Plant Physiology and Metabolism

The course focuses on the fundamentals of plant physiology for undergraduate students. It consists of 40 modules divided into nine major units. This course will acquaint students with the basic concept of plant water relation and mineral nutrition. This course will help them to understand the different physiological processes of translocation, photosynthesis, respiration and nitrogen metabolism. Within respiration they will learn different basic metabolic processes. They will also learn about structure, function, nomenclature, assay of different enzymes and plant growth regulators specially hormones. They will have an idea of differential plant response to light and temperature.Thus by studying these 40 modules, a student should be able to understand and appreciate the major concept of plant physiology including the different catabolic and anabolic processes, mineral nutrition, enzymes, plant growth regulation, photoperiodism and vernalization. 

COURSE LAYOUTWeek 1:1. Introduction to Plant Physiology and Metabolism2. Importance of water3. Transpiration4. Root pressure and Guttation5. Macrolements Week 2:6. Microelements7. Transport across membrane8. Phloem translocation9. Composition of phloem sap10. Introduction to Photosynthesis Week 3:11. Photochemistry and accessory pigments12. Concept of photosystems and cyclic photophosphorylation13. Non-cyclic photophosphorylation14. Electron transport and ATP production15. Details of C3 pathway Week 4:16. C1, C2 ,C4 pathway and CAM17. Anaerobic Respiration18. Glycolysis and its significance19. TCA cycle and Electron Transport system20. Pentose Phosphate pathway and Glyoxalate pathway Week 5:21. Alternative respiratory pathways22. Classification, Biological significance and assay of enzyme23. Structure and Properties of enzymes24. Different mechanism of enzyme catalysis and purification25. Different mechanism of enzyme inhibition and kinetics Week 6:26. Allosteric Enzymes: Principle and Mechanism27. Biological nitrogen fixation28. Molecular mechanism of Nitrogen fixation and genes29. Nitrate and ammonia assimilation30. Role of Microbes in N,P,K utilization Week 7:31. Auxin32. Gibberellin33. Cytokinin34. Abscisic acid35. Ethylene Week 8:36. Practical applications of phytohormones37. Photoperiodism38. Phytochromes39. Photomorphogenesis and its application40. Vernalization