69173 - Principles of Plant Biology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will acquire the basic concepts of vegetal biology: the chemical components of living material, the cell structure; the cellular metabolism, and cell compartments, the taxonomical diversity of plants in particular of the economical interesting species. The student will also be able to recognize and describe the most important vegetative ad reproductive structures of plants and fungi and to apply simple microscope preparations from fresh plant materials.

Course contents

Theoretical lessons (36 hours)

Introduction (6 hours)

1) An introduction to Botany: short history of Botany. Autotrophy and heterotrophy. Importance of the plant in the natural ecosystem and for the man and particularly from an economic point of view (3hours).

2) Classification of living organisms. Hints about Archaebacteria and Eubacteria, Protists with reference to Algae, Fungi and Plants (Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes). Hierarchical structure of classification systems. International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants and the main nomenclature rules (3 hours).

Cytology (4 hours)

The cell theory. Comparison among procariotic and eukaryotic plant and animal cells. The vegetal cell wall: structure, form, dimension and chemical composition. Primary and secondary wall. Secondary modification of the wall. Apoplastic and symplastic compartment. Biological membrane unit. Plastids: structure, function and localization of green (chloroplasts), colorless (leucoplasts) and colored (chromoplasts) plastids. Hints about the nucleus and the other organelles.

Istology (4 hours)

The most important plant tissue: meristematic, covering, conductive, parenchymatic, supporting and secretory tissues.

Anatomy (4 hours)

Anatomy of of stem, root and leaf of Gymnosperms and Dicotyledonous and Monocotyledonous Angiosperms.

Physiology (5 hours)

1) Photosynthesis. The nature of light, the role of pigments. The light and the dark phases. Hints about the C4 metabolism and crassulacean acid metabolism.

2) Hints on the plant hormones.

3) Water uptake and translocation, foliar evaporation and transpiration, stomatal role. Assimilate transport.

Reproduction (10 hours)

Asexual and sexual reproduction. Haplontic, diplontic dicariotic ahplodiplontic, haplodicariotic organisms. Gametophyte and Sporophyte, Flower structure, inflorescences, pollination, fecundation, seed; pericarp, dried and soft fruits, infructescence, dissemination.

Brief overview on the most important families of plants having ecomomic interest (3 hours)

Practical/applicative lessons (24 hours)

The practical/applicative lessons consist:

1) in reviewing previous lessons with educational videos (4 hours).

2) in the use of optic microscope. Its components, preparation and observation techniques of vegetal tissues. Observation hand-made thin sections obtained from fresh plants mounted in water. In particular the students will observe: vegetal cell, chloroplasts, chromoplasts (2h), amyloplast, ossalate crystals (2h), the leaf structure (3h), the corm (3h)and root (3h) primary and secondary structures of gimnosperms and angiosperms.

3) observation of flower and fruit structure of the most important crop plants (4h)

4) specialist seminars (3h)

Readings/Bibliography

The slides presented at lesson will be available in electronic format in internet. The students can obtain them by virtuale (https://virtuale.unibo.it/my/)

The following test are recommended:

Pasqua G., Abbate G., Forni C., Botanica generale e diversità vegetale. (2019 VI ed.)

Mauseth J.D., Botanica Fondamenti di biologia delle piante Idelson-Gnocchi (2020 IV ed.)

Pancaldi et al. Fondamenti di Botanica generale. Teoria e pratica, McGraw-Hill (2019 II ed.)

Speranza A. e Calzoni G., Struttura delle Piante in Immagini, Zanichelli

For deepening:

Smith et al. Biologia delle piante. Evoluzione, Sviluppo. Metabolismo, 2011, Zanichelli

Students who wish to make the oral exam in English can use the English version of the Mauseth's text book:

Mauseth J.D. - Botany : an introduction to plant biology. Jones & Bartlett, 2017 (6. edition).

Teaching methods

The teacher stimulates the students with questions in order to understand their basic level of preparation and to solicit their interest and possible clarifying questions. The student general preparation will also assessed by simple written questionnaires. Moreover, students themselves must prepare the material to be observed at the microscope. Students must also draw an outline that will testify the comprehension of the observed structure.

As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit in laboratory, all students must attend Module 1, 2 [https://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/health-and-assistance/health-and-safety/online-course-on-health-and-safety-in-study-and-internship-areas] online, while Module 3 on health and safety is to be attended in class. Information about Module 3 attendance schedule is available on the website of your degree programme

Assessment methods

The assessment of the learning is carried out by a final oral examination that verifies the acquisition of the knowledge. It consists of at least three questions on the entire program. The duration of the examination is about 20-30 minutes.

Students who wish to make the exam in English are allowed.

Teaching tools

PC, projector, educational videos, optical microscopy

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Zambonelli