The Growth of Plants (U03433)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : BIO-4-PLGrowth

A study of the processes by which plants produce new biomass and grow in volume. There is emphasis on questions which are not yet completely answered and are therefore the subject of active current research. Attention is focused, where appropriate, on biochemical adaptations to harsh environments. The course is firmly based on a 'how to do it' approach, and you will learn basic methods for analysing important plant components. The main specific topics are: (a) Mechanism of plant cell expansion: turgor pressure and cell wall loosening. (b) Control of cell expansion: role of plant hormones and biologically active oligosaccharides. (c) Composition and assembly of the primary cell wall, an exquisite fabric; how are soluble polymers cross-linked to form a coherent wall? (d) Structural and informational glycoproteins surrounding the plant cell. (e) The roles of boron and vitamin C in plant growth. (f) Use of radiolabelling methods to monitor biochemical reactions in living plant cells as they grow. (g) Increase in plant biomass: we discuss how photosynthesising leaves control the distribution of fixed carbon between competing interests (housekeeping functions within the leaf, sucrose production for export via the phloem to supply the non-photosynthetic roots and seeds, and the manufacture of starch grains for storage purposes). (h) Photorespiration, a legacy of the Precambrian atmosphere: a metabolic 'mistake' cutting crop yields, or a valuable means of dissipating excess solar energy?