Course Syllabus/Fall 2014

120:330 Plant Physiology

INSTRUCTORS:

Dr. Edward Kirby

EMAIL:

ekirby@andromeda.rutgers.edu
tel: 973 353-5104

OFFICE:

Boyden Hall: Room 203

Office hours: Thursdays 10 am - noon

COURSE
WEBSITE:

Blackboard

COURSE
LOCATION(S):

Lecture: Smith Hall 246

Laboratory: LSC 112

MEETING TIMES:
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30pm 3:50pm
Laboratory sec 01: Mondays 1pm 3:50pm
Laboratory sec 02: Tuesdays 10am 12:50pm

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Growth and metabolism of plants; water relations, photosynthesis, inorganic nutrition, metabolism of organic
materials, and plant hormones.

PREREQUISITES:
21:120:201, 202 or permission of instructor.

REQUIRED TEXT:
Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger: Plant Physiology, 5th Edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. 2010. (NOT the earlier
editions!). This text is available as both a standard bound textbook and as a loose-leaf text.

GRADING POLICY:
Your grade for this course will be determined based on the categories listed in the table below.
Hourly Exams (2)

40

Final Exam

20

Laboratory

30

In-class Writing

10

TOTAL

100

ATTENDANCE, MAKE-UP, AND LATENESS POLICY:

Attendance is required in both lecture and lab. If you must miss class for a valid reason, please discuss making up
the missed material with your instructor as soon as possible.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES/GOALS:

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the following content areas in plant physiology: plant cell
structure and biochemistry; plant genome organization and gene expression; plant water relations; plant
mineral nutrition, transport processes, light and dark reactions in photosynthesis; carbon translocation and
carbon partitioning; respiration in plants, including photorespiration; assimilation of inorganic nutrients; plant
signal transduction; plant hormone biochemistry and mode of action; plant responses to the environment,
including light, temperature, and water.

Students will acquire and enhance specific laboratory skills including microscopy, spectrophotometry, tissue
culture, organelle isolation, chromatography, and bioassays.

Students will develop data analysis, statistical, and analytical skills including Excel spreadsheets and graphical
representations of experimental results.

Students will develop and enhance applications of the scientific method, including hypothesis formulation,
hypothesis testing and experimental design, data gathering and analysis, extracting conclusions from
experimental results.

Students will develop critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills through assessment of experiments and
scientific papers.

Students will develop skill in organizing data and recording experimental data by keeping an assessed
laboratory notebook.

Students will develop scientific writing ability through preparation of formal laboratory reports written in
established and acceptable scientific format with references to the appropriate scientific literature

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Lecture Syllabus/Fall 2014

120:330 Plant Physiology

WEEK
Week 1

LECTURE TOPIC

READINGS

Introduction; all about plant cells

Week 2

Plant genomes and gene expression

Week 3

Plant water relations

Week 4

Mineral nutrition

Week 5

Transport processes

Taiz and & Zeiger Chaps. 1 & 2

Taiz and & Zeiger Chaps. 1 & 2
Taiz and & Zeiger Chaps. 2 & 3
Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 5
Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 6

EXAM I (October 7th)

Week 6

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 7

Photosynthesis: light reactions and photosynthetic
electron transport

Week 7

Photosynthesis: dark reactions and carbon fixation

Week 8

Carbon translocation and carbon partitioning

Week 9

Respiration in plants

Week 10

Week 11

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 8

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 10
Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 11

EXAM II (November 6th)

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 12

Assimilation of inorganic components: nitrogen,

amino acid biosynthesis, and sulfur
Signal transduction and introduction to plant
hormones

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 14 & 19

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 17

Week 12

Plant responses to the environment

Week 13

Stress Physiology: drought, cold, salinity

Week 14

Stress Physiology: drought, cold, salinity (contd.)

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 26

Taiz and & Zeiger Chap. 26

Plant biology in the 21st century: Our charge

FINAL EXAM: DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Academic Dishonesty: The course has a zero tolerance policy for academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and
cheating. Instances of dishonesty will be punished by a zero on the assignment and consultation with the
Academic Integrity Officers to determine if further action is required. If you have any questions about what
constitutes plagiarism or cheating, please ask your instructors or refer to the academic integrity websites for Rutgers
and NJIT:
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/academic-integrity-at-rutgers
http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/
http://www.njit.edu/academics/integrity.php

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Laboratory Syllabus/Fall 2014

LAB INSTRUCTOR:

Mr. Anthony Cullen

EMAIL:

anthony.cullen@rutgers.edu
tel: 908 963-8684

OFFICE:

Boyden Hall :
Office Hours:

COURSE
WEBSITE:

Blackboard

COURSE
LOCATION:

Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

MEETING TIMES:

LSC 112

LABORATORY SEC 01: MONDAYS 1PM 3:50PM

LABORATORY SEC 02: TUESDAYS 10AM 12:50PM

LAB EXERCISE

WEEK
Week 1

Room 433
Wednesdays 1pm 3pm
and by arrangement

(hand-outs will be distributed in class and on Blackboard)

No lab
No lab
Introduction to Plant Physiology Laboratory: Lab safety; lab notebooks, laboratory
reports
Water Relations I: Tissue water relations in potato tubers*
Water Relations II: The pressure (Scholander) bomb for the determination of water
potential in non-stressed and water-stressed leaves*
Mineral Nutrition: Mineral nutrients and mineral deficiency symptoms
Stomatal Physiology: Potassium in guard cells
Plant Tissue Culture: Auxin/cytokinin balance in control of tobacco pith growth
The Light-Harvesting Apparatus: Isolation of photosynthetic pigments
Photosynthetic Electron Transport: Isolation of
chloroplasts and the Hill Reaction
Phytohormone Bioassays: Bioassay for gibberellins
No Lab (Thanksgiving week)

Week 13

Rooting of Herbaceous Stem Cuttings: Effects of naturally-occurring and synthetic

auxins

Week 14

Phytochrome and Phytohormone Effects: Lettuce seed germination: red/far-red

light effects*
Wrap-up, clean-up, and laboratory conclusion:
All lab reports and lab notebook due!

*Two laboratory reports will be required: 1) Water relations I and II (single report) and 2) Phytochrome and
Phytohormone Effects
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