Biology 222 - Plant Biology & Diversity
Fall 2008


Meetings:  MWF 10:20- 11:15; TCNW 203
Instructor:  Lawrence A. Alice, Ph.D.
Office:  TCNW 218A (inner office); 745-7029
Office Hours:  MWRF 11:15 - 12:15
Email:  lawrence.alice@wku.edu;  Homepage: http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/alice
Textbook:  Raven, Evert and Eichhorn. 2005.  Biology of Plants, 7th ed.


Course Objective: To become familiar with the origin, diversification, basic morphology, adaptations, and evolutionary relationships among oxygenic, photoautotrophic organisms (cyanobacteria, algae, and plants), with an emphasis on flowering plants.

Grading Policies and Procedures:  There will be four semester exams and one final exam (~20% comprehensive), each worth 20% of the total points available in the course; The final exam will be ~20% comprehensive..  Exam questions may include multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer

Note: there will NOT be any opportunity for extra credit.  Grades will be determined exclusively from the exams.  Letter grades will be based on total points earned:
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; 0-59% = F.

Class Attendance:  As a student in this course, you should be regular and punctual in class attendance.  **Make-up exams will ONLY be permitted (at my discretion) provided that a University approved absence is demonstrated.**  STUDENTS MUST CONTACT ME PRIOR TO THE EXAM OR WITHIN 36 HOURS AFTER THE EXAM OR YOU WILL  NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE A MAKE-UP EXAM.

Academic Dishonesty: No form of academic dishonesty will be tolerated.  A grade of 0 (F) for the entire course will be given if a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing.

Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, located in the Student Success Center in DUC; their telephone number is (270) 745-5004 V/TDD. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

Important Date: 14 October, 2008 is the last day to drop this course with a "W" or change from credit to audit.

!! GOOD LUCK !!

 

 

Tentative Lecture Schedule

Date

Topic (pages/chapters to read)

25 Aug.

Class Introduction; Importance of Oxygenic Photoautotrophic Organisms

27 Aug. Origin of Photosynthesis; Endosymbiotic Theory (229-230; 307)

29 Aug.

Prokaryotic Photoautotrophs (244-248)

01 Sept. NO CLASS: LABOR DAY
03 Sept. Criteria for Classifying Algae

05 Sept.

Classification and Diversity of Algae (296-334)

08 Sept. Classification and Diversity of Algae Cont'd
10 Sept. Green Algae as Land Plant Ancestors (335-340)
12 Sept. The Plant Cell
15 Sept. EXAM 1 (25 Aug. - 10 Sept.)
17 Sept. Tissues & Meristems (35-58; 510-526)
19 Sept. Introduction to "Bryophytes" (345-351); Liverworts
22 Sept. Hornworts; Mosses (351-367)
24 Sept. Introduction to Tracheophytes (368-377)
26 Sept. Tracheophyte Features Cont'd

29 Sept.

Extinct Cryptogams; Intro to Cryptogamic Plants (377-380)

01 Oct. EXAM 2 (12 Sept. - 26 Sept.)

03 Oct.

NO CLASS: FALL BREAK

06 Oct.

Club Mosses; Whisk Ferns; Horsetails (380-388; 398-405)

08 Oct.

True Ferns (389-398); Intro to Seed Plants (408-414)

10 Oct.

Progymnosperms; Gymnosperms vs. Angiosperms

13 Oct.

Intro to Gymnosperms; Cycads (427-428); Ginkgo (428-431)

15 Oct.

Gnetophytes (431-432); Conifers (414-427)

17 Oct. Conifers Cont'd; Pine Life Cycle
20 Oct. EXAM 3 (29 Sept. - 17 Oct.)
22 Oct. Introduction to Angiosperms; The Flower (434-442)
24 Oct. Floral Morphology; Gametogenesis (442-451)
27 Oct. Fruits and Seeds (465-470)
29 Oct. Embryo Sporophyte (497-508)

31 Oct.

Reproductive Biology (158-160)

03 Nov. Pollination Biology (456-465)
05 Nov. "Sexual Encounters of the Floral Kind"

07 Nov.

Primary Growth of Stems (547-558)

10 Nov. EXAM 4 (22 Oct. - 05 Nov.)
12 Nov. Secondary Growth of Stems (580-600)
14 Nov. Anatomy and Morphology of Leaves (559-571; 575-579)
17 Nov. Anatomy and Morphology of Roots (528-546)
24 Nov. Alternative Photosynthetic Pathways (127-137)

26-28 Nov.

NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK

01 Dec. Carnivorous Plants
03 Dec. Plants & People
05 Dec. Plants & People

11 Dec.

EXAM 5 (07 Nov. - 05 Dec. ); 10:30-12:30