| Unit name | Plants and Planet |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20021 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Franklin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. |
| Co-requisites |
None. |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This unit will illustrate the exciting array of developmental adaptations displayed by plants, how plants interact with beneficial and pathogenic organisms and the importance of plants to life on earth. Teaching will progress through cellular, whole plant and ecosystem scales. The unit will start at the genetic level by explaining the molecular signalling processes through which plants acquire their basic needs of light, CO2, water and nutrients, highlighting threats to these resources from global change. This section will conclude with discussion of the root rhizosphere, thereby introducing the beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms. The second section will explore harmful interactions between plants and microorganisms. Students will be introduced to the different types of crop disease and associated pathogen biology. The molecular mechanisms through which plants detect and resist pathogens will then be explored, before cultural, chemical and GM approaches to disease mitigation. The final section of the course considers the importance of plants within ecosystems. This starts with plant interactions with animals, exploring plant-herbivore interactions, plant-pollinator interactions and seed dispersal strategies. We next explore the impacts of crop production on biodiversity and the importance of and challenges faced by specific ecosystems such as forests. The course concludes with topical examples of how plant science research is addressing global challenges and future research directions.
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
Lectures, directed reading, research and/or problem-solving activities, practical exercises and independent study. There will be 1 formative piece of CA and 2 summative.
A practical report (20%) and a poster (20%) (40% coursework in total) plus summative written assessment (60%) with one essay question to be selected from a choice of three. The ILOs are assessed in both the CA and summative written assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOL20021).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
