Syllabus for: PLSS 425A Advanced Plant Physiology

Fall 2005, Section 001

INSTRUCTORS:
Dr. Andrew Wood
Department of Plant Biology
LS II 430, 453-5609
wood@plant.siu.edu
http://www.science.siu.edu/plant-biology/wood/index.html
Office Hours: By appointment

Dr. David A. Lightfoot
Department Plant and Soil and General Agriculture
Ag 145H, 453-1797
ga4082@siu.edu
http://www.coalab.siu.edu/genome/
Office Hours: MWF 9-11, 3-6 pm and by appointment

TEXT: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants (2000) Buchanan et al, 1^st Edition.

GRADING:

Course Work   50% (400)       Laboratory Work          30% (240)        Paper/Presentation        20% (160)

Test I               12.5%              1^st  lab report                10%                 Paper                           15%

Test II              12.5%              2^nd lab report                10%                 Oral Presentation            5%

Test III             12.5%              3^rd lab report                10%

Test IV             12.5%

            The Oral Presentation of your Research Paper will during the final day of LAB (12/2/03) from 13:00-16:30. Each presentation will be 20 minutes long (a 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions).
            Your grade will be based upon the evaluation of four (4) quarterly exams, three (3) assigned lab reports, one (1) assigned 15-page research paper, and a presentation based upon your research paper. Extra credit points can be earned from a small number of unannounced quizzes and/or assigned homework problems given throughout the semester. Letter grades will be determined according to the following scale:

720-800 pts. = A

640-719 pts. = B

560-639 pts. = C

440-559 pts. = D

000-339 pts. = F

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

            1. Gain an understanding of intermediary plant metabolism.

2. Study the relationship between plant metabolism and agricultural biotechnology.

3. Provide basic knowledge for biochemical techniques applied to plants.

LECTURE OUTLINE:

        Date         Lecture #          Topic                                      

·        M 8/18       Lecture 1          Intro to Biochemistry        

·        W 8/20      Lecture 2          Energy Production                

·        F 8/22        Lecture 3          Light-Harvesting I                                        

·        M 8/25       Lecture 4          Light-Harvesting II                                       

·        W 8/27      Lecture 5          Light-Harvesting III                                     

·        F 8/29        Lecture 6          Light-Harvesting IV             

·        M 9/1                                 LABOR DAY

·        W 9/3        Lecture 7          Light-Harvesting V

·        F 9/5          Lecture 8          Chlorophyll Biosynthesis

·        M 9/ 8        Lecture 9          Calvin-Benson Cycle I (Photosynthetic Carbon Reduction)          

·        W 9/10      Lecture 10        Calvin-Benson Cycle I (Photosynthetic Carbon Reduction)

·        F 9/12        Lecture 11        CO₂ Con. Mechanisms I

·        M 9/15       Lecture 12        CO₂ Con. Mechanisms II

·        W 9/17      Lecture 13        Photorespiration                                            

·        F 9/19        EXAM I (100 pts.) Lectures 1-12                                                      

·        M 9/22       Lecture 14        Carbohydrate Chemistry I               

·        W 9/24      Lecture 15        Carbohydrate Chemistry II                                      

·        F 9/26        Lecture 16        Carbohydrate Chemistry II                                      

·        M 9/29       Lecture 17        Carbohydrate Chemistry II                                      

·        W 10/1      Lecture 18        Carbohydrate Chemistry II              

·        F 10/3        Lecture 19        Hormone Biosynthesis I                                           

·        M 10/6       Lecture 20        Hormone Biosynthesis II

·        W 10/8      Lecture 21        Hormone Biosynthesis III

·        F 10/10      Lecture 22        TAKE HOME EXAM II (100 pts) Lecture 12-22 (AJW)

·        M 10/13     Lecture 23        Nitrogen Fixation (DAL) Selected Readings

·        W 10/15    Lecture 24        Dinitrogenase

·        F 10/17      Lecture 25        Early Nodulation

·        M 10/20     Lecture 26        Late Nodulation

·        W 10/22    Lecture 27        Nitrate reductase

·        F 10/24      Lecture 28        Nitrite reducatase

·        M 10/27     Lecture 29        Glutamine synthetase

·        W 10/29    Lecture 30        Glutamate synthase

·        F 10/31      Lecture 31        Nitrogen Transport

·        M 11/3       Lecture 32        Amino acid metabolism

·        W 11/5      Lecture 33        Aminoacid metabolism

·        F 11/7        Lecture 34        TAKE HOME EXAM III (100 pts) Lecture 23-32 (DAL)               

·        M 11/10     Lecture 35        Special Nitrogen Metabolism

·        W 11/12    Lecture 36        Phenolics

·        F 11/14      Lecture 37        Propanoids

·        M 11/17     Lecture 38        Terpenoids

·        W 11/19    Lecture 39        Alkaloids

·        F 11/21      Lecture **        Library Research

·        M 11/24, W 11/26, F 11/28    THANKSGIVING

·        M 12/1       Lecture 40        Flavonoids

·        W 12/3      Lecture 41        Lipids

·        F 12/5        Lecture 42        Library Research         

·        ****          FINALS WEEK         EXAM IV (100 pts.) Lectures 33-42 (DAL)

 FINAL EXAM, Wednesday, December 10^th 15:10-17:10