BOT 3015C: Lives of Plants and Algae Syllabus CRN 10540, Spring 2017 Instructor: William B. Sanders 211 Whitaker Hall, tel. 590-7639. wsanders@fgcu.edu OFFICE HOURS: Monday & Wednesday 10:30-1 pm, WH 211. Or by appointment. Prerequisites for this class: General Biology I and II. The schedule below is tentative and may be subject to changes. Assigned readings ( ) correspond to Raven et al. 2005, Biology of Plants, 7 th ed. (on reserve in library) except where otherwise indicated. wk day 2017 Tuesday Thursday I January 10, 12 II III January 17, 19 January 24, 26 IV Jan 31, Feb 2 V VI February 7, 9 February 14, 16 Importance of plants & algae. Use of microscope : Ch.21; microscope handout Photosynthesis; advent of O2, respiration & mitochondria; primary plastids, Glaucophytes Ch.7; Ch.12, pp 229-235. Algae with primary plastids: Green algae Ch.15, pp 327-340 Keeling 2004 paper Euglenids; Dinoflagellates Algae in the environment (field & lab) Ch.15, pp 303-309 Sex and meiosis: life cycles; sporophytes and gametophytes Ch.8, pp 141-147; Ch.12, pp 235-237; Ch. 15, pp 320-321 Moss life cycle Ch. 16 Early history of life; Cyanobacteria : Ch. 1; Ch.13, pp 238-247 Algae with primary plastids: Red algae. Ch 15, pp 322-327 Phylogeny and systematics. Ch.12: pp 219-227 Algae with secondary plastids: Browns & Diatoms Ch 15, pp 309-321 EXAM 1 Invasion of land; Bryophytes Ch. 16 Body of vascular plants: Morphology of stems, leaves & roots; apical meristems. Ch.17, pp 368-370; Ch.24, 528-538; Ch.25, pp 547-551 & 559-570. 1
VII February 21, 23 VIII Feb 28, March 2 Body of vascular plants: Anatomy of stems, leaves & roots. Xylem & phloem. (continued from previous) Fern life cycle Ch.17, p 376 & pp 396-397 Seedless vascular plant diversity: ferns, horsetails, lycophytes Ch.17, pp 380-405 EXAM 2 IX SPRING BREAK, MARCH 6-10 X March 14, 16 The seed; pine life cycle. Ch. 18, pp 408-422 Form and diversity of the gymnosperms XI March 21, 23 XII March 28, 30 Tomlinson pp 47-57 Secondary (thickening) growth: wood, bark Ch.26 The fruit; development and seed dispersal strategies Ch.20, pp 465-474 Ch.18, pp 422-433 Angiosperms: the flower; pollination via animals Ch. 19; Ch.20, pp 460-465 Seed development and germination Ch.22 XIII April 4, 6 XIV April 11, 13 XV April 18, 20 EXAM 3 Specialized adaptations: aquatic plants Ch. 25, pp 575-578 Pinelands, scrub & mangroves (Excursion: Estero Bay Preserve) Tomlinson pp 81-83, 99-101,112-116, 198-201, 205, 220-221, 255-260, 352-353. Specialized adaptations of plants: climbers, epiphytes, parasites Tomlinson 191-195 Specialized adaptations: geophytes and succulent plants Ch. 25, pp 575-578 Fungi and Plants Ch14, pp 260-266, 282-295. XVI April 25, 27 Lichens Lichens BioScience paper finals week, 10 am Tuesday 2 May 2017 : EXAM 4 Saturday field trip, tentative date: * April 15 Fairchild Tropical Gardens (Coral Gables, FL) Campus field trip and review I. Classes meet Tu & Th 10:45-1pm. Most topics and in-class exams include both lecture and lab components. Because materials are generally not available for examination at other times, attendance and full participation in activities during the entire class period are essential. Summaries of lecture presentation 2
slides will be posted after class in PDF format, but they are not self-explanatory and reviewing them cannot effectively substitute for attending lectures and thoroughly examining the lab materials. Experience has repeatedly shown that missing classes, arriving late or leaving early all have a strongly negative impact on student performance and grades. Don t attempt to take this class if you have a time conflict. II. Currently there is no standard textbook for this class; however, there are two texts we will be using for reading assignments ( ) that reinforce lecture/lab topics. The majority of these readings are in Raven et al. 2005 Biology of Plants, 7 th ed. It is a very useful reference text, but does not follow our course organization; for students who prefer to avoid purchasing it, two copies will be placed on reserve at the library. Some readings are also assigned in P. B. Tomlinson s Biology of Trees Native to Tropical Florida. Although our use of this excellent book will be somewhat limited, it is of long-term value as well as of local relevance and is very reasonably priced, so I have listed this one as required. III. Microscopes will be used extensively in class and on all exams. An important goal of the course is to learn to use the light microscope effectively to make original observations. For outside the classroom, a HAND LENS is an essential tool; we will have some loaners available, but all prospective field biologists and naturalists should purchase one (cheap models available online for under $10). IV. GRADE BASIS: There will be four (4) full-period exams, each worth 20% of final grade. These exams will require students to demonstrate understanding of concepts and familiarity with the biological materials presented, in short written answer/ short essay form. Exams will include demonstration materials from lab for identification and/or interpretation, and will require you to use light microscopes effectively. Please NOTE EXAM DATES in advance. Because of the materials involved there can be NO MAKE-UP EXAMS. Weekly on-line quizzes, covering lecture, lab, and/or reading material, will together represent the remaining 20% of your grade. These quizzes will be administered through the course Canvas site. The quizzes consists of short multiple choice questions designed to keep you up to date with the class material. During the online quizzes, you may consult your notes, textbook, lecture pdfs or other published sources of information, but you may not receive help from any person during the quiz itself. Copying the quiz questions in any form is not permitted. Quizzes have to be taken within the time frame announced for each (usually several days including the weekend). The quizzes are timed, usually 1-2 minutes per question; you will answer one question at a time and not be allowed to go back, so it s important to review the material carefully before taking them. 3
