Botany

elective courses
obligatory courses

High school biology (extended program)

Classroom

The course presents a variety of organisms traditionally classified as plants (cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, terrestrial plants, fungi-like protists and fungi sensu stricto).

Lab: morphology and anatomy of various groups presented in taxonomic order.

Lecture: the variety of organisms in terms of evolution, with particular emphasis on evolutionary breakthrough innovations.

Lab

Algae - a variety of life forms and chemistry (cyanobacteria, golden algae, diatoms, brown algae, dinoflagellates, euglenids, red algae, green algae).

Fungi and fungi-like protists - a variety of forms, reproduction, lifestyle (mycetozoa, oomycetes, fungi sensu stricto); diversity of terrestrial fungi on the example of Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota; adaptation of fungi for parasitism and predation; conidial fungi and lichens.

Bryophytes and ferns - morphology and anatomy of gametophytes and sporophytes; the relationship between the form and the environment, reproductive strategies (liverworts, mosses, clubmosses, spikemosses, quillworts, Psilotopsida, horsetails, ferns).

Gymnosperms - diversity of modern gymnosperms, morphology of sporophyte (Cycadidae, Ginkgoidae, Gnetidae, Pinidae).

Angiosperms - diversity of modern angiosperms (ANITA, Magnoliids, higher dicotyledons, monocotyledonss); flower: morphology and anatomy, evolutionary trends, types of inflorescence; fruit and seed: types of fruit, seed anatomy; morphology and anatomy of root, stem and leaf.

Lecture

Phylogenetic relationships among groups of organisms traditionally classified as plants: cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, terrestrial plants, fungi-like protists and fungi sensu stricto. The origin of oxygenic photosynthesis. Endosymbiotic origin of chloroplasts. Secondary endosymbiosis. The diversity of chloroplasts, photosynthetic pigments, cell structure and forms of algae. The relationship between the form of algae and living conditions. The essence of sexual reproduction, benefits and costs of having sex. Alternation of generations. The diversity of sexual reproduction in algae. The diversity of green algae and their phylogenetic relationships. Common features of Charophyceae and terrestrial plants. Important landmarks in the evolution of land plants: lignin, sporopollenin and cutin. The origin of sporophyte of land plants. The early evolution of plants on land. The emergence of leaves. Bryophytes - the origin, structure and diversity. The evolution of stem. Sporangium and sporofyll. Heterospory. A systematic review of modern and fossil Lycopodiophyta and ferns. The ovule - origin, significance and evolution. Modern gymnosperms. The origin and early evolution of angiosperms, contemporary hypotheses about the origin of the flower. Evolutionary diversification of angiosperms. A systematic review of selected groups of mono-and dicotyledonous. Phylogenetic relationships among groups of fungi-like protists and fungi. Structure, chemistry and lifestyle of fungi-like protists and fungi. A systematic review of fungi.

1. Szweykowska A., Szweykowski J. 1993. Botanika. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN (both parts).

2. Niklas K.J. 1997. The evolutionary biology of plants. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and Londyn.

3. Judd W.S., Campbell C.S., Kellogg E.A., Stevens P.F., Donoghue M.J. 2002. Plant systematics, a phylogenetic approach. Sinauer, Sunderland (MA). Second edition.

I. Knowledge: student

1) knows botanical terminology and basic principles of nomenclature, understands the meaning of the taxonomic position of an organism (K_W13 Bl1);

2) characterises known groups of algae, fungi, protists and plants with respect to the number of species, habitat, morphology and anatomy, and recognises representatives of these taxa (K_W05 Bl1, K_W06 Bl1, K_W07 Bl1);

3) describes phylogenetic relationships among those groups of organisms and characterises main ecological factors, which in the course of evolution shaped their biodiversity (K_W10 Bl1, K_W11 Bl1);

II. Abilities: student

4) knows basic techniques of light microscopy (K_U01 Bl1);

5) makes simple microscopic slides under the guidance of the tutor (K_U06 Bl1);

6) learns individually issues indicated by the tutor (K_U10 Bl1);

III. Social skills:

7) broadens his botanical interests (K_K01 Bl1);

8) feels a constant need to broaden and actualise his/her botanical knowledge (K_K04 Bl1);

9) knows and applies basic rules of safety in experimental work and known how to react in the case of emergency (K_K05 Bl1).

Lab evaluation criteria: student should (i) not have been absent more than twice; (ii) receive a minimum of 60% of the highest score in the four written tests (72 of 120; 4x30 points). The final mark will be based on the sum of points in the four tests.

The course will be evaluated based on a written examination.