Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology (Coursera)

Offered by Tel Aviv University,
Understanding Plants - Part II: Fundamentals of Plant Biology (Coursera)

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.

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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: Understanding Plants - Part I: What a Plant Knows

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Course Introduction and Plant Cell Structure
WEEK 2: Whole-Plant Structure
WEEK 3: Photosynthesis
WEEK 4: Plant genetic engineering

Suggested Readings:

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