| Department of Natural Sciences
50 % Department of Plant Biology 50 % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | |||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2 semesters | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 24 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | BSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | continuous evaluation Aid allowed Chemistry part of the examination: All printed or written aids, electronic calculators, molecule models etc. Description of Examination: pass/fail, internal examiner Two written examinations: The Working Plant (2 hr, without aids) and The Chemistry of Life (2 hr, with aids). The examinations are evaluated independently, and both must be passed in order to pass the course. Description of Examination: Continuous assessment of exercise reports and PBL-projects, to be accepted (at least 80% of CL and 80% of WP) before participation in the respective examinations. At least 80% participation in both anatomy and physiology lab. exercises to pass the course. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Spring (3/1-05 - 29/4-05) Approximately 2 days per week at KVL, Copenhagen, and 2 days per week at SLU, Alnarp. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | outside schedule | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | 120121 Introduction to Horticulture | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course aims at giving the students a basic understanding of the plant as a living organism. Focus will be on the structure, growth, development and properties of plants, including the chemical and biochemical processes occurring in plants, and how these biological processes - and thereby the growth and development of the plants - are influenced by internal and external factors. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course includes two themes: The Chemistry of Life and The Working Plant. The course will enable students to employ the obtained knowledge to solve problems related to plant biochemistry and plant physiology. *The Chemistry of Life* The Chemistry of Life covers the structures, properties, reactions and functions of plant metabolites and macromolecules, and describes the network of reactions which together constitutes plant biochemistry. After an introduction to organic chemistry, we focus on a chemical and biological understanding of primary metabolism, i.e. the part of metabolism that is common for all plants, and which includes the biosynthesis and degradation of biomolecules, and how plants obtain energy for the life processes. The curriculum includes: The reactivity, including acid-base and redox properties, of some important functional groups: alcohol, phenol, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, ester, amine and amide. The structure, properties and biological functions of selected hydrocarbons, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids and secondary metabolites. Properties of enzymes, including reaction mechanisms, thermodynamic aspects, basal kinetics and cofactors. Primary metabolism and respiration, including thermodynamic aspects, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle, glyoxylate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, protein biosynthesis and photosynthesis. *The Working Plant* The working plant shows specialisation at the cell, tissue and organ level. The anatomy and physiology parts of the course focus on the relationship between structure and function at these levels. The highly ordered structure of a cell provides the framework for biochemical processes. These processes take place in and between cell compartments (cell biology). Interactions between cells and tissues are guided and limited by the plant structure (anatomy). During growth, a plant balances its internal activities according to the demands in light, water, and nutrients (physiology). Anatomy will give an overview of the structures of a plant cell. Specialisation of cells and the composition of tissues and organs will be treated and related to function. Main emphasis in the practical exercises will be training of participants in exact observation and adequate documentation. Students will achieve knowledge in the structures of cells and tissues and in the 3D-organisation of a plant body. Physiology will give a basic understanding of plant growth and development and how the whole plant dynamically adapts to its environment. The following issues will be considered: water movement, ion uptake and movement of solutes within the plant; mineral nutrients; nitrogen metabolism; partitioning of carbohydrates; growth and development; plant hormones; light effects including photomorphogenesis and photoperiodism; growth response from external stimuli as tropisms. (Chemistry 13,5 ECTS, Biology 10,5 ECTS) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning tools will include lectures, laboratory work, theoretical exercises, PBL-projects, group discussions and poster presentations. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ouellette, R. J. (1998) Organic Chemistry, a Brief Introduction, 2. Ed. Prentice Hall. Horton H. R., Moran L. A., Ochs R. S., Rawn J. D., Scrimgeour K. G. (2002) Principles of Biochemistry, 3. Ed. Prentice Hall. Raven P. H., Evert R. F., Eichhorn S. E. (1999) Biology of Plants, 6. Ed. Freeman. Taiz L. and Zeiger E. (2002) Plant Physiology, 3. Ed. Sinauer Ass. Ingvardsen C, Lyshede OB, Marttila S, Schulz A. Lab Manual for Plant Anatomy. Most recent edition. Samfundslitteratur. Bukh, Tulinius, Agerbirk. Laboratory Exercises, The Chemistry of Life. Most recent edition. Samfundslitteratur. Tulinius, Bukh, Agerbirk. Theoretical Exercises, The Chemistry of Life. Most recent edition. Samfundslitteratur. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Niels Agerbirk, nia@life.ku.dk, Department of Natural Sciences/Biochemistry & Natural Product Chemistry, Phone: 35332438 Alexander Schulz, als@life.ku.dk, Department of Plant Biology/Plant Physiology and Anatomy Laboratory, Phone: 35333350 Salla Marttila, Salla.Marttila@vv.slu.se, Department of Agricultural Sciences/DSH guests, Phone: 0-415522 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee DSH | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||||
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