Below is the syllabus for Plant Physiology Laboratory. Each week you will receive handouts describing the experiment to be done the following week. You will also need a bound, quad rule (graph paper) notebook.
Class will meet on Mondays 1:50-2:45 (424 Illick) for recitation to prepare for the experiment on Wednesday or to do a portion of the experiment. The lab period will be Wednesday 1:50-4:50 (424 Illick). You should read the lab handout ahead of time, so that you are well prepared for the work to be done on Wednesday. Some of the experiments will require the entire period or longer if you are reading the experiment as you go and are not sure of what you need to do. The experiments will include a several-week-long mineral nutrition study, for which you will be responsible for growing and maintaining the plants. This and other experiments will involve some time needed in addition to the scheduled class time.
Grades will be assigned based on class participation, written lab reports, and your lab notebook.
Mineral nutrition lab report - based on collaborative greenhouse experiment = 60 points
FIVE additional lab reports (30 points each) = 150 pts.
-you may hand in more than 5, but I will count only the top 5 grades
ONE lab report (not mineral nutrition) delivered as an ORAL PRESENTATION (30 points)
TWO Lab notebook checks (30 points each) = 60 pts.
TOTAL =300 pts.
Lab reports are due usually 12 days after the lab (the second Monday in recitation), but will be accepted up to 3 weeks after the deadline with the following point deductions: <=1 week late, -5 pts; <=2 weeks late, -10 pts.; <=3 weeks late, -15 pts. No reports will be accepted after May 5. You must also hand in your notebook for me to check it, once before Spring Break and once at the end of the semester.
| Instructor: Larry Smart | Grad TA: | |
| Office | 403 Illick | Illick |
| Office hours | Mon. 2:45-4:30 Wed 11:00-12:00 |
Mon. Thurs. |
| lbsmart@esf.edu | ||
| Phone | 470-6737 | 470- |
| Mailbox | 246 Illick | 244 Illick |
Syllabus
| Date | Lab experiment | Report due |
| Jan. 14/16 | Mineral nutrition - start plants in water | April 28 |
| Jan. 23 | Mineral nutrition - make mineral solutions | -- |
| Jan. 28/30 | Photosynthetic pigments | Feb. 18 |
| Feb. 4/6 | Intro to the LI-6400 | -- |
| Feb. 11/13 | Photosynthesis I - Light response curve | Feb. 29 |
| Feb. 18/20 | Photosynthesis II - Sun vs. shade plants | Mar. 7 |
| Feb. 25/27 | Photosynthesis III - CO2 response curve | Mar. 21 |
| Mar. 3/5 | Mineral nutrition - harvest tissue & start drying | |
| Mar. 10/12 | Spring Break | |
| Mar. 17/19 | Mineral nutrition - grind tissue for ICP | |
| Mar. 24/26 | Tissue/water relations - cryoscopy | Apr. 7 |
| Mar. 31/Apr. 2 | Transpiration & stomata - pressure bomb | Apr. 14 |
| Apr. 7/9 | Apical dominance / GA bioassay | May 5 |
| Apr. 14/16 | Tropisms | May 5 |
| Apr. 21/23 | Final data collection / Oral presentations | |
| May 5 | Final lab report/notebook deadline (4:00 pm) |
Chronological order of assignment due dates:
Feb. 18 Photosynthetic pigments
Feb. 29 Photosynthesis - Light response curve
Mar. 5 First lab notebook check
Mar. 7 Photosynthesis - CO2 response curve
Mar. 21 Photosynthesis - Sun vs. shade plants
Apr. 7 Tissue-water relations
Apr. 14 Transpiration & stomata
Apr. 23 Oral presentations
Apr. 28 Mineral nutrition - long report
May 5 Apical dominance
May 5 GA bioassay
May 5 Tropisms & plant movements
May 5 Second lab notebook check
