04026 - Morphology and Physiology of Plants

Learning outcomes

Major topics of plant physiology  will be explained at the molecular level, within the framework of a global view on plant growth and development. The program is integrated with essential elements of plant anatomy.

Course contents

The sequence of topics follows the ontogenetic cycle of higher plants, starting from flowering and finising with the fully photosynthetic plant.

Reproduction. Flowers. Micro and macrogametogenesis. Pollen. Fertilization. Embryogenesis. Seeds. Biosynthesis of storage starch. Fruits. Abscissic acid and seed maturation.

Germination. Gibberellins. Strach degradation e sucrose biosynthesis.

Respiration. Glicolysis. Krebs cycle. Respiratory chain. Ipoxia and ethylene.

Growth. Water potential. Aquaporines. Proton pumps. Membrane potential. Elettrochemical potential. Nernst potential. Potassium channels. Auxine and acid growth theory.

Mineral nutrition. Iron. Nitrate uptake and reduction. Organication of ammonium. Shikimate pathway and glyphosate.

Photosynthesis. Light. Leaves and chloroplasts. Photosynthetic pigments. Light harvesting complexes. Photosystems and cytochrome b6f. Non-cyclic, cyclic and pseudocyclic electron transport. Photophosphorylation. Rubisco. Calvin cycle. Thioredoxins. Photorespiration. C4 and CAM metabolism.   

Long distance transport. Soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Stomata. Xylem. Phloem. Sink-source relationships .   

 

Readings/Bibliography

Pupillo, Cervone, Cresti, Rascio. Biologia vegetale. Zanichelli, 2003

 

 

 

Assessment methods

Final oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Sparla