V. Academic Behavior Standards and Academic Dishonesty. The university policies regarding issues of honesty can be found in the FGCU Student Guidebook under the Student Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures sections. All students are expected to study this document, which outlines their responsibilities and the consequences of policy violations. The FGCU Student Guidebook is available online at http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/judicialaffairs/new.html VI. COURSE OBJECTIVES: From study of lecture, readings, and lab and field material, students will be expected to: 1. Use the compound light microscope and dissecting scopes comfortably and efficiently, and prepare whole mounts and hand sections of plant tissue for microscopic examination. 2. Explain why plants are essential to maintaining life and biodiversity on the planet. 3. Give examples of the different ways plants have been essential to humans and human culture. 4. Describe the major events in the history of the earth and its biota, and their approximate time frame. Discuss the ways in which the appearance of photosynthetic organisms affected the course of these events. 5. Explain what photosynthesis is, how it works, the reactants and products involved in the light reactions and in the Calvin Cycle, and what role chlorophyll a and accessory pigments play. 6. Compare and contrast the characteristics of the major groups of algae including blue-greens, reds, greens, browns, euglenids, diatoms and dinoflagellates. 7. Identify the originators of oxygen-generating photosynthesis and explain how this process was acquired by diverse groups of eukaryotes. Distinguish between primary and secondary plastids, explaining their probable origin and giving examples of algae that possess each. 8. Understand the significance of meiosis and syngamy in the basic life cycle of all sexually reproducing organisms. Distinguish the various types of life cycles possible in multicellular algae, giving specific examples for each, and describe the type of life cycle that characterizes all land plants. 9. Identify the class of algae from which the last common ancestors of all land plants came, and describe the adaptations that were necessary for successful invasion of the terrestrial environment. 10. Contrast the life cycle of a fern with that of the moss, describing for each the sporophyte and gametophyte phases, what they do, and the relationship of the phases to each other. 11. Explain what a seed is, what it contains, what it develops from, and its significance in evolution of land plants. 4
12. Describe the cellular components of vascular tissue, how they work, and why they have been important for evolution of land plants. Explain how stems, leaves and roots differ in structure and development. 13. Explain how secondary growth differs from primary growth, and why it is important. Describe the location of the two types of cambia and how they each work. 14. Describe the parts of a flower, their possible arrangements and individual functions. Explain what pollination is and the ways it can occur. Describe the process and outcome of double fertilization. 15. Explain what a fruit is; describe some of the ways fruits develop and how they may be dispersed. 16. Describe what is present in a typical seed at the time it is dispersed, and the main events that occur in germination and seedling development. 17. Be able to describe the main structural and functional characteristics of plants that are specialized as geophytes, succulents, climbers, epiphytes, parasites, wetland/aquatics and mangroves. 18. Explain the principles by which plants are classified today. Give examples of some important flowering plant families, their characteristics and their members. 19. Describe the structure of fungi and how it is suited to their mode of nutrition. Contrast the major ways fungi obtain food, and their specializations for doing so. Give examples of diverse mechanisms that fungi use to disperse spores. 20. Explain what a lichen is, describe its structure and organization, and compare their nutritional and ecological strategies to those of other fungi. Academic Behavior Standards and Academic Dishonesty. All students are expected to demonstrate honesty in their academic pursuits. The university policies regarding issues of honesty can be found in the FGCU Student Guidebook under the Student Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures sections. All students are expected to study this document which outlines their responsibilities and consequences for violations of the policy. The FGCU Student Guidebook is available online at http://studentservices.fgcu.edu/judicialaffairs/new.html Disability Accommodations Services. Florida Gulf Coast University, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the university s guiding principles, will provide classroom and academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. If you need to request an accommodation in this class due to a disability, or you suspect that your academic performance is affected by a disability, please contact the Office of Adaptive Services. The Office of Adaptive Services is located in Howard Hall 137. The phone number is 239-590-7956 or TTY 239-590-7930 Student Observance of Religious Holidays. All students at Florida Gulf Coast University have a right to expect that the University will reasonably accommodate their religious observances, practices, and beliefs. Students, upon prior notification to their instructors, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances. Where practicable, major examinations, major assignments, and University ceremonies will not be scheduled on a major religious holy day. A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason for the absence. 5