BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 356
HORMONAL REGULATION OF PLANT GROWTH
96-2
The Course
The vascular plants are rooted organisms and have evolved to regulate their growth and
development taking cues from the environment. Plant hormones act as the chemical intermediaries
between perception of the environmental signal and the overt biochemical/morphogenetic response.
This course deals with the major classes of plant hormones, their chemical structure, metabolism,
transport in the plant; the common responses mediated by them; and the molecular basis of their
action. It also deals with the perception of environmental stimuli, light, gravity, time temperature,
etc., the relation of these stimuli to hormonal movement or supply, and transduction into visible
manifestations of growth or differentiation.
The course is suited to all students who have some knowledge of plant physiology and anatomy
(e.g., BISC 337, 366), basic biochemistry (BISC 201 or BICH 201), and experimental techniques
(e.g., BISC 329). It is open to GRADUATE STUDENTS but with prior approval.
Method of Instruction
- Lectures and group discussions, 3 hours/week.
- An open Lab. Experiments to be done in groups of 2 or 3. Time on an average ca. 4
hours/week. The Lab will focus on extraction, purification, bioassay of selected hormones, their
uptake and/or transfer, their role in regulation of gene expression, as well as on some practical
applications, such as induction of rooting, fruit ripening, leaf abscission.
Assessment
| Marks |
| Lab Reports (7) | 300 |
| Final (written exam, 3h) | 150 |
| TOTAL | 450 |