KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The City University of New York

Department of Biological Sciences

 

BOTANY

BIOLOGY 54

 

COURSE OUTLINE

FALL 2004

 

Professor:  Anthea M. Stavroulakis, Ph.D.

Office:  Room S-109

Telephone:  (718) 368-5095

E-mail:  AStavroulakis@kbcc.cuny.edu

 

          Biology 54 is a 4 credit course, with a laboratory component, open to students who have completed Biology 14 and Chemistry 11, and placement at Math 9 and English 12 levels or better.  It fulfills one of the two (Group V) laboratory course requirements for Biology majors.

 

                                                      COURSE GOALS

 

          Broad course goals listed below will give a perspective (direction) to your Botany studies.  Specific (topical) objectives will be given throughout the semester, to assist in your studies.

 

1.       An in depth study of plant anatomy.  Students will study plant structure: cells, tissues, organs and learn about plant genetics, metabolism, reproduction, development and physiology.

 

2.       To gain an understanding of the uses and roles plants have as food crops, as industrial products and commercially.  To learn what roles plants played from early agriculture to Gregor Mendel to biotechnology. 

 

3.       To learn the historical, licit and illicit uses for plants.  Herbal, religious and medicinal uses of plants will be studied.  Plants of superstition, myth and ritual will also be studied.

 

4.       Obtain a technical research foundation for students who further their studies in the botanical sciences.  Students will learn current techniques and methodologies utilized in botanical experimentation and applications to agriculture, biotechnology, medicine and scientific research.  Data collection, analysis and classroom presentation of results will be required.

Weekly course meetings consist of 3 hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory

 

Required Lecture Textbook:

                   Introductory Plant Biology.  Ninth Edition.  (2003)

                   Kingsley R. Stern.  [ISBN 0-07-290941-2]

                   McGraw-Hill, New York.

 

Required Laboratory Manual:

                   Laboratory Manual: Introductory Plant Biology.  Ninth Edition.  (2003)

                   Kingsley R. Stern.  [ISBN 0-07-290946-3]

                   McGraw-Hill, New York.

 

Optional Textbook purchase:

                   The Green World.  An Introduction to Plants and People.   (1987)

                   Richard M. Klein.  [ISBN 0-06-043713-8]

                   Harper Collins, New York.

 

 

GRADE CALCULATION

 

Lecture:                 Examinations (best 3:4)                     30%

                             Final                                                  20%

 

Laboratory:           Homework’s                                       25%

                             Reports                                              20%

                             Attendance/Participation/Technique    5%

                             ___________________________________________

                             TOTAL                                               100%

 

Homework’s and Reports:

          In laboratory, activities will require either: answering questions upon completion of the exercise, a written laboratory report of your experimentation and conclusion(s).  Individual assignments will be homework’s, and group assignments will be submitted in the form of a report.  Assignment details (additional information / due dates) will be provided in class.

 

Attendance / Participation / Technique:

          It is the students responsibility to attend all classes as per the colleges attendance / absence policy.  Classroom participation is welcome and encouraged, both during the lecture and laboratory periods.  This course will require specimen dissections, which should be done meticulously.  Your results depend on the quality of your techniques.

NOTES TO THE STUDENT

 

Safety:

          Observe all safety precautions, as instructed in the laboratory.  They are for your protection.  Each student is responsible for the proper and safe maintenance of their work area; bench tops and microscopes must be properly cleaned before and after use.

 

          A laboratory coat is required.  Students without a laboratory coat will not be allowed to conduct experimentation, and may be asked to leave the laboratory room.

 

          Weekly student clean up groups will oversee that the laboratory room has been left clean, with bench tops cleared of used materials.  The clean up groups will rotate – everyone will have a chance to remind their peers to clear up!

 

 

Additional Laboratory Hours:

          Our class is scheduled to meet Tuesday’s, 6-9:00pm in room S201 for laboratory, and Thursday’s, 6-9:00pm in Room S136.  Sometimes we will work in the laboratory on Thursdays (announced during lecture).

 

          Certain laboratory exercises and assignments will require you to come in and work additional hours.  You are expected to devote your time to complete the projects.  In many cases, you will be part of a group.  Each individual is expected to make an equitable contribution to on going group projects.

