Course Description
Investigative laboratory experience concerning the diversity of plants, fungi, algae, and prokaryotes; observational study of the major groups of land plants; human uses of plants and plant products.
Athena Title
Organismal Plant Biology Lab
Pre or Corequisite
PBIO 1220
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Investigative laboratory experience concerning the diversity of plants, fungi, algae, and prokaryotes; observational study of the major groups of land plants; human uses of plants and plant products. Students will be able to: 1) perform observation-based experiments to determine the number and diversity of microorganisms in a small soil sample; 2) perform a seed bank germination to see the diversity of plants in a small pot of soil; 3) make meaningful observations on the macroscopic and microscopic structural features of bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms; 4) design and analysis of experiments to quantitatively measure selection for several characters in artificial and natural environments; 5) reconstruct and evaluate cladograms calculated from comparing public DNA sequences; 6) routinely employ statistical tests of individual and comparative measurements. Improvement in oral and written communication skills will be through routine written reports and written and oral presentations of several individual and group projects.
Topical Outline
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. Basic statistical estimates of comparative sampling Statistics of random samples: estimating what is not seen Measuring the composition of a seed bank Growth- and morphology-based estimates of bacteria diversity in soil PCR-based estimates of bacterial diversity in the same soil Fungal diversity and isolation from soil Mushrooms and molds Exploration of pond water Diversity of algae Greenhouse visit and exploration of plant adaptations Testing the significance of adaptations Bryophytes - mosses and liverworts Fossil plants revealed Seedless vascular plant diversity - ferns and friends Gymnosperm life history and diversity Flowering plant flowers and pollination syndromes Economic botany - plants and plant products in the market
General Education Core
CORE II: Life Sciences