Università Roma Tre

Learning tasks
To increase knowledge concerning fundamental processes underlying plant life as well as provide students with basic expertise in experimental plant physiology. Plant Physiology has a primary importance in many scientific areas and applicative contexts such as plant molecular biology, plant breeding, pharmacology, plant pathology, agro-industrial biotechnology.

Expected learning outcomes: to describe theoretical aspects, in-depth knowledge, clarity of exposition, ability to apply the acquired knowledge to complex problems, language properties.

Course program
THE PLANT CELL (INCLUDING STRUCTURE, BIOGENESIS AND EXPANSION OF THE CELL WALL) - WATER AND PLANT CELLS (STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF WATER, DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS, WATER POTENTIAL) - WATER BALANCE OF THE PLANT (WATER IN THE SOIL, ABSORPTION OF THE 'WATER FROM THE ROOTS, WATER TRANSPORT THROUGH THE XYLEM, ACCLIMATION TO WATER DEFICIT IN THE SOIL, LAPLACE'S LAW, JURIN'S LAW, TRANSPIRATION, STOMATA: MORPHOLOGY, OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISMS - SOLUTE TRANSPORT (ELECTROCHEMICAL POTENTIAL, NERNST'S EQUATION, TRANSPORT PROCESSES, TRANSPORT PROTEINS) - PHOTOSYNTHESIS (GENERAL CONCEPTS, ORGANIZATION OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPARATUS, ANTENNA SYSTEMS, EXCITATION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN, Z SCHEME, REDOX POTENTIAL, WATER PHOTOLYSIS, PLASTOQUINONE: STRUCTURE/FUNCTION RELATIONSHIP, PROTON TRANSPORT AND ATP SYNTHESIS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEM REGULATION, DISSIPATION MECHANISMS, REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS) - PHOTOSYNTHESIS: CARBON REACTIONS (CALVIN-BENSON CYCLE AND ITS REGULATION, PHOTORESPIRATION, C4 CYCLE , CAM CYCLE , ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PHOTOSYNTHATES, STARCH AND SACCHAROSE BIOSYNTHESIS) - CELLULAR RESPIRATION (GLYCOLYSIS, PHOSPHATE PENTOSE PATHWAY, CITRIC ACID CYCLE, MITOCHONDRIAL ELECTRONIC TRANSPORT, CYANIDE RESISTANT RESPIRATION, ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE) - METABOLISM OF LIPIDS - TRANSLOCATION IN FLOEMA (WAYS OF TRANSLOCATION, MODEL OF PRESSURE FLOW, LOADING, DRAINING AND ALLOCATION) 'NITROGEN AND SULFUR, ASSIMILATION OF NITRATE AND AMMONIUM, BIOLOGICAL FIXATION OF NITROGEN, ASSIMILATION OF SULFUR AND PHOSPHATE, NUTRITIONAL DEFICIT- GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT - AUXIN: GENERALITIES AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION (POLAR TRANSPORT, EXTENSION GROWTH , PHOTOTROPISM, GRAVITROPISM) - GIBBERELLINES, CYTOKININES, ETHYLENE, ABSCISSIC ACID, BRASSINOSTEROIDS: GENERALITIES AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION- PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS, PHOTORECEPTORS AND RESPONSES TO VARIATIONS OF THE SPECTRAL QUALITY OF LIGHT - PHOTOPERIODISM - CONTROL OF FLOWERING.

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY (IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE)
LINCOLN TAIZ- EDUARDO ZEIGER
SINAUER ASSOCIATES (FIFTH EDITION)

FISIOLOGIA VEGETALE (IN LINGUA ITALIANA)
LINCOLN TAIZ- EDUARDO ZEIGER
PICCIN EDITORE IV EDIZIONE (TRADOTTO DALLA QUINTA EDIZIONE IN LINGUA INGLESE)

Rascio et al. Elementi di Fisiologia Vegetale EdiSES

Fisiologia Vegetale Applicata, Piccin

Learning tasks
To increase knowledge concerning fundamental processes underlying plant life as well as provide students with basic expertise in experimental plant physiology. Plant Physiology has a primary importance in many scientific areas and applicative contexts such as plant molecular biology, plant breeding, pharmacology, plant pathology, agro-industrial biotechnology.

Expected learning outcomes: to describe theoretical aspects, in-depth knowledge, clarity of exposition, ability to apply the acquired knowledge to complex problems, language properties.

