The main goals of the course are to introduce students to different topics related to botany, including morphology, function, evolution and systematic of plants. The expected learning results are the capacity of understanding the structure and function of plant cell and tissue, as well as plant evolution and diversity and acquiring general methods to recognize these organisms at different taxonomic levels.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of cytology, in particular cell structure and cellular reproduction (meiosis and mitosis). The topics of the Cytology and Histology course are preparatory to the topics covered in the course.
Teaching Methods
The course includes lectures, focused on the structure of the plant cell and tissues and on the evolution and systematics of photoautotrophic organisms. Furthermore, practical exercises will be carried out during which students will observe cellular organelles and plant tissues with the help of microscopes and identify samples belonging to the systematic groups treated during the lessons with the use of determination keys for vascular plants using stereo-microscopes.
Assessment Methods
Oral and written examination with closed questions and open questions in which the learned knowledge will be verified.
Texts
1) Pasqua G., Abbate G., Forni C., 2025 Botanica Generale e Diversità Vegetale. V edition. Piccin editore 2) Pancaldi S., Baldisserotto C., Ferroni L., Pantaleoni L. 2023. Fondamenti di Botanica Generale, Terza Edizione. Mc Graw Hill 3) Lecture notes provided by the teacher 4) pdf of some lessons provided through the Kiro portal
Contents
General Botany: the plant cell, reproductive cycles, notes on photosynthesis, plant cells and tissues. Root, stem, leaves, flowers. Plant diversity: evolution, taxonomic and phylogenetic framework of photosynthetic organisms (taxonomy, nomenclature, study of variability). Cyanobacteria, algae, bryophytes. Vascular plants: pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms. Main families of angiosperms of the Italian flora.
