Università Roma Tre

PLANT RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES
The effects of climate variations on plants. Plant responses to environmental stresses. Adaptation and acclimation in plants. Phenotypic plasticity. The plant cell. The cell wall: structure and role in cell expansion. Water and plant cells: the water potential. The osmotic behavior of plant cells. The water balance of the plant and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum: root water absorption, xylem transport (tension-cohesion theory), transpiration. Stomata: morphology, opening and closing mechanisms, regulation by environmental signals. Photosynthesis: reactions to light. General concepts, organization of the photosynthetic apparatus, antenna systems, reaction centers, excitation of photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic electron transport chain, Z scheme, redox potential. Formation of the proton gradient and synthesis of ATP in the chloroplast. The regulation of the photosynthetic process under excessive light: photoinhibition and photoprotection of PSII. Photosynthesis: carbon reactions. Calvin-Benson cycle, photorespiration, CO2 concentration mechanisms in C4 and CAM plants. Adaptations and acclimatization to abiotic stresses: water deficit, salt stress, excess water and oxygen deficiency, stress from high and low temperatures. Secondary metabolism: definition and ecological role of secondary metabolites. The main classes of secondary metabolites: terpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds and phenols.

The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

Luigi Sanità di Toppi. Interazioni piante-ambiente. PICCIN
Raven, Evert, Eichhorn - Biologia delle Piante - Zanichelli.
Pdf files of the lectures
Other material prepared by the teacher

Prof. Cona receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

Animal Physiology:
Introduction to the concept of internal/external environment and stress in animals. Phenotypic plasticity and definition of short term acclimatation and long-term adaptation. Homeostasis and mechanisms of animal response to variation of external environment. Mechanisms of integrated organismic response: nervous and endocrine system.
Animal physiological response to variation of chemical environmental factors. Oxygen: respiratory system and mechanism of ventilation. Cardiocirculatory system. Mechanism of sensing and response to oxygen low availabiity (hypoxia/anoxia) in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Examples of respiratory adaptations. Water and ions: mechanism of regulation of body water and electrolytes. Water and salinity tolerance. Examples of responses and adaptations to water and osmotic stress in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Animal physiological response to variation of physical environmental factors. Temperature: cellular and organismic effect of temperature. Mechanisms of response to temperature stress. Examples of responses and adaptations to low and high temperature in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

- Fisiologia ambientale degli animali Pat Willmer Graham Stone Ian Johnston, Zanichelli
- Fisiologia Animale A. Poli, E. Fabbri, C. Agnisola, G.Calamita, G. Santovito, T. Verri Edises