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Semester 1
The Green Planet 2 (BILG08016)
Subject
Biology
College
SCE
Credits
20
Normal Year Taken
2
Delivery Session Year
2023/2024
Pre-requisites
Course Summary
The course is an introduction to modern plant biology that emphasises how plant science can be applied to improve crops and other useful plants, and how plants interact with other organisms. It contains a mix of basic plant biology, molecular biology, and whole organism biology. The course also includes an introduction to fungal biology and plant fungi interactions. Topics covered include plant hybridisation and evolution, nitrogen fixation, plant biomass exploitation, plant genetic manipulation, crop evolution and breeding, plant hormones and cell signalling, plant disease resistance. The Green Planet is not an ecology course, but does include significant whole organism content.
Course Description
Earth is a planet dominated by green plants, which form 99% of the biomass on earth. About half the worlds population are directly concerned with the production of useful plants. Plant science has undergone a revolution during the last thirty years, with the advent of molecular genetics and genomics technologies, and is now at the forefront of many key research areas, including biodiversity and biofuels. The two major themes of this course are how plants interact with other organisms, and the relevance of modern plant science and technology to a sustainable future for humanity. It contains a mix of basic plant biology, molecular biology, and whole organism biology. Note that The Green Planet is not an ecology or taxonomy course and that it contains significant molecular biology content. However, it does also include whole organism content.Seven sets of lectures, by specialists in the following fields, make up the body of the course: 1) plant form and stem cells, (2) photosynthesis and plant physiology, (3) plant evolution and hybridisation, (4) plant disease and its resistance, (5) plant breeding and crop improvement, (6) plant genomes and their manipulation, (7) biological roles and commercial exploitation of plant cell walls, and (8) how plants perceive and respond to their environment. We also include a series of guest lectures, typically from Plant Scientists working in industry or the applied sector, to illustrate the practical relevance of plant science and possible future careers.
Assessment Information
Written Exam 50%, Coursework 50%, Practical Exam 0%
Additional Assessment Information
Exam, essay and practical online test.
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