500353 - GENERAL BOTANY

courses

ID:

500353

Duration (hours):

52

CFU:

SSD:

BOTANICA AMBIENTALE E APPLICATA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 12/06/2026)

Course Objectives

The main objective of the course is to give a deep knowledge of plant organisms. At the end of the course students will acquire theoretical and practical skills about plant biology and botany, with the following learning outcomes: • Knowledge about plant structure, with particular reference to vascular plants, and understanding of their inner organization, through the study of plant cells, the composition and the variety of plant tissue and the anatomy of plant organs, with reference to adaptations to the environment. • Knowledge of specific language to use for describing plants, from the microscopic to the macroscopic level. • Ability in applying knowledge in the identification and interpretation of plant structures, based on pictures, schemes of anatomical table.

Course Prerequisites

Fundamentals of Biology, with particular reference to cells structure and composition (Module Citologia e Istologia of the course Biologia animale).

Teaching Methods

The course includes lectures and laboratory activities. Lectures are based on Power Points presentations, which are available for the students on the moodle platform KIRO, in the course section, after the lesson has been held. During laboratory activities, students are guided in preparing microscope slides from fresh plant material, using different techniques (in toto, peelings, sections) with and without staining. Observations of the slides under the optical microscope is guided by specific explanations, pointing the most important elements of the preparation. To attend lectures and laboratory activities is strongly recommended. For students with specific needs, who cannot attend the teaching activities in person and applied for Inclusive Teaching Modes (Modalità Didattiche Inclusive), appropriate learning material for fruitful self-study will be available. If requested, the self-study could be supported by tutoring or supplementary teaching activities, and devoting meeting, online too, with time flexibility depending on the needs.

Assessment Methods

Learning is verified through a written test composed of different type of questions: • True-or-false questions, verifying the student ability to address punctual questions about structures and processes explained during the lectures. • Questions requiring the recognition of images and/or schemes, to verify the student ability to recognize processes, tissues and organs, based on schematic picture or images from microscope slide. • Questions requiring the explanation or the definition of a specific term, verifying knowledge and understanding of the specific language. • Questions requiring a short description of a biological process, a structure, a tissue or an organ, as seen during the classes, and aiming to verify language use, synthesis and the deep understanding of theoretical concepts. Numerous examples of test questions are shown during the lectures. No external aids of any kind are allowed during the exam. Students with special needs are invited to contact the teacher well in advance

Texts

In addition to Power Point presentations, one among the following texts is suggested:
Pasqua G., Abbate G., Forni C. - Botanica Generale e diversità vegetale. Piccin
Longo C., Marziani G. – Biologia delle piante: forme e funzioni elementari. UTET
Stern K.R., Bidlack J.E., Jansky S.H. – Introduzione alla biologia vegetale. McGraw- Hill
Rost T.L., Barbour M.G., Stocking C.R., Murphy T.M. – Biologia delle piante. Zanichelli

The course is designed to give the students a broad background in plant biology and botany. The study of plants will incorporate information from the sub-disciplines of cytology, histology, anatomy and morphology, mainly referred to vascular plants. During the lectures the following chapters of plant biology will be approached: plant cells and their differences with respect to animal cells, cell growth and development, cell organization in tissues, organs and plant development, anatomy of plant organs. The characteristics described are also considered in terms of their functional and ecological significance, with frequent references to the plants' ability to adapt to their environment. The course includes laboratory activities dedicated to preparation and observation of microscope slides sets about different cell types, their organization in tissues and organ anatomy.

Course Language

Italian

More information

During the period of lectures and before each examination date tutors are available to help the students in the study, also by examples of test questions.