Plant Structure and Function
SCB120
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Level of study: What does Undergraduate Level 1 mean?
Undergraduate Level 1
EFTSL: What does EFTSL mean?
0.125
Delivery Method: What does delivery method mean?
Web Dependent
Prerequisites: What are the prerequisites?
No
Availability: What is a Study period?
For enrolment (2012): For forward planning* (2013): What is Forward Planning?- -
- SP2
- -
- SP4
Duration:
13 weeks
Government loans available:
FEE-HELP FEE-HELP
Fee: Fees (current and planned)
- Domestic student fee:
- $1,589.00 (AUD)
- International student fee:
- $1,814.00 (AUD)
Description
Examine plant structure and function in this vocationally focused unit. You will review the morphology and anatomy of plants (how they are constructed), and the physiology of plants (how they work, in particular the processes of acquisition of water and ions, photosynthesis, and control of growth and development). Topics include: Morphology and anatomy of stems, roots and leaves; Water relations; Ionic relations; Nutrition; Photosynthesis; Translocation, Plant growth and development: and their relationships to plant ecology.
This unit requires you to attend an on-campus practical of five half days in Melbourne.
Please Note: The unit fee includes $550 as most units include on-campus or lab work.
Special Requirements
- Broadband access
- Some on campus attendance — Practical of five half days in Melbourne
Assessment
- Invigilated Exam (50%)
- Report — Practical Report (30%)
- Test — Online Tests (10%)
- Tutorial topics — Tutorial Questions (10%)
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit students will be able to:
- outline and explain the structure of plants, including their tissues and organs, and the functions of each
- explain the way in which plants take in water and mineral nutrients, transport them to sites where they are used and metabolise them to allow the plant to survive and grow
- explain the role of soil in water and mineral nutrition
- explain the process of photosynthesis and the way in which the products are used and translocated by the plant both locally and throughout the plant
- explain the mechanisms by which plants regulate growth and development, and the economic applications of this knowledge, including tissue culture
- relate the physiology of a plant to its ecology and potential uses in bioremediation
- conduct experimental work, analyse the data and draw appropriate conclusions
- know and use basic information services available in the library, including computer-based services, e.g. catalogues, databases, to find specific information relevant to topics
- use computer applications for word-processing (Word), spreadsheet/database/graphics (Excel) and statistics (Minitab) in written reports
- write adequate practical reports in standard biological format.
Topics
This unit addresses the following topics.
| Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Plant anatomy - cells and tissues |
| 2 | Plant anatomy - stem and root |
| 3 | Plant anatomy - leaf |
| 4 | Water relations - transpiration stream and control |
| 5 | Water relations - cellular aspects, stress physiology |
| 6 | Ionic relations - mineral nutrition, fertilisers, N and P cycles, ion uptake/transport |
| 7 | Ionic relations - soils |
| 8 | Photosynthesis - light reactions, C3 plants |
| 9 | Photosynthesis - C4/CAM plants, ecophysiology |
| 10 | Phloem translocation |
| 11 | Plant hormones and control of development 1+2 |
| 12 | Plant hormones and control of development 3+4 |
Study Resources
This unit is delivered using the following methods and materials:
Online materials
- Online Assessment
- Quizzes
- Resources and Links
Textbook information for this unit is currently being updated and will be available soon. Please check back regularly for updates. Alternatively, visit the Unibooks website and enter the unit details to search for available textbooks.
Relevant Courses
This unit is an approved elective in the following courses:
This unit may be eligible for credit towards other courses:
- Many undergraduate courses on offer through OUA include 'open elective' where any OUA unit can be credited to the course. You need to check the Award Requirements on the course page for the number of allowed open electives and any level limitations.
- In other cases, the content of this unit might be relevant to a course on offer through OUA or elsewhere. In order to receive credit for this unit in the course you will need to supply the provider institution with a copy of the Unit Profile in the approved format, which you can download here. Note that the Unit Profile is set at the start of the year, and if textbooks change this may not match the Unibooks textbook list.
If you would like to study this unit and enrol today, add it to your Study Cart. Alternatively if you are still exploring your options, you can save this unit to review later by clicking Save to Wishlist.
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