Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Plant Physiology and Metabolism
Code: 44780Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Plant Biology, Genomics and Biotechnology | OP | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Eliana Carolina Bianucci Ovando
- Email :
- eliana.bianucci@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Mercè Llugany Olle
- Isabel Corrales Pinart
- Soledad Martos Arias
- Eliana Carolina Bianucci Ovando
- Albert Gargallo Garriga
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of plant biology, plant physiology and biochemistry.
Objectives
To acquire an integrated understanding of plant function at the molecular, metabolic, and physiological levels, based on the comprehension of the main physiological and metabolic processes, their regulation by internal and external factors, and their application to the study of the plant phenotype.
Learning outcomes
- CA01 (Apply biotechnological cell factory methods to plants and fungi to obtain new secondary metabolite products that are useful in the pharmaceutical and food industries.) Apply biotechnological cell factory methods to plants and fungi to obtain new secondary metabolite products that are useful in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
- CA02 (Work in a multidisciplinary team while respecting the universal accessibility of all people in the field of plant physiology and metabolism.) Work in a multidisciplinary team while respecting the universal accessibility of all people in the field of plant physiology and metabolism.
- KA01 (Describe transport processes and characterise the regulation of plant metabolism.) Describe transport processes and characterise the regulation of plant metabolism.
- KA02 (Identify and evaluate sex/gender inequalities in the field of plant biology.) Identify and evaluate sex/gender inequalities in the field of plant biology.
- SA01 (Manage bibliographic information and computer resources in the field of plant physiology and metabolism.) Manage bibliographic information and computer resources in the field of plant physiology and metabolism.
- SA02 (Apply knowledge of secondary metabolites of plants for industrial and biotechnological uses.) Apply knowledge of secondary metabolites of plants for industrial and biotechnological uses.
- SA03 (Select and apply plant models to the study of functional mechanisms in plants.) Select and apply plant models to the study of functional mechanisms in plants.
- SA04 (Apply the most appropriate experimental tools to the study of plant phenotyping.) Apply the most appropriate experimental tools to the study of plant phenotyping.
Contents
Theory
1. Plant Cell Wall
- Structure, composition and functions.
- Biosynthesis, assembly and remodeling of the cell wall.
2. Plant Water Relations
- Water potential and its components.
- Water uptake, transport and plant water status.
3. Photosynthesis
- Light reactions.
- Carbon fixation (Calvin–Benson cycle).
- Regulation of photosynthesis.
4. Respiration and Photorespiration
- Respiratory metabolism.
- Photorespiration and its physiological significance.
5. Nitrogen and Sulfur Metabolism
- Uptake, assimilation and regulation.
- Integration with plant metabolism.
6. Secondary Metabolism
- Major biosynthetic pathways.
- Biological functions and biotechnological applications.
7. Plant Hormones
- Biosynthesis, signalling and physiological functions.
- Regulation of plant growth and development.
8. Plant Phenotyping
- Physiological and metabolic phenotyping.
- Phenotyping tools and platforms and their applications in plant research.
Laboratory practicals
Practice 1. Plant Water Relations and Photosynthetic Performance
- Water and osmotic potential measurements.
- Chlorophyll fluorescence (PAM) and photosynthetic performance.
- Evaluation of plant physiological status.
Practice 2. Plant Stress Assessment
- Determination of physiological stress markers.
- Vital staining, callose deposition and haematoxylin staining.
Practice 3. Plant Metabolomics
- Introduction to metabolomics.
- Chromatographic analysis of plant metabolites.
- Data interpretation and applications.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical classes | 18 | 0.72 | KA01, KA02 |
| Personal study, consultation and analysis of articles and reports | 87.5 | 3.5 | KA01, SA01 |
| Laboratory practices | 9.5 | 0.38 | CA02, SA04 |
| Seminars | 10 | 0.4 | CA01, CA02, KA01, KA02, SA01, SA02, SA03 |
| Preparation of seminars and reports | 24 | 0.96 | CA02, KA01, KA02, SA01, SA02, SA03 |
The course combines lectures, seminars, laboratory practicals, supervised activities and a visit to a research institution to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in plant physiology and metabolism.
Lectures
During the lectures, the teaching staff will present the theoretical contents described in the Contents section. Students are encouraged to complement these sessions through independent study and consultation of the recommended scientific literature.
Seminars
The seminars are designed to promote critical thinking through the discussion of scientific papers, the analysis of current topics and student presentations related to plant physiology and metabolism.
