Undergraduate Course: Applied Plant Biology 3 (BILG09020)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will cover the physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry of higher plants and their interactions with microorganisms. This course particularly explores the aspects of biology that makes plants unique. It also highlights research areas that may be particularly relevant to agricultural biotechnology. |
| Course description |
Applied Plant Biology 3 is a course about the physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of higher plants. It is also about developing your skills in thinking about how best to make accurate and informative observations, and thinking logically and critically about how to assemble experimental observations into an understanding of plant life.
The course particularly explores aspects of plants that make them unique. It is centred on a study of how plants work, and especially the molecular processes underlying plant growth and development. It also looks at how plants interact with the physical conditions of their environment and with the micro-organisms that share their environment.
By the end of the course, students should know the basic features of light signalling, the assimilation of nitrogen compounds in plants, the methods and applications of plant genomics, the responses of plants to pathogenic and symbiotic micro-organisms, and the movement of organic substances and pathogens between cells and over long distances.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Equivalent of the courses listed above |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2016/17, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Five items of In-Course Assessment: 4 practical reports, 1 essay
One 2-hour examination. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Applied Plant Biology 3 | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Applied Plant Biology 3 | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will learn the basic features of light signalling and the assimilation of nitrogen compounds in plants
- Learn the methods and applications of plant genomics, the responses of plants to pathogenic and symbiotic micro-organisms.
- Learn about the movement of organic substances and pathogens between cells and over long distances.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding: All components of the course provide this to some degree but your lectures, in particular, provide an important framework upon which you can build these attributes. This University considers itself to be a research-led Institution and you will be exposed to cutting edge information and ideas as you progress through your degree course. In this course you will develop a comprehensive knowledge of the basic functions of plants, including; how plants take up minerals and translocate solutes, how plants respond to light, the complex interplay between plants and pathogens, and the molecular basis of signalling in plants. By the end of the course, you should have an in-depth understanding of how plants ¿work¿, backed up by numerous examples from the current literature.
Research and Enquiry: These skills are enhanced by encouraging further reading of books, research papers and electronic materials. An essay, based on a current ¿hot topic¿ in Plant Physiology, will allow you to develop your enquiry skills and develop your own views of the subject. This will allow you to search the literature and condense your views. Understanding how to use Web of Knowledge will, in part, prepare you for these aspects. It provides a route to surveying current and past scientific arguments, in an appropriate context, and provides the foundation for hypothesis-driven analysis.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy: By reading and preparation of materials for tutorial sessions, you will learn to synthesise your own views, develop reasoned arguments and further refine your scientific judgement. A number of feedback sessions are offered, both during practical and lecture time, allowing students to voice their opinions and views on the subjects discussed. In addition, we encourage self-development through use of past test papers, and a specific session is offered on how best to tackle exam questions. Such skills will enhance your capacity for life-long and independent learning.
Communication: It is important that you develop skills to interact constructively with others and convey knowledgeable and balanced scientific views. During the course, you will gain experience in oral presentation skills by both presenting and listening to short talks. Constructive feedback is supplied during these sessions by both staff and fellow students.
Personal Effectiveness: The ability to organise and summarise your thoughts and material in a flexible and accessible way are core features that are required for personal effectiveness. Planning, time management and reflection are central to this. By providing you with a timetable where key submission dates are highlighted, we encourage you to develop your effectiveness throughout this course. These same skills extend to other courses and also to your overall ability to maximise your achievement whilst studying at this University.
Technical and Practical Skills: In order to continue in a scientific career it is important that you not only understand the conceptual basis of how experiments are designed and carried out but also that you have the underpinning practical skills required for employability. Our course has a major lab component which is designed to prepare your for this. Your laboratory training provides skills in microscopical observation, the use of plant transformation techniques, numerical handling of data and basic molecular techniques. The lab skills you develop from your practical sessions, in critical observation, investigation and interpretation, careful recording, quantification and analysis, should serve you well in any future employment.
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
20 lectures in four blocks of five. Each block has two or three associated practical sessions.
Three tutorials covering essay topics and student talks. |
| Keywords | APB3 |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Attila Molnar
Tel: (0131 6)50 5335
Email: Attila.Molnar@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Kathleen Lloyd
Tel: (0131 6)50 8649
Email: Kathleen.Lloyd@ed.ac.uk |
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