Instructor:  Dr. Stephen Lee
SSB 7107
291-4291
splee@sfu.ca
 

Course Description:

Plant physiology is an examination of plant function ranging in complexity from individual cells up to the whole plant. As relatively immobile organisms, plants must adapt to the prevailing environment and consequently have unique mechanisms to deal with non-ideal growing conditions. Both normal growth and development as well as how the plant responds and adapts to adverse conditions are major themes in plant physiology research. This course will focus on the major physiological processes occurring in plants grown under ideal conditions as well touch on the physiology of stress-adaptation. We will also look at how molecular biology is applied to analyze physiological processes.
 

Course Outline:

1. Introduction

2. Plant water relations.

- transport processes
- water potential
- transpiration

3. Photosynthesis and carbon utilization

- Photosynthetic pigments
- Photosystems I and II
- carbon metabolism
- ecological and agricultural considerations

4. Phloem transport

- translocation of assimilates
- carbon allocation
- plant productivity

5. Inorganic nutrition

- macro and micro nutrients
- nitrogen fixation

6. Plant responses to environmental stresses

- nutritional deficiency and excesses
- water stress
- temperature stress

Prerequisites:  BICH 222 (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry)
 

Required Textbook:  Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger. 1998. Plant Physiology (2nd ed). Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 0-87893-831-1
 

Grading:  Assignments (30%), Midterm exam (30%), Final Exam (40%)