Plant Biology

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Biology.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods: lectures to expose students to the different syllabus topics with the support of PowerPoint presentations; practical laboratory classes to perform microscopic observations and experimental work.
Evaluation criteria: the final grade is based on two midterm lecture exams (70% of final grade), two lab midterm exams (25% of final grade) and one oral presentation of a specific topic suggested by the teacher (5% of final grade).

Learning Outcomes

This curricular unit is concerned with the study of plants in diverse aspects, providing students with basic
knowledge about their histology, anatomy, physiology and taxonomy.
Upon completion of the curricular unit program, students will be able to:
- Identify the tissue systems of plants and describe the principal cell types;
- Identify the primary and secondary structures of roots, stems and leaves of vascular plants;
- Identify the macronutrients and micronutrients of plants;
- Measure the water potential of plant tissues;
- Explain the mechanisms involved in the movement of water and solutes through plants;
- Distinguish and describe the different pathways of carbon fixation;
- Know the major groups of plant hormones and their physiological effects;
- Understand plant cell and tissue culture techniques and cellular totipotency;
- Understand how plants respond and adapt to different types of abiotic stress.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Lectures:
The plant cell: structural peculiarities.
Cell and tissues of the plant body. Root, stem and leaf anatomy: primary and secondary structures.
Nutritional requirements of plants: macronutrients and micronutrients.
Water relations of plant cell. The movement of water and solutes in plants.
Photosynthesis. C3, C4 and CAM pathways of carbon fixation.
Plant hormones and their physiological effects. General mechanism of hormone action.
Totipotency of plant cells. In vitro morphogenesis and micropropagation.
Plant responses and adaptations to different types of abiotic stress.
Laboratory classes:
Identification of plant tissues. Identification of primary and secondary structures of roots, stems and leaves.
Measurement of stomatal density and stomatal index on leaf surfaces.
Determination of the water potential of a plant tissue.
Quantification of chlorophylls and carotenoids in leaf extracts.
In vitro culture of plants: micropropagation techniques

Head Lecturer(s)

António Henrique da Silva Paranhos

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Other: 30.0%
Frequency: 70.0%

Bibliography

Azcón-Bieto, J. & Talón, M. (2008). Fundamentos de Fisiología Vegetal. McGraw-Hill Interamericana España,
Madrid
Crang, R., Lyons-Sobaski, S. & Wise R. (2019). Plant Anatomy. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham
Evert, R.F. & Eichhorn, S.E. (2014). Raven: Biologia Vegetal, 8a ed. Guanabara Koogan, Rio de Janeiro
Fahad, S., Saud, S., Chen, Y., Wu, C., & Wang, D. (Eds.) (2021). Abiotic Stress in Plants. IntechOpen, London
Hopkins, W.G. & Hüner, N.P.A. (2009). Introduction to Plant Physiology, 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons Inc,
Hoboken
Moreira, I. (1993). Histologia Vegetal, 3ª ed. Didática Editora, Lisboa
Shanker, A.K. & Venkateswarlu, B (Eds.) (2011). Abiotic Stress in Plants - Mechanisms and Adaptations.
IntechOpen, London
Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M. & Murphy, A. (2015). Plant Physiology and Development, 6th ed. Sinauer
Associates Inc, Sunderland
Vahdati, K. & Leslie, C. (Eds.) (2013). Abiotic Stress - Plant Responses and Applications in Agriculture.
IntechOpen, London