Program of the lessons
THE PLANT CELL (INCLUDING STRUCTURE, BIOGENESIS AND EXPANSION OF THE CELL WALL) - WATER AND PLANT CELLS (STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF WATER, DIFFUSION AND OSMOSIS, WATER POTENTIAL) - WATER BALANCE OF THE PLANT (WATER IN THE SOIL, ABSORPTION OF THE 'WATER FROM THE ROOTS, WATER TRANSPORT THROUGH THE XYLEM, ACCLIMATION TO WATER DEFICIT IN THE SOIL, LAPLACE'S LAW, JURIN'S LAW, TRANSPIRATION, STOMATA: MORPHOLOGY, OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISMS - SOLUTE TRANSPORT (ELECTROCHEMICAL POTENTIAL, NERNST'S EQUATION, TRANSPORT PROCESSES, TRANSPORT PROTEINS) - PHOTOSYNTHESIS (GENERAL CONCEPTS, ORGANIZATION OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPARATUS, ANTENNA SYSTEMS, EXCITATION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN, Z SCHEME, REDOX POTENTIAL, WATER PHOTOLYSIS, PLASTOQUINONE: STRUCTURE/FUNCTION RELATIONSHIP, PROTON TRANSPORT AND ATP SYNTHESIS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC SYSTEM REGULATION, DISSIPATION MECHANISMS, REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND DEFENSE SYSTEMS) - PHOTOSYNTHESIS: CARBON REACTIONS (CALVIN-BENSON CYCLE AND ITS REGULATION, PHOTORESPIRATION, C4 CYCLE , CAM CYCLE, ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PHOTOSYNTHATES, STARCH AND SACCHAROSE BIOSYNTHESIS) - CELLULAR RESPIRATION (GLYCOLYSIS, PHOSPHATE PENTOSE PATHWAY, CITRIC ACID CYCLE, MITOCHONDRIAL ELECTRONIC TRANSPORT, CYANIDE RESISTANT RESPIRATION, ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE) - METABOLISM OF LIPIDS - TRANSLOCATION IN FLOEMA (WAYS OF TRANSLOCATION, MODEL OF PRESSURE FLOW, LOADING, DRAINING AND ALLOCATION) 'NITROGEN AND SULFUR, ASSIMILATION OF NITRATE AND AMMONIUM, BIOLOGICAL FIXATION OF NITROGEN, ASSIMILATION OF SULFUR AND PHOSPHATE, NUTRITIONAL DEFICIT- GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT - AUXIN: GENERALITIES AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION (POLAR TRANSPORT, EXTENSION GROWTH , PHOTOTROPISM, GRAVITROPISM) - GIBBERELLINES, CYTOKININES, ETHYLENE, ABSCISSIC ACID, BRASSINOSTEROIDS: GENERALITIES AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION- PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS, PHOTORECEPTORS AND RESPONSES TO VARIATIONS OF THE SPECTRAL QUALITY OF LIGHT - PHOTOPERIODISM - CONTROL OF FLOWERING.

Laboratory exercises:
1) Determination of water potential in glycophytes and halophytes, weight gain / loss method;
2) Quantum phenomena: Chlorophyll fluorescence;
3) Photosynthesis: preparation of thylakoid vesicles and their use in the Hill reaction;
4) Surface tension and capillarity: physical mathematical derivation of the law ofJurin and realization of a variable radius capillary that highlights the characteristics of a branch of equilateral hyperbole.
5) Determination of peroxidase enzymatic activity in pea epicotyl extracts: problems concerning the protein content in different portions of the organ.

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, Lincoln Taiz and Eduardo Zeiger, editor SINAUER ASSOCIATES (Sixth EDITION; in english language)


FISIOLOGIA VEGETALE, Lincoln Taiz e Eduardo Zeiger, editore PICCIN, QUARTA EDIZIONE ITALIANA (dalla Quinta edizione in lingua Inglese)

Topics of laboratory exercises:

1) Determination of the water potential in glycophytes and halophytes, weight gain / loss method;
2) Quantum phenomena: The fluorescence of chlorophyll;
3) Photosynthesis: preparation of thylakoid vesicles and their use in the Hill reaction;
4) Surface tension and capillarity: physical-mathematical derivation of Jurin's law and construction of a capillary with variable radius that highlights the characteristics of an equilateral hyperbola branch.
5) Determination of the peroxidase activity in different portions of the epicotyl of Pisum sativum: problems concerning the protein content in different portions of the organ.

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY (IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE)
LINCOLN TAIZ- EDUARDO ZEIGER
SINAUER ASSOCIATES (FIFTH EDITION)