COURSE OBJECTIVES
BZ440 is an upper level botany class focusing on plant physiology. Its objective
is for students to get a good grasp of how plants function (acquire water and
nutrients, photosynthesize, react to their environment), and how plant physiology
is studied.
Target groups are junior/senior students majoring in Biology/Botany,
Horticulture, Soil and Crop Science, Forestry, Rangeland Ecology, and related
areas. Graduate students are also welcome.
The class meets three times a week: MWF 10 - 10.50 a.m. (room t.b.a.).
TEXT & WEBSITE
* Introduction to Plant Physiology, 2nd Ed. (1999) by W.G. Hopkins.
Wiley Publ.
* Course website (WebCT): http://webct.colostate.edu:89/webct/public/home.pl
Logon to your webct (use your holly/lamar account login and password),
choose plant physiology BZ440
The course website contains the syllabus, lecture notes (abstract of
the book) and all powerpoint slides. It will also contain the grades.
EXAMS
There will be four exams: three midterms and one comprehensive final.
No grades will be dropped.
Each midterm contributes 20% to your final grade; the final exam contributes
40%.
The exams will be partly multiple choice, partly short-answer questions,
and part essay questions.
GRADING
The grading scale is as follows:
90-100%: A 70-79%: C
< 60%: F
80-89%: B 60-69%:
D
There will be no curving of grades.
STUDY HELP
If anything is not clear, ask me or your lab instructor (if you take
BZ441). You can email me or visit me in A/Z E413. Either drop by, or make
an appointment.
Make sure to use the course website: it is helpful for studying.
COURSE OUTLINE
There will be four sections, each followed by an exam.
Section I: Plant nutrition part I: water and inorganic nutrients
Section II: Plant nutrition part II: photosynthesis and related metabolism
Section III: Plant growth and responses to environmental stimuli
Section IV: Plant stress physiology
Week Topic
| 1. Jan 20 | Organization of plants and plant cells | Chapter 1 |
| 2. Jan 28 | Plants and water | Chapter 2 |
| 3. Feb 03 | Plants and inorganic nutrients | Chapters 3, 4 |
| 4. Feb 10 | Root nutrient uptake | Chapter 5 |
| 5. Feb 17 | Nitrogen | Chapter 6 |
| 6. Feb 24 2/24: EXAM 1 (chapter 1-6) | Light, pigments, chloroplasts | Chapters 7, 8 |
| 7. Mar 3 | Photosynthesis: light reactions | Chapter 9 |
| 8. Mar 10: SPRING BREAK :) | ||
| 9. Mar 17 | Photosynthesis: carbon fixation | Chapter 10 |
| 10. Mar 24 | Translocation of assimilates; respiration | Chapter 11, 12 |
| 11. Mar 31 4/2: EXAM 2 (chapter 7-12) | Limiting factors for photosynthesis;
secondary metabolism |
Chapter 13, 14 |
| 12. Apr 7 | Plant development, hormones | Chapter 15, 16, 17 |
| 13. Apr 14 | Plant responses to light, gravity | Chapter 18, 19 |
| 14. Apr 21 4/25: EXAM 3 (chapter 13-18) | Plant responses to
photoperiod, temperature |
Chapter 20, 21 |
| 15. Apr 28 | Plant stress physiology | Chapter 22 |
| 16. May 6 | Plant Biotechnology | Chapter 23 |
| 17. Final Exam | Comprehensive | |