Plant Physiology
Information from the course leader
2024-09-06
Välkommen till kursen!
Welcome to the 2024 course in Växtfysiologi (BI1281)!
Content: This course is structured around acquiring a strong understanding of plant physiology to give you an opportunity to understand how plants grow and develop. You will learn how plants have evolved, how they reproduce and how plants have been modified by people for beneficial uses. You will also learn how plants interact with their environments: whether coping with diseases or adapting to challenging or changing environments. Course start: The first lecture will take place on Monday November 4th at 10:00am in Lennart Kennes Sal (BioCentrum). Note the slightly earlier start time (not 10:15am).
Teaching method: The course includes lectures that deal with key areas of plant physiology. Two laboratory exercise are included that introduce principles of plant hormones and stress response. The course will be primarily taught in person. Labs will be performed in groups of three students. The group division takes place the first day of the course. Feel free to think of group suggestions before then.
Schedule: The course structure this year will be primarily in-person teaching with 12 lectures. Three discussion sessions are also included. Five lab sessions will take place in person. The final exam will be in person. The course is bilingual. Approximately half of the lectures will be in Swedish and half in English; labs are in English. The schedule is available on the course website and Canvas (the schedule is preliminary until the course starts). The zoom link for the question session (Frågestund) and lab discussion will be posted on Canvas. Be sure to join the course Canvas page.
Textbook: The course textbook this year will be Campbell et al: Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition (12th edition). Some of you might have the 11th edition from previous years and that fine to use. Page references are available for both textbooks. The textbook is recommended but not mandatory.
Examination: The BI1281 course is divided into two parts, a lab part (2hp) and a lecture-based part (5.5hp). To complete the lab-based part (2hp), attending the three lab sessions and submitting and passing two lab reports is also required (grading: pass/fail). To complete the lecture-based part (5.5hp), attending the introductory lecture is mandatory as is passing a written exam (grading: 5,4,3,U). It is necessary to pass both lab and lecture components to complete the BI1281 course. The final exam is on Tuesday December 3rd from 13h to 17h.
Questions? Send me an email.
Welcome to the course!
Charles Melnyk, course leader (charles.melnyk@slu.se)
Course evaluation
The course evaluation is now closed
BI1281-20150 - Course evaluation report
Once the evaluation is closed, the course coordinator and student representative have 1 month to draft their comments. The comments will be published in the evaluation report.
Additional course evaluations for BI1281
Academic year 2023/2024
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20202)
2023-10-31 - 2023-11-30
Academic year 2022/2023
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20063)
2022-11-01 - 2022-12-01
Academic year 2021/2022
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20081)
2021-11-02 - 2021-12-02
Academic year 2020/2021
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20152)
2020-11-02 - 2020-12-02
Academic year 2019/2020
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20108)
2019-11-01 - 2019-12-03
Academic year 2018/2019
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20097)
2018-11-05 - 2018-12-09
Academic year 2017/2018
Plant Physiology (BI1281-20006)
2017-10-30 - 2017-12-03
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
BI1281 Plant Physiology, 7.5 Credits
VäxtfysiologiSubjects
Biology BiologyEducation cycle
Bachelor’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Laborations | 2.0 | 0202 |
| Written exam | 5.5 | 0203 |
Advanced study in the main field
First cycle, has less than 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsBachelor’s level (G1F)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
SwedishPrior knowledge
Knowledge equivalent to 7,5 credits Chemistry and 20 credits Biology.Objectives
The course gives understanding of the plant as a life form, not only from the point of view of utility for humans, but from the plants own survival goals.
After a completed course the student will be able to:
understand and describe plant organs, cells and tissues, photosynthesis; uptake, transport and use of water and minerals; growth and development; protection against abiotic and biotic stress
describe how variations in plant form, development, photosynthesis and metabolism are adaptions to cope with different environments
evaluate the importance of the physiological properties in human plant use
Content
The course concentrates on the crop plants. Lectures cover:
cellular structure and form: cells, chloroplasts, cell walls
systems for transport and structural support: shoot, root
the root: mining for water and mineral
the shoot: assimilation of light and carbon dioxide, photosynthesis
transport systems for water and minerals, organics
growth and development: stem cells, flower, reproduction, seed and germination
protection against abiotic stresses and competing life forms, secondary metabolism
usefulness from the human perspective, plant breeding
In laboratory practicals (compulsary) plant development and adaptability will be studied. The results will be presented and discussed in written reports.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Passed written exams and passed written and oral accounts of practicals and literature reviews. Approved participation in compulsory activities.
If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Additional information
The required course prerequisites in chemistry can be obtained by for instance following the courses Basic Chemistry I, 15 hp (KE0062); Basic Chemistry II, 7,5 hp (KE0063); or Biochemistry, continuation 7,5 hp (KE0064) and achieving at least 7,5 hp. Some parts of the course may be given with English as the main language.Responsible department
Department of Plant Biology
Further information
Litterature list
Författare: Campbell, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Reece & Orr
ISBN: 9781292341637
Kommentar: The textbook is recommended and a helpful resource, though not mandatory. If you’re buying a new textbook, then the 12th edition is the latest version (new for 2020). The 11th edition has been previously used and also works perfectly well for this course.