GDIC2009K Plant Physiology (Theory & Experiments)

Academic Year 2023/2024

Plant physiology is a science to study the principles of the life activities of plants. The major content of the course includes growth and development, metabolism and stress responses in plants. The course is given bilingually (Chinese-English) and introduces water relation, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, signal transduction of plant cells, plant growth substances, photo morphogenesis, vegetative growth, flowering, maturation, dormancy, senescence and stress responses etc.
01 Water Relations of Plants
1.1 Essential role of water
1.2 Translocation of water
1.3 Water potential
1.4 Water relations of the whole plant
1.5 Transpiration
02 Mineral Nutrients
2.1 Definition of relevant terms and role of nutrients.
2.2 How plants cell absorb mineral nutrients.
2.3 How mineral nutrients are transported within plants.
2.4 Assimilation of mineral nutrient.
03 Photosynthesis: The Acquisition of Carbon
3.1 Definition of photosynthesis.
3.2 Light absorption
3.3 Photosynthetic electron transport
3.4 Carbon reaction
3.5 Photorespiration
3.6 Alternative photosynthetic mechanisms and water use efficiency
04 Translocation and Distribution of Photoassimilates
4.1 The pathways, directions and transport forms of photoassimilates
4.2 The mechanism of translocation in the phloem
4.3 Photoassimilates loading and unloading
4.4 How photoassimilate allocation and partitioning are regulated
05 Respiration
5.1 What occurs during respiration
5.2 Stage of respiration
5.3 The mitochondria electron transport chain
5.4 Fermentation
5.5 Respiration in intact plants and tissues
07 Signal Transduction Pathway
7.1 What is a signal transduction pathway
7.2 Perception of a signal by a receptor
7.3 Trans-membrane signal transduction
7.4 Messenger systems
7.5 Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation
08 Plant Growth Substances
8.1 Auxins
8.2 Gibberellins
8.3 Cytokinins
8.4 Ethylene
8.5 Abscisic Acid
8.6 Other plant hormones and plant growth regulaters
09 The Influence of Light on Plant Development
9.1 Discovery and properties of phytochrome
9.2 Characteristics of different phytochrome-induced responses
9.3 Mechanisms of phytochrome action
9.4 UV-A/B light and UV-B responses
10 Plant Growth and Development
10.1 Cells expansion and cell differentiation
10.2 Plant vegetative development
10.3 Coordination of plant development
10.4 Plant movements
11 Plant Reproductive Physiology
11.1 Juvenility
11.2 Vernalization
11.3 Photoperiodism
12 Plant Maturation and Senescence
12.1 The development of seeds and their storage reserves
12.2 Fruit development and ripening
12.3 Seed dormancy
12.4 Senescence
12.5 Abscission of plant organs
13 Physiology of Plants under Stress
13.1 Plants, stress conditions and symptoms
13.2 Impacts of water stress and plant resistance to its effects
13.3 Plant responses to chilling and heat stress
13.4 Plant responses to salinity stress
13.5 Plant responses to pathogen attack