66989 - Plant Biology and Diversity (A-L)

Learning outcomes

The student will learn basic computer skills, with the ability to apply them to data processing and presentation.

Course contents

LEARNING MODULE I_PLANT BIOLOGY

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,proteins 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.

LEARNING MODULE II_BIODIVERSITY: Origin and evolutionary history of life on Earth. Taxonomy and systematics. Phylogenetic classification. Monophyletic, paraphyletic, and polyphyletic group (clade). Cyanoprokaryotes (and Prochlorophytes). Endosymbiosis. Characterization and life cycles of the main groups of plant-like organisms (photoautotrophs) and fungi. Overview of algae and algal groups believed to be ancestors of terrestrial plants. Green algae. Lichens. Red algae. Dinoflagellates. Algal blooms. Diatoms. Brown algae. Bryophytes. Pteridophytes. Gymnosperms. Angiosperms: origin, basal groups, central groups. Insights on Magnoliaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Liliaceae, Solanaceae, Poaceae.

Readings/Bibliography

- JD Mauseth et al, BOTANICA - Fondamenti di Biologia delle Piante. IV edizione italiana. Coordinamento editoriale D Serafini Fracassini e M. Della Mea. Idelson-Gnocchi 2020

-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.

In consideration of the type of activity and the teaching methods adopted, the attendance of this training activity requires the prior participation of all students in the training modules 1 and 2 on safety in the study places, in e-learning mode.

Assessment methods

The examination, carried out jointly withing the two modules, consists in a written and in an oral part.

The written part consists of a test with 9 questions (each question has four responses among which it is necessary to indicate the right one/s), supplemented by 1 question with open answer relating to the photoautotroph diversity module, and the recognition of tissue and/or organ from a microscope image.

It is necessary to pass the test to be admitted to the oral examination, that will consist in the recognition of a microscope image and, possibly, in the evaluation of a report on the laboratory part of the course, as well as some questions on the topics addressed during the lectures of the course. The photoautotroph diversity part consists in the discussion of the open answer to the question in the written test supplemented by another question on a topic covered in the lectures of the module.

The final mark results from the overall evaluation of the different parts. If a fundamental topic will be not sufficiently known, the entire examination will be negatively evaluated.

Office hours

See the website of Iris Aloisi

See the website of Maura Ferri

See the website of Marco Cantonati