 

 

Deadline Dates:

          Deadline dates and format for homework’s and reports will be provided separately.  Assignments submitted after the due date will have 10% reduction / per week it’s late.  Lecture examinations and final examination dates will be announced in class.  There are no make-up examinations given; a missed lecture exam will be assigned a grade of zero, which would count as the lowest grade to be dropped for your course grade calculation.

 

 

College Calendar Considerations (a few relevant to our class meetings):

          There are no classes after 4pm on Wednesday, September 15th, or, on Thursday September 16th and 17th.  There are not classes on Monday October 11th (Columbus Day).  Tuesday, November 9th, classes follow a Friday schedule.  There are no classes on Thursday November 25 or, on Friday November 26th (Thanksgiving). The last day of class is Thursday December 9th.  The finals exam period is December 14th to 17th; the date, time and room of your final will be announced in class.

LECTURE TOPICS AND SEQUENCE*

 

(* Additional topical readings (supplements) will be distributed in class)

 

Let us begin with a seed…

 

Week #                 Lecture / Recitation Topic                                     Chapter (Pages) in Textbook

 

  1      Introduction – Botany as a Science                                                     1

                   Seeds                                                                                                  8 (147-151)

 

And the germinated seed divides, differentiates and grows…

 

          Cell Structure, Components and Communication                               3

 

          Tissues – Meristematic, Simple and Complex                                       4

 

2                   Roots and Soils – Structure, Specialized roots and Soils                                 5

 

Stems – Tissue patterns, specialized stems and wood                                     6

                             Paper made from wood – writing words

                   Rubber – Sulfur: Automobile Tires and Latex

                   Sugars and Syrups

 

3                    Stems – (continued)      

 

          Leaves – Leaf structure, types and arrangements                                            7

                             Quinine, Salicylic acid, Cocaine, Tobacco, Pot

                             Herbs and Herbalists, Tea

 

          4        Leaves – (continued)

                  

                   Growth – Plant Hormones, Nutrients and Vitamins                                      11

                   Plant movements (growth, turgor, photoperiodism and taxis)

 

5        Plant Metabolism                                                                               10

         

          Plants of Superstition, Myth and Ritual                                                        supplement

                             Doctrine of Signatures, the Tree of Life, the Caduceus

                             the lotus, the lily and peyote

Reproduction - the mature plant will form reproductive structures…

          Flowers attract pollinators

 

6        Meiosis and Alternation of Generations                                                        12

 

          Genetics                                                                                             13

                   Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics, Mendelian Genetics

 

7        Plant Breeding and Propagation                                                                   14

                   Crop plant evolution

 

  8      Medicinal Plants - Useful and Poisonous plants, [fungi and algae]                Appendix 3

                             opium, the tomato family, ergot, foxglove and rat poison

 

Fertilization, embryo and fruit formation…

 

9                 Flowers, Fruits and Seeds                                                                     8

                   Flower structure, Types of Fruits

                   Fruit and seed dispersal – wind, animals, water and other mechanisms  8 (143-147)

 

New seeds are produced and dispersed - the cycle continues…

 

  10    The Staffs of Life – Crop Plant Evolution                                                     14 (254-6)

                             wheat, bread, rice, maize, other grains and seeds, soybeans

                   Supermarket Botany – Plants/Plant parts used as food and beverages

                             Herbs, spices, the potato, coffee, chocolate, cola

 

                   Booze – wine, whiskey and beer                                                          supplement

 

                   Nutritional Values of selected plants                                                  Appendix 4

         

          11       Plant Systematics                                                                               16

         

                   Kingdom Survey:                                                                                20, 21,

                             Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Angiosperms               22 & 23

 

          12      Plants in the Environment                                                                           25, 26

                             Floods, Dust, Shade Trees, Tropical Lands

                  

                   Summary and Course Evaluation

 

LABORATORY EXERCISES AND SEQUENCE

 

                                                                                                                   Exercise #/pages in

Week #                           Activities                                                              Laboratory Manual

 

  1                Discussion of Individual and Group Term Projects,

 [9/14]                                     Activities and Assignments

Anatomical Study – Seed ID Kit

Seed / Seedlings – Anatomical Study

                             Arabidopsis thaliana project set-up and discussion                     supplement

