This course is offered every spring semester, and typically has three weekly lectures and one weekly lab. It aims at imparting a broad understanding of plant physiology, emphasizing concept, principles, and basic processes. Topics include introductions on the metabolism of plants and adaptation to their environment, regulation of plant growth, and control mechanisms of plant physiological processes.
Students gain direct experience with scientific inquiry, learn various lab techniques, and develop skills in methods of scientific research, through performing pre-designed as well as investigative laboratory exercises, in which they develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, analyze results, and write up structured technical reports.
Students also improve scientific literacy by discussing and critiquing literatures in class.
In the end, students are expected to gain a holistic understanding of the subject of plant physiology, and be able to integrate the many important plant physiological processes.
Pictures of Plant Physiology students having fun working in the lab and our teaching/research greenhouse:
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Pictures from our nutrient deficiency experiment:
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