Content of lectures: The lecture will consist of several thematic sections covering different aspects of plant function: A) Introduction Biosphere as a solar-powered system, photosynthesis as global geochemical actor (carbon, oxygen); brief sketch of life evolution and its geological record related to photosynthesis (oxygen, coal, oil, carbonates etc.); the tree of life: bacteria, archaea, eukarya, evolution and characteristics of the plant cell. B) Plant function 1. Solar power-plants: the light-dependent reaction of photosynthesis. Basics of photochemistry, thermodynamics, redox chemistry; role of membranes, electron and proton transfer; principles of light utilization: light harvesting, reaction center, cytochromes, ATP synthesis; respiration 2. Enzymatic reactions of photosynthesis, carbon assimilation, RuBisCO, C3, C4, CAM pathways of carbon fixation. Non-RuBisCO-based carbon assimilation pathways from bacteria (e.g. reversed TCA) 3. Gas exchange and water transport. Basics of gas mechanics and hydraulics. Water movement between the plant, soil and atmosphere 4. Metabolism of macro/micronutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, sulfur etc.), metaloenzymes, acquisition of metals from environment; toxicity. C) Plant structure. Having established the main functions of plant organism such as light utilization, gas and water transport we can proceed to description of how the plant body is built in order to carry out its functions: 5. Structure and synthesis of polymer building blocks of the plant body: cellulose, pectin, lignin, proteins, lipids. Regulation of growth - chemistry of plant hormones. Basics of signal transduction (G-proteins etc.) regulation of gene expression. Plant growth and development, its regulation by environmental cues (e.g. response to light, gravitation). D) 6. Non-plant phototrophs - algae (and also bacteria); global importance for geochemical cycles, symbiotic interactions (e.g. coral reefs), secondary metabolites, algal blooms E) Plants in biotic interactions. 7. Plants-viruses, viroids; plants-bacteria (nitrogen fixation, Agrobacterium), plant-fungi (mycorrhiza, diseases); plant-plant (allelochemicals); plants-animal (defense, attraction, alkaloids, non-photosynthetic pigments etc.) 8. Plants and humans. Agriculture, mechanisms of herbicide action, environmental burden; biotechnology (resistance, metabolism, production of valuable compounds).
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Written action (comprehensive tests, clauses), Individual preparation for exam, Work with multi-media resources (texts, internet, IT technologies)
- Class attendance
- 20 hours per semester
- Preparation for exam
- 20 hours per semester
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