Laura Klein

136 Maclewane Hall

314-977-3910
lklein10@slu.edu
Tu/Th 12:30-1:30pm, or by appointment
Syllabus
Biology of Plants
Course Description
Plants play a crucial role in sustaining life and ecosystems on our planet. The goals of this course are
to understand how plants work, how they evolved, and how they survive and reproduce in their
environments. Additionally, students will gain an appreciation of plant diversity and the role of
plants in contemporary society. To these ends, the course assimilates information derived from
diverse disciplines including cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, and physiology, among others.
Goals
1. Provide an introduction to plant biology, including but not limited to plant cells, energetics,
evolution, diversity (algae, nonvascular plants, seedless vascular plants and seed plants).
2. Foster the ability to read, interpret and discuss information from primary and secondary scientific
literature, and adeptness at linking basic knowledge covered in lecture and in the textbook to the
scientific literature.
3. Create hands-on experience and understanding of plant biology.
4. Integrate information absorbed in lecture, discussion, and lab settings.
5. Appreciation for plant diversity, understanding of the role of plants in society.
Objectives
1. Develop an understanding for basic plant biology that can be applied in other biology subdisciplines, including more advanced topics in botany.
2. Link basic plant science to current research in biology, understanding its role in describing the
natural world.
3. Use live and preserved plant specimens to connect and apply basic plant knowledge to the living
world.
4. Strengthen concepts introduced in lecture by seeing these organisms or features or organisms in
lab, as well as gain and introduction and more complete understanding of more advanced plant
biology through reading and discussion.
5. Apply what you have learned to an organism or group of organisms of interest.
Text: Evert, R. F. and S. E. Eichhorn. 2013. Raven Biology of Plants. Eighth Edition. W. H.
Freeman and Company Publishers, New York, NY.
Assessments (Exams, Essays, Projects, Other)
1. Exams. Three exams will be administered, two during the semester and one during the final exam
period. The average of the three exams will count towards 40% of the final grade in the class. The
exams will cover lecture, lab, and discussion. Any material in the assigned readings, materials
discussed in class during the discussion, or any lab materials, are fair game.

2. Discussion. There will be five discussions during the course of the semester. Each student is
responsible for completing a paper summary form for each discussion, participating in the
discussion, and leading one discussion. Discussion activities account for 20% of the final grade.
Paper summary form. Due at the beginning of class the day of the discussion. No late
summaries will be accepted.
Discussion participation: Once on discussion days, each lab group will be responsible for leading
discussion among the class, including providing an opportunity for class members to ask
their questions.
3. Laboratory exercises. Lab will be held once a week during the semester. Each lab meeting will have
an assignment that should be completed during the lab period that counts as 25% towards the final
grade. These should be turned in at the end of the lab period, or at the latest, by 5pm the day after
your lab meets. Late lab assignments will not be accepted.
4. Final project. Each group of four students (same as the lab group and discussion group) will be
responsible for a final group project. The final project will account for 20% of the final grade. Each
group will have to pick one plant species or group of closely related species about which they will
research four different aspects of its biology (e.g., chemistry, ecology, evolution, physiology). Each
student will pick one aspect of the biology of that organisms on which to report.
Paper. Each student will be responsible finding completing a one-page, single paced
summary of the aspect of the species biology that they have selected. This work should be
based on at least three primary literature papers. The one page summary should be a review
of those three papers. In the end, the group should write a one-page introduction to the
species and the topics covered by each of the four students, resulting in a final 5-page
coherent paper (one page/student * four students + one page introduction).
Presentation: Each group will be required to give a 12-minute presentation on their plant
(three minutes per student). The presenters will be judged on the content, coherence, and
overall presentation of the material. Peer review forms will be included in the project grade.
Assessment Breakdown:
1) Exams (3): each worth 100 pts
2) Discussion (5, drop 1).
a. Paper summary form and participation (5) (10%)
b. Discussion questions, discussion leading (10%)
3) Laboratory exercises (13, drop 1)
4) Final Project
a. Paper (10%)
b. Presentation (5%)

