Plant Physiology-I

This course provides an introduction to basic principles of plant functions including physical processes occurring in plants, Photosynthesis, Respiration, Pathway of translocation, Gaseous exchange, Mechanism of stomatal regulation and growth and development

Course Aim

This course aims to develop understanding of the relationship of complementary metabolic pathways such as photosynthesis and respiration in energy acquistion and use during plant development  and to develop understanding of the environmental influences upon carbon metabolism in plants (e.g. with respect to alternative fixation pathways, photoinhibition, and photorespiration)

Course Objectives

The course objectives, broadly speaking, are to help students to:

(i) understand the relationship between structure and function of C3, C4 and CAM plants 

(ii) understand the Gaseous exchange, Mechanism of stomatal regulation

(iii) gain an appreciation of the metabolic and physiological processes unique to plants

Weekly Course Plan

 

Weeks

Course Contents

1

Photosynthesis: History of photosynthesis. Nature and units of light. Determination of oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. Various pigments and photosynthetic activity. Ultra structure and composition of photo system-I and II. Absorption and action spectra of different pigments.

2

Photosynthesis: History of photosynthesis. Nature and units of light. Determination of oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. Various pigments and photosynthetic activity. Ultra structure and composition of photo system-I and II. Absorption and action spectra of different pigments.

3

Mechanism of photosynthesis - light absorption, charge separation or oxidation of water (water oxidizing clock), electron and proton transport through thylakoid protein-pigment complexes

4

Mechanism of photosynthesis - light absorption, charge separation or oxidation of water (water oxidizing clock), electron and proton transport through thylakoid protein-pigment complexes

5

Photophosphorylation and its mechanism.  CO2 reduction ( Dark reactions) - C3 pathway and Photorespiration,

6

Regulation of C3 pathway, C4 pathway and its different forms, C3-C4 intermediates, CAM   pathway

7

Respiration: Synthesis of hexose sugars from reserve carbohydrates. Mechanism  of  respiration- Glycolysis, Differences  between  cytosolic  and chloroplastidic glycolysis, Oxidative decarboxylation

8

Respiration: Synthesis of hexose sugars from reserve carbohydrates. Mechanism  of  respiration- Glycolysis, Differences  between  cytosolic  and chloroplastidic glycolysis, Oxidative decarboxylation

9

Mid Term Examinations

10

Krebs cycle, Regulation of  glycolysis and Krebs cycle, Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. Aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Energetics of respiration

11

Krebs cycle, Regulation of  glycolysis and Krebs cycle, Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. Aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Energetics of respiration

12

Pentose phosphate pathway. Glyoxylate cycle. Cyanide resistant respiration

13

Translocation of Food:   Pathway of translocation, source and sink interaction, materials translocated,

14

Mechanism of phloem transport, loading and unloading

15

Leaves and Atmosphere:     Gaseous exchange, mechanism of stomatal regulation. Factors affecting stomatal regulation

16

Assimilation of Nitrogen, Sulphur and Phosphorus:  The nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen fixation.  Pathways of assimilation of nitrate and ammonium ions

17

Assimilation of sulphur and phosphorus.

18

Final Term Examinations


Readings/Bibliography

1.Rascio N, Carfagna S, Esposito S, La Rocca N, Lo Gullo MA, Trost P, Vona V (2012) Elementi di Fisiologia vegetale. EdiSES

2.Fitter, A. and Hay, R.K.M. 2001. Environmental Physiology of Plants. Academic
Press, UK.
3. Heldt, H-W. 2004. Plant Biochemistry. 3rd Edition, Academic Press, U.K

4.Press, M.C., Barker, M.G., and Scholes, J.D. 2000. Physiological Plant
Ecology, British Ecological Society Symposium, Volume 39, Blackwell Science,
UK.
5.Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E. 2006. Plant Physiology. 4th Edition. Sinnauers Publ.
Co. Inc. Calif.

6.Epstein, E. and Bloom, A.J. 2004. Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and
Perspectives. 2nd Edition. Sinauer Associates, California, USA.
7. Kirkham, M.B. 2004. Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations. Elsevier,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
8. Barton, W. 2007. Recent Advances in Plant Physiology

Journals/Periodicals:
1. Pakistan Journal of Botany,

2. Plant Physiology,

3. Physiologia Plantarum, lanta,

4. Annual Review of Plant Biology,

5. Journal of Plant Physiology

Teaching methods

The theoretical part of the course  will consists in lectures with projection of pictures and diagrams (power point). Questions are always welcome, both during and after the lectures. The lab part of the course will include a brief introductory lecture to explain the experimental protocol that all students will be asked to   follow individually. Students will be divided into groups and each group will be supervised by a teacher. At the end of the workshop, a comparative analysis of the data individually collected by students will be performed.

Assessment methods

Sessional+Presentations:         10

Practicals:                                15

Mid Term Exam:                      30

Final exam:                            45

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:

1          Impart an insight into the various plant vital functions           

2          Understand the mechanism of various metabolic processes in plants         

4          Acquire basic knowledge about translocation of food in plants        

5          Equip students with skills and techniques related to plant physiology so that they can design their own experiments

 

Course Material

Other Courses by Dr Asma Ashfaq