Laboratory practicals
Laboratory sessions provide hands-on training in experimental techniques for the analysis of plant water relations, photosynthetic performance, plant stress physiology and metabolomics, with emphasis on data interpretation.
Visit to a research institution
Students will visit a research institution to become familiar with advanced facilities, experimental approaches and current research in plant biology, genomics and biotechnology.
Supervised activities
Supervised activities provide guidance for the preparation of seminars, reports and other course-related activities, helping students to consolidate and integrate the knowledge acquired throughout the course.
Tutorials
Tutorials will be arranged upon request to clarify concepts, discuss scientific literature and provide academic guidance throughout the course.
Note: Fifteen minutes of one class, within the timetable established by the Faculty/Master's programme, will be reserved for students to complete the institutional teaching and course evaluation surveys.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report of laboratory activities | 20% | 0 | 0 | CA01, CA02, SA01, SA02, SA04 |
| Written exam on the content of the theoretical classes | 40% | 1 | 0.04 | KA01, KA02, SA02 |
| Attendance and participation in classes and seminars | 10% | 0 | 0 | CA02, SA04 |
| Individual presentation at the seminar | 30% | 0 | 0 | CA01, KA01, SA01, SA02, SA03 |
The final grade will be calculated as follows:
- Written examination: 40%
- Attendance and participation in lectures and seminars: 10%
- Continuous assessment activities in seminars: 30%
- Laboratory practical report: 20%
Written examination
The written examination will assess the theoretical knowledge acquired throughout the course, as well as the students' capacity for analysis, synthesis and critical reasoning. The examination may include multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, concept integration and the interpretation of experimental data. A minimum mark of 5.0/10 in the written examination is required to pass the course. Students who do not pass the written examination may retake it during the official resit examination.
Seminars
Attendance at seminars is mandatory. The continuous assessment activities carried out during the seminars are not recoverable.
Absences that are duly justified according to UAB regulations will not result in any penalty. In the event of an unjustified absence, the grade corresponding to the seminar assessment will be reduced as follows:
- 1 absence: 20% reduction.
- 2 absences: 40% reduction.
- 3 absences: 80% reduction.
- More than 3 unjustified absences: the seminar assessment will be considered failed.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Restricted use: In this course, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies may only be used as support tools for literature searches, information retrieval, language editing, translation, writing improvement or content organization. They may not be used to generate, either totally or partially, the answers to examinations, laboratory reports, seminar presentations or any other assessable activities requiring the student's own analysis, interpretation of results or scientific reasoning.
Students must clearly disclose any use of AI tools, specify the tools used and briefly describe how they contributed to the development of the activity. Failure to disclose the use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in partial or total penalties in the assessment of the activity, or more severe disciplinary measures in serious cases.
Academic misconduct
Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, unless such use is explicitly authorized in the course guide) that may lead to a significant alteration of the assessment will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment activity. If passing the course requires obtaining a minimum grade in that assessment activity, or if multiple irregularities are committed in assessment activities of the same course, the final course grade will be 0. In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against the student.
Single Assessment
This course does not provide a single assessment option.
Bibliography
Basic bibliography
- Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M. & Murphy, A. (2018). Plant Physiology and Development. 7th Edition. Oxford University Press.
- Buchanan, B.B., Gruissem, W. & Jones, R.L. (2015). Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of Plants. 2nd Edition. Wiley Blackwell.
- Jones, R., Ougham, H., Thomas, H. & Waaland, S. (2013). The Molecular Life of Plants. Wiley-Blackwell.
Supplementary bibliography
- Barceló, J., Nicolás, G., Sabater, B. & Sánchez, R. (2001). Fisiología Vegetal. Ediciones Pirámide, Madrid.
- Barceló, J. (2010). Perspectivas y retos de estudio en Fisiología Vegetal. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Fisiología Vegetal, 51, 35–44.
- Grierson, C.S., et al. (2011). One Hundred Important Questions Facing Plant Science Research. New Phytologist, 192, 6–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03859.x
- Fiorani, F. & Schurr, U. (2013). Future Scenarios for Plant Phenotyping. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 64, 267–291. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-050312-120137
- Hall, R.D. (2011). Plant Metabolomics in a Nutshell: Potential and Future Challenges. In R.D. Hall (Ed.), Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 43: Plant Metabolomics (pp. 1–24). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444339956.ch1
Software
No special software required
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLABm) Practical laboratories (master) | 1 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEMm) Seminars (master) | 1 | English | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (VEXTm) Visites externes a entitats (màster) | 1 | English | first semester | afternoon |