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CODE 111865
ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR BIO/04
LANGUAGE Italian
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER 2° Semester
TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide the fundamental concepts of plant biology in higher plants and to introduce the most common biotechnological approaches applied in the field of plants.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to present plant biology through the study of morphology, anatomy, developmental biology, and key topics in the physiology of higher plants. Additionally, biotechnological aspects applied to the plant world will be addressed to describe the significant genetic variability present in plants. The goal is to highlight how the provided information can be used in domestication processes, improvement systems, and the selection of ornamental species.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures.

Possible educational visits (based on availability and compatibility with the number of students) to the botanical garden of the University of Genoa, the Institute of Biophysics of CNR, CREA (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics) in Sanremo, and the company Biancheri Creazioni in Sanremo.

Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, shall reach out to the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department before class begins, in order to liase and arrange the specific teaching methods and ensure proper achievement of the learning aims and outcomes.

Please refer to the specific AulaWeb notice for the course for any updates due to changes in the health and epidemiological situation.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

- Introduction to plant biology: how a plant works, similarities and differences between plants and animals; systematic classification of major plant taxa.

- Characteristics and peculiarities of plant cells: in-depth study of the primary and secondary cell wall; vacuole and plastids.

- Plant tissues.

- Root, stem, leaves, flower: characteristics and functions; mechanisms of transport and nutrition in plants.

- General aspects of photosynthesis: light and metabolic reactions. C4 plants, CAM plants.

- Male and female floral structures.

- Plant growth and development: tropisms, plant hormones, plant photoreceptors, responses to herbivores and pathogens.

- Biotechnological aspects: plant diseases and strategies for their control, biotic adversities and abiotic stress, brief overview: introduction of traits beneficial to farmers and consumers, issues of food safety, secondary metabolites and plants as chemical factories.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Plant Biology:

- Solomon et al. "Struttura e processi vitali nelle piante", EdiSES, 2017

- Morris et al. “Come funziona la vita. Piante e Funghi.”, Zanichelli, 2021

- Taiz, Zeiger, Moller e Murphy “Elementi di Fisiologia Vegetale”, Piccin, 2016

 

Plant Biotechnologies:

- Lionetti e Bellincampi “Fisiologia Vegetale Applicata.”, Piccin, 2021

- Chrispeels e Gepts “Agricoltura sostenibile attraverso le biotecnologie”, Piccin, 2021

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ARMANDO CARPANETO (President)

GABRIELE CASAZZA

LAURA CORNARA

LESSONS

LESSONS START

II semester, March.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination.

 

Please refer to the specific AulaWeb notice for the course for any updates due to changes in the health and epidemiological situation.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Discussion of a PowerPoint presentation covering topics in plant biology and biotechnologies.