| Unit name | Molecular Biology of Plant Development |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL31105 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lazarus |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. We recommend that students should normally have 120cps of appropriate Level 2 units in Biological Sciences including BIOL20005 (Molecular Methodology for Biologists). BIOL20011 (Cell and Developmental Biology) and BIOL20004 (Molecular Approaches to Biological Problems) are highly recommended. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Aim:
To examine topics in plant development that are of the greatest contemporary interest, revealing how the production of tissues and organs is controlled.
Description:
For decades botany was looked upon as a descriptive science belonging to a bygone era, but the advent of molecular genetics has profoundly revitalised the subject. It is now difficult to conceive of an area of plant science that cannot be advanced in some way by a molecular approach, but plant development is a subject in which the molecular approach has had the profoundest effect. In this unit we will examine topics in plant development that are of the greatest contemporary interest, revealing how the production of tissues and organs is controlled. Examples will include the induction of flowering and the determination of floral structures, and root development. Emphasis will be placed on gene discovery via molecular analysis of mutants of Arabidopsis, and on the nature and expression of the regulatory proteins that underpin developmental transitions and processes. Where appropriate, parallels will be drawn with developmental systems in animals, and routes for biotechnological exploitation will be discussed.
Successful completion of this course will provide students with insights into aspects of plant growth and development that are of the greatest contemporary interest. Students will have developed their understanding of advanced molecular genetic technology as applied at both fundamental and applied levels of modern plant biology, and this knowledge is of general applicability – transferable directly to the study and exploitation of other organisms.
Lectures, interactive seminars/workshops and independent study.
End of Session exam (100%)
Recently updated reading lists of primary and review articles are distributed to students at the start of the unit.
