| Unit name | Flowering Plants |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL31131 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
| Unit director | Professor. Hiscock |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None, but we recommend that students should have taken BIOL11000 or BIOL12000 |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Aims
To describe the diversity and biology of flowering plants within an evolutionary and phylogenetic context and to assess reasons for the extraordinary success of this group of plants
Description
Flowering plants are the most important and most speciose group of land plants. Specific areas to be addressed will include:
1) the origins and evolution of flowering plants, paying particular attention to the evolution of the flower;
2) key innovations of angiosperms the flower, double fertilization, endosperm and the pollen-pistil interaction;
3) key aspects of the reproductive biology of angiosperms, including flower development, male (pollen) and female (embryo sac/ovule) development, pollen-pistil interactions and fertilization;
4) angiosperm breeding systems (outbreeding, selfing and apomixis);
5) pollination systems, plant-pollinator interactions and the role of flower-pollinator co-evolution in the adaptive radiation of angiosperms;
6) modes of speciation in angiosperms;
7) the evolution of crop plants and crop improvement.
The unit will conclude with a synthesis of current opinion on flowering plant evolution and diversification.
The students will gain an understanding of the diversity and biology of flowering plants. Some grounding will be given in plant phylogenetics and systematics. Students will be introduced to new studies which integrate evolutionary biology and developmental genetics – ‘evo-devo’ – specifically within the context of flower evolution. Students will also gain a detailed understanding of aspects of the reproductive development and reproductive biology of flowering plants. The adaptive evolution of flowering plants will be discussed in relation to their reproductive biology and their interrelationships with pollinators.
3 x 1 hour weekly lectures (weeks 13-17 inc.)
Self-directed learning week (week 18). Students are expected to spend this time on directed reading of primary literature, the content of which is relevant to the final exam.
End of Session exam (100%).
Most of the lecture material for the specific subjects considered in this Unit is taken from research papers and is not covered in any one textbook. You will receive a recently-updated reading list at the start of teaching of this unit.
