Environmental Sciences

Plant Physiology module: - The plant cell. The vacuole. The plastids. The plant cell wall. Composition, structure, function and biogenesis. The Plasmodesms: structure and function. - The importance of water and its properties. Water transport processes: diffusion, mass flow and osmosis. Electrochemical potential and water potential. Components of water potential. The movement of water in the plant. Long distance water transport. Root pressure. The cohesion-tension model. Transport of water from the soil to the root. Xylem structure. Transport water to the leaves. Transpiration and its regulation. The stomata: structure and control mechanisms. -Membrane transport. Channels, carriers, Ion pumps. Primary and secondary active transport. Physiological significance of the electrical potential of the membrane. Mineral nutrition of plants. Plants and symbiotic fungi: mycorrhizae. Nitrogen metabolism. Nitrogen fixation. Rhizobium-legume symbiosis. Assimilation of nitrogen. - Photosynthesis. Photosynthetic pigments. Spatial organization and function of photosystems. Non-cyclic electron transport; electron acceptors and donors. Proton transport and photophosphorylation. Cyclic electron transport and spillover. Spatial organization of the photosynthetic complexes. Calvin cycle and its regulation. Photorespiration. Systems for concentrating CO2: C4 and CAM plants. Physiological, biochemical and anatomical aspects. Biosynthesis of sucrose and starch and regulatory mechanisms. -Phloem and transport of phloematic sap. Model of pressure flow. Source-sink relationships. Loading and unloading of the phloem. Assimilate partitioning. -Growth and development: Hints on signal transduction. Main plant hormones: auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, ethylene, abscisic acid. Responses to light not mediated by photosynthesis. Phytochrome. Photomorphogenesis and photoperiodism. Control of flowering. Cryptochromes

The student must have at the beginning of the teaching activities basic knowledge of the following subjects, in order to understand the contents of the same and to achieve the learning objectives: - mathematics: algebra and mathematical analysis: linear, exponential, derivative, integral functions (indispensable) - physics: fluid physics (useful); gas physics (important); thermodynamics (indispensable); optic (important); - general and inorganic chemistry: description of the atom and the electronic orbitals (indispensable); main chemical elements (important); reductions and redox potential (indispensable); osmotic pressure (important); the concept of pH and buffer solutions (indispensable); - organic chemistry: main classes of organic compounds and biological macromolecules (essential); - biochemistry: enzymes, enzymatic kinetics and activation energy (indispensable); phosphorylation reactions (important); main cofactors of the biological redox reactions (useful); mitochondrial respiration (useful); - cell biology: main eukaryotic cell structures (indispensable); cell division (useful); transcription (useful); protein synthesis (useful)

- Rascio et al. 'Elementi di Fisiologia Vegetale' (EdiSES) Additional teaching material online at https://elearning.uniroma1.it

The course consists of lectures. During the lessons, the teacher stimulates the students with questions related to what has just been presented, with the aim of making them participate and stimulate the study at home. Students are invited to read the textbooks recommended at the beginning of the course and the additional teaching material, where they can find the topics proposed in class.

frequency highly recommended

The modality of the examination involves the participation in a preliminary written test, carried out at the end of the course for a preliminary assessment of the student. The exam then takes place as an oral exam. In the written test the student is asked to answer a quiz with 31 multiple-choice questions, in which he must demonstrate understanding of the main concepts presented in class; to know the physiological mechanisms at the base of water transport, membrane transport, photosynthesis, allocation of photosynthates and physiological responses to light in plants; to know the structure and function of plant organelles, cells, tissues and organs; to know how to evaluate the water potential and the electrical membrane potential. In the oral examination the student, in addition to demonstrating that he has acquired the above-mentioned knowledge, will have to demonstrate the level of autonomy achieved in finding possible connections and ecophysiological and evolutionary implications of the processes and structures studied in the course.

The course consists of lectures. During the lessons, the teacher stimulates the students with questions related to what has just been presented, with the aim of making them participate and stimulate the study at home. Students are invited to read the textbooks recommended at the beginning of the course and the additional teaching material, where they can find the topics proposed in class.