General Botany (Biology 316)

Fall 2007

MWF 1-1:50 p.m. (Strain 224); lab W 2 - 5 p.m. (Strain 216)

Welcome to Plant Biology! In this course, we will explore the amazing diversity, form, and function of vascular and nonvascular plants. We will focus on the evolutionary innovations that distinguish different taxonomic groups of plants; the unique adaptations that plants use to make food, grow, and reproduce; and the “behaviors” of plants that allow them to respond to their environment. We will also discuss ways that plants are important to humans, ranging food and lumber to sequestering carbon dioxide. We’ll end with an in-depth exploration of crop plants, including the science and politics of biotechnology.

Throughout the course, I will emphasize four key concepts related to plant biology:

  1. The interaction of plant anatomy and the functions of those structures determine how plants meet the basic requirements of life (survival, growth, and reproduction).
  2. Plants succeed even though most are not mobile because their physiological processes allow them to respond to constant changes in light, temperature, soil resources, and interspecific interactions.
  3. Current plant diversity can be explained as a result of evolutionary innovations that allowed plants to exploit new environments or respond to changing conditions.
  4. Although facts are important in plant biology, advances in knowledge depend critically on understanding both underlying concepts and the scientific methods used to test them.

 

Lab schedule

Note: Find more information on some topics we discuss in class on the "Links" page.

Course goals

I have designed course assignments and activities to help students achieve specific goals. By the end of the course, I expect students will be able to:

You should use these goals to check your learning during the course. At the end of the semester, you’ll evaluate how well you achieved them.