BIOL 4420 (Plant Physiology) syllabus

BIOLOGY 4420 - PLANT PHYSIOLOGY - FALL SEMESTER 2009
Lecture MW 9:30 - 10:45 AM, KH 1104

Lab M (section 1) and W (section 2) 11 AM - 1:45 PM, SC 364

INSTRUCTOR: DR. DALE LYNN VOGELIEN

Contact Information: Office 333 Science and Mathematics Building

PH (770)423 - 6507; email dvogelie@kennesaw.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION ∙ COURSE OBJECTIVES ∙ LECTURE POLICY ∙ LABORATORY POLICY ∙ EXAM POLICY ∙ GRADING POLICY ∙ TENTATIVE EXAM SCHEDULE ∙ POLICY CONCERNING CHANGES IN THE SYLLABUS ∙ COURSE WITHDRAWL (revised Sept. 29) ∙ KSU'S ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY ∙ TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE (revised Oct. 7) ∙ TENTATIVE LABORATORY SCHEDULE (revised Sept. 25) ∙ COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS & MATERIALS (KSU netID and password required)

Office Hours: M & W 4 - 6 PM, T & TH 9 – noon, others by appointment

Required Texts: Plant Physiology (4th Edition) by Taiz and Zeiger; A Short Guide to Writing About Biology, Jan A. Pechenik

Required Online Materials: Laboratory Materials for Biology 4420 (available through GeorgiaVIEW Vista; KSU netID and password required)

Strongly Recommended Items: Biology (7^th or 8^th edition) by Campbell and Reece

Other Items: Laboratory safety glasses (strongly recommended that you supply your own), laboratory notebook (strongly recommended)

Prerequisites: Biol 2107 & 2108; Chem 3361 (NOTE: Students must earn a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses to remain enrolled in this course.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION (from the 2009-2010 KSU Undergraduate Catalog):

Plant physiology is the study of plant function. Emphasis will be placed on photosynthesis, secondary metabolism, transport of water and solutes, plant defense against pathogens and herbivores, mineral nutrition, and environmental and hormonal control of growth and development. Each process will be examined at the biochemical, cellular and organismal level so as to provide a more complete understanding of the process. Laboratory studies will expose students to both current and classical approaches used to study plant physiology.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:

1. Recognize chemical and physical processes that control plant growth and development, within the framework of plant anatomy and morphology.

2. Recognize the relationship between form/structure and function at the microscopic and macroscopic levels.

3. Recognize and convey current concepts and theories that explain processes involved in the functioning of plants and relate this understanding to real-world occurrences, including drought, flooding, temperature extremes, herbivory, and disease.

4. Understand and evaluate experimental design, use common techniques and equipment in physiological studies, collect and analyze data, and interpret and report results in a scientific manner.

LECTURE POLICY

1. Should you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining all materials covered in class as well as all announcements and assignments given. NOTE: Regular attendance is essential for success in this class.

2. Lecture announcements, materials used in class, and assignments will be available at the course homepage in GeorgiaVIEW Vista.

LABORATORY POLICY

Attendance for all laboratory exercises is required. Absence from more than two laboratory periods (unexcused absences - absences for which medical or legal documentation is not provided) will result automatically in a final grade of "F" for the term, regardless of other work.
Attendance will be taken promptly at the beginning of lab. Plan to arrive shortly before lab begins and stay the ENTIRE lab period. Students that ARRIVE AFTER ATTENDANCE has been recorded will be CONSIDERED LATE and will receive a LATE PENALTY of 1 point that will be applied to the accompanying assignment. Students LEAVING LAB EARLY, before lab activities are completed, will receive a 1 point PENALTY that will be applied to the accompanying assignment.
Lab assignments will be used to assess your understanding of lab content, data, and skills. An assignment is worth 25 points. Seven lab assignments are scheduled.
An absence from lab is either excused or unexcused. An absence is considered an excused absence for a medical or legal circumstance only, and this determination is the discretion of the instructor. Written documentation must be provided. In both cases, credit will not be given for a laboratory assignment. In the case of an unexcused absence, when you miss a lab exercise or miss one week in a multi-week exercise you will receive a grade of 0 for the corresponding assignment. In the case of an excused absence, your course grade will be based on 25 fewer points (the point value of an assignment). This will apply for one excused absence. For additional excused absence, the total points for the course will not be readjusted further.
Lab assignments MUST BE TYPED, this includes tables and graphs. Hand written assignments will NOT BE ACCEPTED. Pages must be stapled before turning in the assignment, otherwise the assignment will not be accepted. DO NOT EXPECT A STAPLER TO BE PROVIDED IN LAB.
Copied assignments (e.g. involving a portion of or an entire assignment) will not receive credit. All individuals involved will receive a grade of 0.
Assignments received after 11 AM on the specified date are considered late. Points will be deducted for late lab assignments at a rate of 1.5 points for each day overdue (including weekends). Please turn in assignments directly to me. Do not leave them in my mailbox or with the department secretary.
Due to the lab preparation and the timing involved in generating solutions and/or plant material of the appropriate size or developmental stage, it is impossible to make-up a laboratory exercise at a later (or earlier) date.
Bring the appropriate lab printout to each lab. Please note: you will not be allowed to remain in lab without the appropriate materials. A lab period missed for this reason is considered an unexcused absence.
Do not answer pagers or mobile phones during lab. Please unplug your self from the outside world for the hours scheduled for lab.
Students must comply with all safety regulations as outlined in the KSU Chemical Hygiene Handbook (e.g. use of safety glasses, wearing proper clothing, proper lab behavior, etc.). Failure to follow these regulations will result in dismissal from the laboratory area. Students will be informed of these regulations prior to the beginning of scheduled labs.