                   Photosynthetic pigments – Thin Layer Chromatography           Exercise #10

                   Vernalization - Plant Tulipa plant bulbs                                    supplement

                             Research and Greenhouse facilities – Introduction

 

  2               Plant Cancer                                                                             Kit

[9/21]                   Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infection                                                          supplement

Irradiated Seeds                                                                         Kit

Demonstration of seeds from various taxa to be germinated

for plant systematics laboratory exercise

 

  3               Plant tissues: Meristematic                                                                 Exercise # 3

[9/28]                  Organelles and DNA: Isolation of chloroplasts, mitochondria

                                      and genomic DNA                                                          Kit

                   Plant Anatomy – Roots                                                            Exercise # 4

 

 4                Plant Anatomy – Stems                                                            Exercise # 5

[10/5]                  Plant Anatomy – Leaves                                                           Exercise # 6

                                      Carnivorous plants; African Violet; Aloe vera

                   Plant Anatomy – Stomata                                                        Exercise # 6

 

  5               Plant Systematics and Survey of Selected Specimens:                           Exercise # 13,

[10/12]                          Algae, Bryophyta, Fern Allies, Ferns, Gymnosperms                            16, 17

Plant Transport – Daucus, Celery, Carnation                             supplement

                   Plant Cell Culture (embryo culture)                                         Exercise # 7

 

6                                            Pteris vittata spore culture                                                        supplement

[10/19]                 Cell Division and Development:

                             Mitosis and Meiosis                                                         Exercise # 3, 12

                   Irradiated somatic chromosomes                                                         supplement

7                                            Cell Division and Development:                                                          Exercise # 7

[10/26]                Propagation (leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, tubers,

air layering)

Serotinous Cones (demonstration)

                   Pteris vittata spore culture (continued)

 

          8                 Influences on Growth and Development – Hormones                Exercise # 9

[11/2]                   Anatomy – Flowers

African violets and other available specimens                             Exercise # 18

Anatomy – Fruit                                                                      Exercise # 19

                             Pteris vittata spore culture (continued)

 

  9               Plant Growth and Development:

  [11/16]                Soil Texture                                                                    supplement

Bacterial content of growth media                                  supplement

                             Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (demonstration)

 

10                                       Campus Field Trip                                                                     supplement

[11/23]        DNA Isolation – [Electrophoresis next week]

 

11                Gel Electrophoresis of DNA isolated from campus specimens     Kit

          [11/30]                 Introduction and Gel Loading practice

 

12                Identification of Selected Plant Specimens                                Key (p. 205ff)

[12/7]                   Food Science – Color Change in Vegetables                               supplement

                    Processing Comparisons – Sugar, Coffee and Tea                        supplement

                   Summary and Evaluation of semester's work

 

 

 

Additional (optional) Activities:

                   Web-based projects:

                             Textbook On line Resources     

                             TBA [e.g.: Isolation of DNA from plants – done in your home]

 

                   Field Trips:

                             American Museum of Natural History

                             Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

 

          Dates and further information will be provided during the semester.

Tentative Lecture Examination Dates

 

Lecture Examination 1 (Thursday, September 30, 2004):

Seeds, Cell structure, Tissues, Roots, Stems and Leaves

 

Lecture Examination 2 (Tuesday, October 19, 2004):

Metabolism, Plants of Superstition, Myth and Ritual, Genetics and Propagation

 

Lecture Examination 3 (Thursday, November 4, 2004):

Medicinal Plants, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

 

Lecture Examination 4 (Thursday December 9, 2004):

Plant evolution, nutrition, systematics, classification and the environment

 

Final Examination – Date TBA (cumulative)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                               

 

 

 

                            

 

                              Finished …
KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The City University of New York

Department of Biological Sciences

 

                                          BOTANY

                                                BIOLOGY 54

 

                                               STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE

                                                             FALL 2004

 

                                               Anthea M. Stavroulakis, Ph.D.

 

          Welcome to Botany !  In an effort to learn your expectations in this course, in the space below, please tell me what you would like to learn in this class.  Is there a particular topic or question you would like addressed or answered?  I will review these sheets, and make every effort to address your interests.  Thank you.