Aims

To stimulate an interest in plants by demonstrating their role and importance in the natural world.
This will be achieved by describing the diversity of plants and plant adaptations to the different climates across the globe and by translating plant responses to the environment into a basic mechanistic understanding of physiology, metabolism and development. The combination of lectures and practical work will engender an understanding of fundamental biological principles and develop cognitive skills through the analysis and interpretation of data and observations obtained within the laboratory.

Outline Of Syllabus

Plant diversity will be introduced and the future applications of plant biotechnology will be highlighted.
Climate and global vegetation, nutrient requirements, aquatic environment, light requirements, plant-animal interactions, germination and life history.
The plant body, leaf structure/function, water uptake and transport, light reactions of photosynthesis, CO2 fixation and turbo chargers, carbon transfer and allocation. Introduce plant responses to abiotic stress.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures provide the framework and theory for introducing plant diversity together with (eco)physiological and biochemical properties of plants. Practicals set this material in the context of plant-environment interactions by direct observations and measurements of cellular and physiological processes. Class tests based on video material complementing the lectures will further direct student learning and provide feedback to students on their progress. Communication and teamwork are key elements of the practicals. Private study using the recommended texts will provide further depth of understanding of the fundamental biological properties of plants.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Practical reports written up and handed in at end of session supplement information presented in lectures and engenders general appreciation of the topic. Formative assessment (which will not count directly for final module mark) will be provided in the way of class tests following videos which complement lecture material. Lectures, practical exercises and videos provide questions for the formal exam which focuses on the testing of factual knowledge and basic interpretation of biological processes. The practical reports assess the ability to record and interpret experimental results.

To ensure that students have achieved a sufficient level of knowledge and skills, students are required to attain at least 30% in the exam in order to pass the module. For students failing to attain at least 30% in the exam, the module mark will be the exam mark without the inclusion of the in-course assessment marks.