Welcome to Course 2: Exploring the World of Plants part II
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I. Plants and People--Introduction A. Our Dependence Upon Plants B. The Cell Wall 1. Wood 2. Fiber C. The Contents of the Cell: Exudates and Extracts 1. Latex 2. Pectins and gums 3. Resins 4. Tannins, dyes, and essential oils D. Plants with Medicinal Properties 1. Herbal remedies throughout history 2. Antibiotics 3. Poisons
II. Plant Parts We Eat A. Food Categories—The Big Three 1. Carbohydrates—sugars and starches 2. Oils and fats 3. Proteins B. Plant Parts as Food 1. Seeds—cereals, legumes, nuts 2. Roots 3. Leaves, stems and fruits
III. Week 1 Conclusion
Week 2: The Cycles of Life
I. The Cycles of Life--Introduction
II. Plant Reproduction A. From Seed to Seed: Plant Life Cycles 1. Annual, Biennial, or Perennial? B. Survival of the Prettiest? The Role of Flowers C. Everything You Always Wanted to Know...The Biology of Plant Reproduction 1. Chromosomes and genes 2. Chromosome in sets 3. Types of Cell Division 4. Formation of Gametes 5. Seeds and Fruits D. The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree: How Plants Disperse Their Seeds 1. Wind 2. Water 3. Animals 4. Fire 5. Other Adaptations for Seed Dispersal E. The Importance of Genetic Diversity
II. Week 2 Conclusion
Week 3: The Biology of Inheritance
I. Introduction
II. A Blue-Eyed Susan? A Primer on Genetics A Blue-Eyed Susan? A Primer on Genetics A. Review of Reproductive Process B. Mendel’s Famous Peas 1. Inheritance of seed color 2. Dominant or recessive? 3. Charting the results C. Gene Distribution during Cell Division D. The Role of Chance E. Incomplete Dominance F. Genetic Diversity Revisited 1. Mutations G. Back to the Garden
III. The Six-Million Dollar Plant?—The History of Plant Breeding A. Selection B. Hybridization 1. Hybrid Vigor C. Genetic Accidents D. Genetic Engineering 1. New Leaf potato 2. Roundup Ready soybean
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IV. Week 3 Conclusion
Week 4 -- Propagation and Ecology
II. What is Asexual Reproduction/Propagation? A. Botany vs. Horticulture B. Clones and Cloning C. Adventitious Roots and Shoots D. Asexual Propagation by Underground Structures E. Asexual Propagation by Aboveground Structures F. Horticultural Techniques
III. Plant Relationships III. Plant Relationships A. Categorizing Relationships B. Plant-Microbe Relationships a. "Good" microbes? b. Disease-causing microbes C. Plant-Insect Relationships a. Insects as pollinators b. Two fascinating relationships c. Insect troublemakers D. Plant-Plant Relationships a. Unwelcome visitors E. Plant-Animal Relationships F.
IV. Week 4, Course 2 Conclusion
