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Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology 

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Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
 at 
Coursera 
Overview

Duration

6 hours

Total fee

Free

Mode of learning

Online

Difficulty level

Intermediate

Official Website

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Credential

Certificate

Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
 at 
Coursera 
Highlights

  • Shareable Certificate Earn a Certificate upon completion
  • 100% online Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
  • Flexible deadlines Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
  • Intermediate Level
  • Approx. 6 hours to complete
  • English Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Catalan, Portuguese (Brazilian), Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Hebrew, Spanish, Romanian
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Details Icon

Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
 at 
Coursera 
Course details

More about this course
  • This class is aimed at people interested in understanding the basic science of plant biology. In this four lecture series, we'll first learn about the structure-function of plants and of plant cells. Then we'll try to understand how plants grow and develop, making such complex structures as flowers. Once we know how plants grow and develop, we'll then delve into understanding photosynthesis - how plants take carbon dioxide from the air and water from soil, and turn this into oxygen for us to breathe
  • and sugars for us to eat. In the last lecture we'll learn about the fascinating, important and controversial science behind genetic engineering in agriculture.
  • If you haven't taken it already, you may also be interested in my other course - What A Plant Knows, which examines how plants see, smell, hear and feel their environment: https://www.coursera.org/learn/plantknows.
  • In order to receive academic credit for this course you must successfully pass the academic exam on campus. For information on how to register for the academic exam ? https://tauonline.tau.ac.il/registration
  • Additionally, you can apply to certain degrees using the grades you received on the courses. Read more on this here ?
  • https://go.tau.ac.il/b.a/mooc-acceptance
  • Teachers interested in teaching this course in their class rooms are invited to explore our Academic High school program here ? https://tauonline.tau.ac.il/online-highschool
Read more

Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
 at 
Coursera 
Curriculum

Course Introduction and Plant Cell Structure

Course Promo

1.1 All plants are made of cells

1.2 Different types of microscopy are used to study cells

1.3 Characteristics of plant cells

1.4 Plastids

1.5 The origin of chloroplasts

1.6 The cell wall

1.7 The vacuole and plasmodesmata

1.8 Vascular tissue - xylem

1.9 Vascular tissue ? phloem

Before we begin

How to succeed in this course? PDF version

Suggested Reading - Week 1

Lecture 1 Quiz

Whole-Plant Structure

2.1 Plant organs

2.2 Apical meristems

2.3 Root structure and development

2.4 Shoot apical meristem and development

2.5 Flower development

2.6 Development is regulated by gene expression

Suggested Reading - Week 2

Lecture 2 Quiz

Photosynthesis

3.1 Chloroplast structure

3.2 Chemical currency: ATP and NADPH

3.3 Light and Photosynthesis

3.4 The light-dependent reactions and electron transfer

3.5 The Light-dependent Reactions and ATP

3.6 Phototsynthesis 2: The dark reactions and sugar synthesis

3.7 Discussion with Prof. Nir Ohad: The Carbon Cycle

3.8 Inside a photosynthesis lab

Suggested Reading - Week 3

Lecture 3 Quiz

Plant genetic engineering

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Cultivated foods and genetic changes

4.3 Conventional breeding and genetic engineering methods

4.4 Recombinant DNA technology

4.5 Transgenic plants - proof of concept

4.6 Case study: Genetic engineering in combating viruses in agriculture

4.7 Examples of genetic engineering: Nutritional benefits

4.8 Potential of genetic engineering: I Insect resistant plants

4.9 Concerns about the use of genetic engineering in agriculture

Suggested Reading - Week 4

Lecture 4 Quiz

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Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology
 at 
Coursera 

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