DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

College of Science
Department of Biology

BOTAFUN – FUNDAMENTALS OF BOTANY

Prerequisite: None Prerequisite to: SYSTEMA, LBYBI12

Instructor: Maria Sandra Renee C. Tapia Class Schedule: T / F : 11:00-12:30

Consultation Hours: T/W/Th 2:00-4:00

Course Description
An introductory course dealing with basic principles related to structures, functions and processes necessary for an
understanding of the growth, development and reproduction in flowering plants. This is a 3-unit course with three-
hour lecture per week, delivered through hybrid mode.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, the student is expected to present the following learning outcomes in line with the
Expected Lasallian Graduate Attributes (ELGA)
ELGA Learning Outcome
Critical and Creative Thinker On completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to
Effective Communicator describe and explain the structures, functions and processes at the
Lifelong Learner level of the cell, tissue, organ and whole flowering plant system in
Service-Driven Citizen order to relate them with their growth, development and reproduction,
and eventually instill in him/her a deeper appreciation and respect for
the plants as living organisms.

Final Course Output

As evidence of attaining the above learning outcomes, the student is required to submit the following during the
indicated dates of the term.
Learning Outcome Required Output Due Date
On completion of the course, the student is 1. Group /individual Presentations Week 2, 5
expected to be able to describe and explain Delivery of assigned topics through
the structures, functions and processes at the appropriate media (video clip, role-
level of the cell, tissue, organ and whole playing, poem/song composition, etc.)
flowering plant system in order to relate them 2. Insight/Reaction Paper based on Week 2,4,9,12
with their growth, development and videos/documentary films seen
reproduction, and eventually instill in him/her a
deeper appreciation and respect for the plants 3) Mini-Review in Medical Botany Week 13
as living organisms.

Rubric for assessment

Excellent Very Satisfactory Satisfactory Poor

CRITERIA
(25-30) (20-24) (15-19) (0-14)
Set Objectives Objectives were set from the Objectives were Objectives were No objectives
start of the presentation, and set from the start set from the start were set from
were reviewed at the end if it of the of the the start of the
were achieved. Moreover, presentation, and presentation, but presentation.
the group highlighted the were reviewed at were not
significance of the report to the end if it were reviewed at the
their course. achieved. end if it were
achieved.
Content of New information was New information New information No new
Presentation learned from the was learned from were learned from information was
presentation, and was easy the presentation, the presentation, learned from the
to understand. Moreover, and was easy to but was hard to presentation.
the presentation was understand. understand.
concise.
Overall The presenters made sure The presenters The presenters The presenters
Performance everyone in class made sure made no attempt made no
of the Group understood the information everyone in class to assess if attempt to
they were sharing. understood the everyone in class assess if
 Moreover, they were very information they understood the everyone in
enthusiastic and were sharing. information they class
knowledgeable of their were sharing. understood the
report. information they
were sharing.
Multimedia The report was creatively The report was The report was The report was
and uniquely presented, with creatively and ordinary and very dull and boring.
the aid of a multimedia uniquely presented standard, but was
gadget. Moreover, it kept with the aid of a aided by a
everyone attentive. multimedia gadget. multimedia
gadget.

Additional Requirements
❑ Passing of major written assessments (long exams). No make-up for any missed quiz will be allowed. Long
exams may be made up provided the student presents an official excuse communication issued by the
COS/CLA Vice-Dean.
❑ Accomplishment/Submission of a Mini-Review in Medical Botany as directed by the teacher.
❑ Participation in class activities, e.g. group dynamics/presentations
❑ Regular class attendance. A student is considered dropped from the course if he/she has incurred more
than 2.5 weeks of absences.

Grading System
Scale:
Long Exams (4): 75% 92-100% 4.0
Performance Task 86-91% 3.5
(Quizzes/Reaction papers/Presentations/Attendance: 15% 80-85% 3.0
Project: 10% 75-79% 2.5
TOTAL: 100% 70-74% 2.0
Passing Grade: 60% 65-69% 1.5
60-64% 1.0
<60% 0.0

LEARNING PLAN

Learning Outcome Topic Wk (Mtg) Learning Activities

[Online [OL] /In-person [IP]
On completion of the Introduction to Botany 1 (1) OL PPT Presentation
course, the student is ● Botany as a scientific discipline Class Discussion
expected to be able to ● Subdisciplines of Botany
● Defining Attributes of Living Things Online resource:
describe and explain https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligen
● The Scientific Method ce
the structures, functions
● Criteria of Science
and processes at the Project Discussion:
level of the cell, tissue, Mini_review in General Botany
organ and whole
flowering plant system
in order to relate them The Chemical Composition of 1 (2) IP PPT Presentation
with their growth,
Plant Cells Class Discussion
development and ● Inorganic Compounds
reproduction, and ● Organic Compounds Video to watch:
eventually instill in ● Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, T he amazing ways plants defend themselves -
him/her a deeper Nucleic Acids Valentin Hammoudi - YouTube
appreciation and
respect for the plants as ● Plants’ Secondary Metabolites Journal Article to Read:
2 (1) OL Plant secondary metabolites and its
living organisms.
dynamical systems
of induction in response to environmental
factors:
A review Available at:
https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJAR/arti
cle-full-text-pdf/0F0007062355