EXAM POLICY

Exam dates (see the exam schedule below) are tentative and therefore subject to change. Any change in an exam date will be announced in class and posted on the course homepage in GeorgiaVIEW Vista.
The material to be covered on each exam will be announced in class and on the course homepage under Announcements.
Test format may be as a variety of questions, including multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, short answer, problems and essay/discussion questions.
Make-up exams will be given for excused absences only (e.g. for conflicts arising from medical or legal problems). Students should contact me before the normally scheduled exam time in order to determine if a make-up exam will be granted and to discuss arrangements.
Make-up exams (exam 1 and 2) must be taken within one week of the scheduled exam. Failure to do so will result in a zero for the exam. There are no exceptions.

GRADING POLICY

There are NO extra-credit projects. There is no additional work that can be completed to improve your course grade.
Do not expect a curve on individual exams, assignments, or for the final course grade.
Three exams (100 points each) are scheduled, and all count towards the final course grade.
Lab assignments are to be completed by individual groups. “Copied” assignments will not receive credit.
Lab assignments are due at 11AM on the date specified. Assignments received after that time are considered late. Points will be deducted for late lab assignments at a rate of 1.5 points for each day overdue (including weekends).
The final grade for the course will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total number of points possible as outlined below:

points

Exam 1 100

Exam 2 100

Exam 3(Final Exam) 100

Lab Assignments (7) 175

475 (total points)

A = 90 - 100%; B = 80 - 89%; C = 70%- 79%; D = 60 - 69%; F = < 60%
Note: lab scores account for approximately 37% of the course grade.

TENTATIVE EXAM SCHEDULE

Exam 1 - Sept. 21 (M)
Exam 2 - Oct. 28 (W)
Exam 3 – Dec. 7 (M)

POLICY CONCERNING CHANGES IN THE SYLLABUS

Any changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and at the Course Announcements & Materials page. In addition, the syllabus posted on the web will be modified to reflect the change(s), and the date of modification noted in the headings section at the top of the syllabus.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL (updated Sept. 29)

Students may withdraw from one or more courses anytime before the last three weeks of the semester. However, as of fall 2004, students will be allowed a maximum of eight total withdrawals if they enter KSU as a freshman. Transfer students will be allowed one withdrawal per fifteen credit hours attempted, for a maximum of eight. Students who choose to pursue a second degree at KSU will be allowed two additional withdrawals. Students who entered KSU before the fall of 2004 will be allowed one withdrawal per fifteen credit hours attempted for a maximum of eight. To withdraw from classes at KSU, a student must withdraw online at www.kennesaw.edu through Owl Express (under Online Resources for Students). Students who officially withdraw from courses on or before 11:45 PM October 19 will receive a "W" in those courses and receive no credit. They will not however suffer any academic penalty. Students who officially withdraw after October 19 (and before the last three weeks of the semester) will receive a "WF," which will be counted as an "F" in the calculation of their grade point average. The only exceptions to these withdrawal regulations will be for instances involving unusual circumstances, which are fully documented. Students may appeal to the academic standing committee for consideration of unusual circumstances. Students who simply stop attending classes without officially withdrawing usually are assigned failing grades.

KSU’S ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an “informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct’s minimum one semester suspension requirement. Please refer to the KSU Undergraduate Catalog ( select Statement of Student Rights and Responsabilities; select Student Code of Conduct) for more information.

TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE (Chapter information is from the 4th edition)

Week

Topic

Chapter

8/17

8/19

Course Introduction

An Overview of Plant Structure and Plant Growth

1 ; Web Topic 1.3

8/24

8/26

Plant Cell Structure and Function

1 (17-22); 11 (253-256; 267;272-273; 283-285)

8/31

9/2

The Cell Wall (Structure, Biogenesis, and Function)

1 (29-30); 15; Web Topic 1.5

9/7

9/9

No Class - Labor Day Holiday

Water and Plant Cells

3; Web Topics 3.1, 3.2. 3.3, 3.4, 3.8

9/14

9/16

Water Balance of Plants

4; Web Topic 4.3; Web Essays 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

9/21
9/23

Exam 1

Classes Cancelled

9/28

9/30

Transpiration, Guard Cells and Stomatal Opening and Closing

4; 18(449-455;459)

10/5

10/7

Transpiration, Guard Cells and Stomatal Opening and Closing Photosynthesis: Pigments and Light

10/12

10/14

Photosynthesis: The Light Dependent Reactions

10/19

10/21

Photosynthesis: Carbon Metabolisnm and Regulation of the Calvin Cycle

10/26

10/28

Photorespiration and CO2 Concentrating Mechanisms

Exam 2 (may be moved to 11/4)/ OR Translocation in the Phloem

11/2

11/4

Exam 2

11/9

11/11

Mineral Nutrition

11/16

11/18

Secondary metabolites

Plant Defense Against Pathogens

Plant Defense Against Herbivores

13 (338-341); 15 (372-373)

13 (334 – 338)

11/23

11/25

Plant Growth & Development

NO CLASS – Fall Break

TBA

11/30

12/2