Developmental Biology and Anatomy of Plants 1400-121BRREA

General approach to developmental processes in higher plants considering structural levels, molecular aspects, hormonal regulation and interactions with the environment.

Lectures focus on the use of mutants and transgenic plants to elucidate regulatory processes during normal development of plants. Main topics of the lectures are:
1) Initiation and early stages of ontogenesis (fertilization-origin of zygote'a genome.
2) Embryo development (different patterns of development in Mono-and Dicotyledons; relations between embryo, endosperm/ and sporophyte during early development of plants).
3) Growth and development of plant: meristematic center, regions of growth and differentiation of different tissues
4) Vegetative growth phase -shoot development, initiation and development of leaves, development of root system and main developmental patterns.
5) Structural and functional significance of tissue systems in plant: protective, supportive, photosynthetic, storage and transporting
6) Anatomy of vegetative organs of plants, primary structure of different organs
7) Development and origin of secondary meristems
8) Development and structure of secondary plant vegetative organs with emphasis on stem mechanical strength. Typical and abnormal secondary growth of roots and stems
9) Anatomy of typical leaf blades in relation with different strategies of CO2 assimilation; structural modifications of organs connected with adaptation to environmental conditions
10) Vegetative/generative phase transition.
11) Development of inflorescence and flower-different patterns of development, genetic model of flowering regulation.
12) Senescence of cells, tissues and organs, mechanism of programmed cell death during senescence.

Practical courses consist in individual laboratory experiments and are closely related with subject of lectures. The main subjects of courses are: identification of developmental stages of plants and analysis of cytological and anatomical structure of selected tissue with the use of binocular, light and fluorescence microscope. Plant material used during practical courses are model plants and crop plant species.