The Plant Cell 2 (2) IP PPT Presentation

○ Cell Theory Class Discussion
3 (1) OL Video Clips
○ Functional Organization of Cells Poem/song composition on Plant
○ Prokaryotes & Eukaryotes cell
 ○ Plant cell and its defining
structures and functions
Biological Membranes 3 (2) IP PPT Presentation
● Fluid Mosaic Model Class Discussion
● Membrane Proteins Video Clips
● Passage of Materials Across
Biological Membranes
○ Passive, active and enzyme-mediated
transport mechanisms
LONG EXAM 1 4 (1) OL Online Exam via AnimoSpace
Metabolism in Cells 4 (2) IP PPT Presentation
Photosynthesis 5 (1) OL Class Discussion
○ The Nature of Light
○ Chloroplasts: The Sites of
Photosynthesis in Plants
○ Pigments: chlorophyll, accessory Film Viewing
pigments How to Grow a Planet: Life from
○ Light-dependent reactions: Light
photosystems, photo-
phosphorylation, end products
○ Carbon fixation: C 3, C4 and CAM
pathways
○ Photorespiration
○ The Global Importance of
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration 5 (2) IP PPT Presentation
● Aerobic Respiration Class Discussion
● Glycolysis
● The Citric Acid Cycle
● Electron Transport and Oxidative
Phosphorylation
● Anaerobic Pathways
● Other types of Respiration
● Regulation of Cellular Respiration
Cell Division 6 (1) OL PPT Presentation
● The Cell Cycle Class Discussion
● Mitosis and its phases (Poem / song composition on
● Meiosis and its phases
mitosis / meiosis)

LONG EXAM 2 6 (2) IP Online Exam via AnimoSpace

The Multicellular Plant Body 7 (1) OL

The Plant Body PPT Presentation

● Plant Cell Types Class Discussion
● Plant Tissues: Ground, Dermal,
Vascular
● Plant Organs
● Vegetative: Roots, Stems, Leaves
● Reproductive: Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
● Plant Systems: Root and Shoot
● Meristems: Types, functions, origins
and derivatives
● External & Internal Secretory
Structures
● Life Span: Annual, Biennial,
Perennial
● Habit: Herb, shrub, tree, vine, liana
The Vegetative Organs (Root, Stem, PPT Presentation
Leaf) Class Discussion
7 (2) IP
● Main Functions 8(1) OL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77zP
● Morpho-anatomical Features at
8(2) IP AtVTuI
Primary & Secondary Growth (Time Lapse-Beans)
● Modified Structures and Functions 9(1) OL
● Economic Importance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUo7
QaMM25w
(201 days in 5 minutes)

Film Show ing: BBC documentary on

“Plants”

Material Transport through Plant 9 (2) IP PPT Presentation

Body Class Discussion
 ● Short and Long-distance
Transport via Xylem Tissue
● Transpiration Stream
● Pressure Flow via Phloem Tissue

LONG EXAM 3 10 (1) OL Online Exam via AnimoSpace

The Reproductive Organs PPT Presentation

10 (2) IP Class Discussion
Flowers Online Resources:
https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_drori_the_beautiful_tricks
● Parts and variations _of_flowers
● Gametophyte Development & 11 (1) OL https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_drori_every _pollen_grain
_has_a_story
Pollination https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_be
● Outcrossing Mechanisms auty _of_pollination

● Co-evolution in Flowering Plants and Documentary Film

their Animal Pollinators How to Grow a Planet: The Power of
Flower

Fruits and Seeds 11 (2) IP PPT Presentation

● Development, Types, Dispersal 12 (1) OL Class Discussion
Mechanisms
● Seed Germination and Early Growth
Project Consultation 12 (2) IP
Project Submission 13 (1) OL (Infographic Poster)
13 (2) IP (Video Presentation)
LONG EXAM 4 14 OL Online Exam via AnimoSpace

References
Berg LR. (2012) Introduction to BOTANY (Phil. edition). Cengage Learning Asia PTE LTD.
Campbell N et al. (2018). Biology; A global approach. Pearson Benjamin Cummings. [eBook]
Mader S (2011). Concepts of Biology (2nd ed.) McGraw-Hill (International edition).
Mauseth, James D. (2016). Botany: an introduction to plant biology. [eBook]
Reece JB et al (2012). Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections (7th ed.).Pearson Education South Asia PTE.
LTD. (Phil. Edition).
Russel P et. al. (2011). Biology, the dynamic science (2nd ed.) Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning (Internatl Edition).

Online Resources
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs (How trees talk to each other | Suzanne Simard)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWOqeyPIVRo [How trees secretly talk to each other - BBC News]
https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_drori_the_beautiful_tricks_of_flowers
https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_drori_every_pollen_grain_has_a_story
https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination

Class Policies

● Honesty and integrity are integral components of the academic process.

● Proper decorum is to be observed among peers in all activities.
● Absence and tardiness are strongly discouraged.
● Attentiveness and active participation are critical to successful learning.
● The use of mobile phones and other electronic devices is not allowed during class hours, unless
necessary or upon the teacher’s approval.
● The policies on academic dishonesty, attendance, and behavior stipulated in your Student Handbook are
honored in this course.

Approved by:

DR. MARIQUIT DE LOS REYES

Chair, Department of Biology