Ateneo - UPO

1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS AND PECULIARITY OF PLANT CELLS
2. TRANSPORTATION OF WATER, SOLUTES AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTS
3. METABOLISM
4. GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE
5. PLANT AND ENVIRONMENT
6. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Taiz L. - Fisiologia e sviluppo vegetale - Piccin Padova 2024
Rascio N. - Elementi di Fisiologia vegetale - Edises 2021

Develop the ability to interpret in a mechanistic manner the basic phenomena related to plant life.
Understand the relationships between plant physiology and cultivation practice, both in optimal conditions and in limiting environmental conditions.

To understand the plant physiological mechanisms, the discussion of the topics in the programme will rely on previous knowledge of cell and plant biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics and mathematics.

The course consists of lectures presenting the programme with the aid of slides. The slides, together with material for further reading, will be available on the teaching website.

Control of the learning capacity by discussing the topics during the lessons. In any case, the teacher will be available on appointment for clarifications on the topics of the lessons or on the material provided.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-
students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The exam is a written test based on multiple choice questions and descriptive response questions with the aim of verifying the knowledge and understanding of the points of the entire program treated. Students will have 2 hours to complete the assignment, divided into 30 minutes to answer to 10 multiple choice questions (maximum score 4/30) and 90 minutes to answer to 13 questions on specific topics with descriptive answer (maximum score 26/30). The final mark will be the sum of the two partial marks.

1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS AND PECULIARITY OF PLANT CELLS
Cell wall, chloroplasts, vacuole, plasmodesmata.

2. TRANSPORTATION OF WATER, SOLUTES AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTS
Movement of water from the ground to the atmosphere. Electrochemical potential of water and water potential. Movement of water in the plant. Mineral nutrition and absorption of solutes. Transport, allocation and distribution of photosynthesis products.

3. METABOLISM
Photosynthesis: light reactions. Photosynthetic apparatus, linear and cyclic photosynthetic electron flow. Photoinhibition. Site of action of photosynthetic herbicides.
Photosynthesis: dark reactions. The Rubisco enzyme and the CO2 fixation. Calvin Benson cycle (C3). Photorespiration. C4 and CAM plants. Starch and sucrose biosynthesis. Nitrogen and sulfur assimilation.

4. GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE
Importance of light as an environmental signal. Photoreceptors: phytochromes, cryptochromes and phototropins.
Plant hormones: Auxin, Gibberellin, Cytokinins, Abscisic acid, Ethylene.

5. PLANT AND ENVIRONMENT
Introduction to plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.

6. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
Historical outline of plant biotechnology. Importance of plant physiology and biotechnology for the improvement of crop plants.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY

To be able to integrate the knowledge acquired through the theoretical lessons with the ability developed individually to understand and analyse biochemical, physiological and morphogenetic processes of plant organisms and their regulation.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

To be able to associate the fundamentals of plant physiology to the growth and production models of crop plants, and the relationships cause-effect that determine what happens in practice.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

To be able to elaborate clearly and rigorously and to summarize the contents of the discipline in a concise manner, using appropriate terms during the examination.

AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT

To be able of critical analysis of the elements related to what acquired during the lessons.

LEARNING ABILITY

To be able to describe in an exhaustive manner scientific issues related to plant physiology. This ability will be developed by autonomously deepening the topics covered in class, by reading additional texts and scientific articles.