% of Final Grade
40%
20%

25%
15%

Grading criteria: Grades will be based on 1) exams, 2) discussion, 3) lab, and 4) final project. Each
of these is detailed below.
Grading scale: 93.00-100% A; 90.00 92.99 A-; 87-89.99% B+; 83-86.99% B; 80-82.99% B-; 70.0079.99% C; 60-69.99% D; 0-59.99% F.
Attendance policy
Attendance is expected at every course meeting, including lecture, discussions, and lab. If you have

an unexcused absence for an exam, discussion session, or lab, you will receive a 0. In rare occasions,
excused absences will be accepted for severe health problems or family emergencies. Absences
related to health issues will require a doctors note for the day(s) missed in order to be excused.
Absences related to university-sponsored events require a note from the appropriate office. If you
have questions about attendance expectations for this course, please send your questions and
concerns directly to me.
Attendance policy for exams: If you have an unexcused absence for an exam, you will receive a 0
for that exam. If you have an excused absence, a make-up exam will be scheduled for the
first day that you are physically able to return to school.
Attendance policy for discussions: If you have an unexcused absence from a discussion, you will
receive a 0 for that discussion. You will have the opportunity to drop one discussion grade,
so that if you miss one day and dont have a written excuse for the absence, it will not count
against you. If you have an excused absence, you can receive full credit for the discussion if
you a) turn in the paper summary form, and b) provide written answers to all questions
discussed during that particular discussion session (see Assessment detail below). This will
be due on the day of the discussion or the first day you are physically able to return to
school. There are no make-up discussions. Late work will not be accepted.
Attendance policy for labs: If you are absent from lab, you will receive a 0 for that lab
assignment. If you have an excused absence, the lab you miss will be dropped from your
final lab grade will be calculated by dividing your average lab scores (not including the
excused absence) by the number of labs minus the lab(s) for which you had an excused
absence. Please note that you will have the opportunity to drop one lab grade, so that if you
miss one day, it will not count against you.

Schedule
Day
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7
Week 8

Week 9

T
T, W
Th
T
T, W
Th
T

General Topic
Plant cells

The plant body

Class Type
Introduction
Lab 1
Lecture 1
Lecture 2
Lab 2
Discussion 1
Lecture 3

T, W

Lab 3

Th

Lecture 4

Lecture 5

T, W

Lab 4

Th
T

Evolution

Discussion 2
Lecture 6

T, W

Lab 5

Th
T

Exam 1
Lecture 7

T, W

Lab 6

Th
T
T, W
Th
T
T, W

Lecture 8
Lecture 9
Lab 7
Lecture 10
Discussion 3
Lab 8

Fungi

Seedless plants and

their relatives

Th

Lecture 11

Lecture 12

T, W

Lab 9

Topic
Syllabus/schedule
Introduction
Introduction
Plant cells
Plant cells
Plant cells
The Plant Body diversity of forms
Introduction to the
Vascular Plant body
Introduction to the
Plant Body Vegetative
Introduction to the
Plant Body Reproduction
Describing the Plant
Body - morphometrics
The plant body
Reproduction,
Genetics, and
Genomics
DNA extraction I:
DNA extraction
Fundamental
evolutionary processes
in plants
DNA extraction II:
Gel electrophoresis
and bioinformatics
Systematics
Fungi
Fungi
Yeast
Yeast
Green algae and slime
molds
Green algae and slime
molds
Introduction to
seedless plants bryophytes
Bryophytes

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

Th

Lecture 13

T
T, W

Exam 2
Lab 10

Th

Discussion 4

Lecture 14

T, W

Lab 11

Th

Lecture 15

T
T, W

Lecture 16
Lab 12

Th

Lecture 17

T
T, W
Th
T
T, W
Th
T
T, W
Th
T

Seed plants

Plants in our world/

presentations

Lecture 18
Lab 13
Lecture 19
Discussion 5
Lab 14
Presentations
Presentations
Lab 15
Presentations
Exam 3

Seedless Vascular
plants: Ferns I
Seedless vascular
plants: fern
reproduction in the lab
Seedless vascular
plants
Seedless Vascular
plants: Ferns II
Field trip: Missouri
Botanical Garden to
see seedless vascular
plants
Introduction to seed
plants
Gymnosperms
Seed plants:
gymnosperms
Angiosperms:
vegetative
Angiosperms: Flowers
Seed plants:
angiosperms
Angiosperms: Fruits
Seed plants: fruits
Campus Plant Walk
Last day of class
Final