Module BO3104: Plant Cell Ultrastructure, Anatomy and Metabolism
| Co-ordinator: | Professor Michael Williams |
|---|---|
| Course Type: | Mandatory |
| Assessment: | 50% Examination, 50% Continual Assessment |
| ECTS: | 5 credits |
| Prerequisites: | None |
Contact hours:
| Lectures: | 22 hours |
|---|---|
| Practicals: | 16 hours |
| Essay (2,000 words): | 3 hours |
| Total | 41 hours |
Description:
This module covers both structural and metabolic aspects of plant structure from the individual cell to the whole plant. The first part addresses the ultrastructure of individual plant cells and their arrangement in tissue systems. The second part considers biochemical and physiological aspects of both primary and secondary metabolism. Supporting practicals are designed to develop understanding of plant cell ultrastructure and anatomy through the use of both light and electron microscopy. In addition students will be expected to design and undertake an experiment to investigate the regulation of key enzymes of primary metabolism in vivo. Continual assessment will be through a programme of practicals, tutorials and written assessments.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- Describe how plant and animal cells differ
- Describe how plant cells are constructed and arranged to form the essential organs of a plant
- Explain how pigment protein complexes are arranged in a chloroplast
- Explain how the measurement of fluorescence from photosystems can be used to understand the light reactions pf photosynthesis
- Describe the synthesis and regulation of key enzymes involved in the primary metabolism of a plant cell
- Discuss the complexity of secondary metabolism within a plant