This is the main syllabus for Dr. Tiftickjian’s course in Plant Anatomy (BIO 410/510). If this is your first visit, you will probably want to read this page from beginning to end. Some of the links below will take you to sections on this page; others will take you to pages with additional and more detailed information. You can return to this page from any other Plant Anatomy page by clicking the “Syllabus” button found at the top and bottom of each page.

To keep up with the latest information on lecture topics, reading assignments, and other announcements, visit the Course Outline page which shows the lecture schedule and provides links to the latest items of interest to students enrolled in the course.

• Course outline and schedule  • Announcements and assignments  • General course policies  • Course objectives  • Expected preparation  • The textbook  • Course web site  • Assignments, testing, and grades  • Sample exam questions  • Index of images  • Lecture drawings  • Check your grades

Spring 2008 Instructor: Dr. John Tiftickjian Credit: 4 Class meetings: Lecture: Mon, Wed, Fri, 11:00-11:50, Caylor 105 Lab: Tuesday, 1:40-3:30, Caylor 113 Prerequisites: If your major is in the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences, you must have achieved full admission status, other students should have completed two semesters of general biology or a course in general botany or have permission of the instructor. Textbook: Plant Anatomy, 1988, by James Mauseth, Saunders College Publishing Other materials: Lab outline. This is actually a series of handouts. They will be distributed prior to each lab meeting. Drawing paper. Although not required, you will probably find it beneficial to sketch some of the more important laboratory specimens. For this some plain white paper (no rulings) is best. E-mail account. Some assignments will be submitted by email. You will also need access to the Internet for some assignments and to access the course web pages. Computer labs are available on campus for Internet access. Labs are located in Broom 202/203 and Library 115. Their hours of operation are posted outside the labs and also on the web.

Course objectives

The primary objective of the course is to gain an understanding of the internal structure of vascular plants. The emphasis will be on the angiosperms (flowering plants) but consideration of certain features of gymnosperms and lower vascular plants will be made where appropriate for comparison. Further objectives are to discuss the functional significance of plant structure as much as possible and to consider the development and phylogeny of the plant tissues and organs. Because complete interpretation of plant function, classification, ecology, etc. depends on a good basic understanding of plant structure, plant anatomy is important to all areas of botany.

Expected preparation

Most students enrolled in the class should have had a year of general chemistry and a year of general biology (full admission status for DSU biology majors). All students, regardless of major, certainly should have taken a enough general biology to be familiar with the general structure of higher plants. One course in general botany is also sufficient. This course builds on that foundation. If you have not taken the prerequisites, you must check with me before continuing in the course.

The textbook

Mauseth’s book, Plant Anatomy, takes a modern approach to plant structure. He does more the just define and describe the tissues and organs of the plant. His approach is to ask questions about the relationship between structure and function, about the consequences of particular anatomical features, and to consider plant structure as a result of natural selection. He therefore tries to blend anatomy with physiology and evolution. Besides the campus bookstore, there are other sources you might want to check for the best price. Several book sellers on the Internet carry the book, both new and used. If you consider buying online, remember to consider shipping costs and how soon the book will get to you. If it takes longer than a couple of days, you may get behind on your reading assignments.

Course web site

Right now you are reading the home page of the course web site. This site is not yet complete, but it is constantly being updated. Here you will find class news, assignments, lecture outlines, and other information that will be useful. Note that this is not an “online” course, but should be considered “Web-enhanced.” You are not often required to make use of the this website, but it is strongly recommended. You will find materials here that may not be in the textbook or covered completely in lecture, but all the online content is designed to enhance the course and help to improve your grade. You should check the site frequently as it is constantly changing. The most important page is the course outline page that shows an updated schedule of lecture and lab topics, reading assignments, and homework assignments. You will also find most of the lecture outlines, micrographs and other images of plant cells and tissues, and links to related information on the Internet.

Assignments and testing

Lecture exams will consist mostly of short essay questions. Material for exams will be taken from lecture, text readings, and any outside reading assignments. The final exam is comprehensive. The lab exams will be “practical” exams, one at mid-term and one at the end of the semester.

There will be several short writing assignments: reviews of journal articles, Internet searches, e-mail discussions, etc.

Graduate students (BIO 510) are required to do a bit more work. This will probably take the form of a more in-depth paper to be presented to the class. More information on this later.

Checking your grades

You can check your current grade online at a secure web page. You must log in with a unique password so no one but you will be able to see your grades. You will receive your password shortly after the course begins. Note that this web page is independent of the Blackboard system used by Delta State. The login ID and password you might be using for another course through Blackboard will not work for Dr. T's courses.

Other course policies

See the course policies page for additional information on attendance, grading policy, dropping the course, etc.

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