcorps. Cell wall and its modifications. Cell growth (mitosis, cytodieresis, cell elongation, differentiation).

HISTOLOGY AND  ANATOMY of vascular plants: Kind of tissue and their functions. Root, stem, leaf, flower, fruits anatomy and organography. Primary structure of stem and root.

PHYSIOLOGY: Carbon cycle. Photosynthetic pigments (chemical structure, functions and light absorbance). Photosynthetic unit. Carbon organication: light and dark photosynthetic phase; C3 and C4 cycles; CAM. Photorespiration. Nitrogen cycle. Noitrogen organication. Secondary metabolites (their function in plant and main utilizations by humans). Water absorption and transport.

RIPRODUCTION  vascular plants. Embriogenesis. Seed and seed germination. Vegetative propagation.

MORPHOGENESIS: Differentiation, growth and development. Programmed cell death. Plant hormons. In vitro coltures. Biotechnologies and plant.

BIODIVERSITY: Origin and evolution of life on the earth. Cianobacteria and proclorophyte. Characterization and life cycle of representative organism belong to fungi, unicellular photosynthetic eucaryotes and plant.

 

Readings/Bibliography

TESTI –

- JD Mauseth 

BOTANICA - Fondamenti di Biologia delle Piante. III edizione italiana

Coordinamento editoriale D Serafini Fracassini e M. Della Mea

Casa Editrice Idelson-Gnocchi 2014

 

-Speranza A. e Calzoni G.L. - STRUTTURA DELLE PIANTE IN IMMAGINE - Zanichelli, 2000

Teaching methods

Oral presentations preliminary to the practical laboratories by observations at the microscope

Assessment methods

The examination consists in a written part and in an oral one; the first part will be a test with 10 questions (each question has four responses among which it is necessary to indicate the right one/s) and the recognition of tissue and/or organ from a microscope image. It is necessary to be sufficeto start with the oral examination that will be conducted jointly with the Professor of the biodiversity module; oral examination consist in the recognition of a microscope image and eventually in the evaluation of a report of the laboratoty part of the course as well as some questions on the programme of the course. The mark will be unique. If a fundamental subject will be not sufficiently known the entire examination will be negatively evaluated.

Teaching tools

Video projector for power points prepared by the teacher. Eventual seminars. Practical laboratories complete the course by the use of microscopes.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Del Duca

See the website of Licia Podda

SDGs

Zero hunger Life on land

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.