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INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY
BIO 230
Fall, 2014
Syllabus and Tentative Schedule

Instructor:
Dr. Lesley Campbell, KHN 307B,
Lesley.g.campbell@ryerson.ca
NOTE FAQ instructions before sending an
email to instructors.
Office Hours:
Fridays, noon 4pm

Prerequisites: BLG 143, BLG 144

Teaching Assistants:
Mr. Aslam Hanief ahanief@ryerson.ca
Mr. Dino Milotic dino.milotic@ryerson.ca

Lecture: Thursdays 2.10 pm-5 pm (DSQ-12)

CLASS STARTS ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
th
!

Course Materials:
Textbook: Evert, R.F., and Eichhorn, S.E. 2013. Raven Biology of Plants, 8
th

edition. Freeman Worth, New York. Required.
There are 3 copies on reserve in the library. It is NOT available in the
Ryerson bookstore but can be purchased online (at Amazon or the
publisher). 7
th
editions do differ, slightly from the 8
th
edition but are
relatively good (and less expensive). Some folks have also found it at the
U of T bookstore.
Our primary text will be Peter Raven et al.s Biology of Plants, a rich and detailed textbook
that covers plants as well as fungi, algae, and bacteria. This text reflects the scientist looking
at plants with a critical eye using the power of observation and experimentation.
Print-out of lab manual, some blank sheets for drawing, a lead pencil, a fine-
tipped marker. Required for laboratory activities.
Various Articles and Lab Assignments.
Readings, lectures, and films by a variety of other people will help us explore human relations
with plants. All articles and lab assignments will be handed out in class, or available through
links off the Blackboard website. We will provide paper copies or links to pdfs.
#

Course Outline
In this class, were going to look at the everyday life of plants and how they enter
into our daily life, as well. Over the semester, we will attempt to address the following
questions:
How do plants gain nourishment and provide nourishment for us?
How do plants protect themselves, neighbours and their consumers?
How do plants age and how does plant aging allow us to use them in new and
different ways?
What meaning do people give to plants?

While considering the special relationship we share with plants, we will cover three
general areas of botany:
A. Plant form and function: we will follow the plant through its life-cycle, starting
with germination from the seed, proceeding through reproduction, and ending
with death. At each stage we will look at how the plant is constructed, and what
controls how it behaves.
B. Interactions with other organisms: throughout the course we will look at plant
interactions with pollinators, dispersers, plant diseases and humans, all of which
determine how plants function.
C. Plant diversity: Finally, we will make a very quick survey of the major plant
groups. Since most of the course focuses on angiosperms, we will here give the
other groups their due.

Official Ryerson Course Calendar Description
Topics include plant systematics at morphological and genetic levels, plant
development and life cycles, and nutrient requirements for growth. Photosynthesis and
primary metabolism of C3, C4 and organic acid plants will be compared. Basic
physiology including hormonal regulation, ion transport, and water relations will be
presented. Secondary metabolites including phytochemicals, drugs, toxins and pigments
will be introduced. Laboratory exercises include germination, growth requirements,
flower dissections, measurements of tissue nutrients, creation of cuttings and controlled
crosses.

Active Learning
This class will employ an active learning approach. Class time will consist of a
mixture of mini-lectures, combined with class exercises (usually in pairs or small groups)
and discussion to improve comprehension of the material. Because total lecture time is
reduced, we require that you read the textbook or other readings prior to class. To check
comprehension of the material there will be one graded midterm and a final exam on the
material. Then, you will explore the concepts learned in class by performing laboratory
exercises every other week for a three-hour period.

Policy on Use of Electronic Equipment in Class
Dr. Campbell is committed to educationally sound uses of technology in the classroom
and to preventing technology from becoming disruptive to the learning environment.
$
Laptop use is restricted to note taking during class. Prohibited uses during class
include messaging, game playing and Internet surfing
Mobile phones can be disruptive in the classroom in a number of ways and their
use should not be abused. Ringtones must be turned off in class, and if on, phones
must be in vibrate mode. If there is a need to check for and/or receive a call (e.g,
parent with sick child), the student must inform the instructor in advance that the
student may need to excuse him/herself to take an important call. Students should
refrain from text messaging in the classroom unless the instructor has given
permission. Students who create a disturbance by mobile phone use will be
warned and may be asked to leave the class session if the behavior continues.
During testing experiences, phones must be kept in backpacks, away from the
students person. Failure to store phones separately are grounds for an academic
integrity investigation. If emergency circumstances necessitate cell phone contact,
please speak with the instructor prior to the start of the test.
If you wish to record any portion of the lecture (either audio or video), please
afford the courtesy of asking the permission of the lecturer.

Assessment
Grades of each item will be posted on Blackboard. Final grades will be available via
RAMSS.
Item % of Total Grade Date
Lecture (50% of grade)
Midterm exam 20% Thursday, October 23, 2.10
pm
Treasure Hunt 10% Thursday, October 10
th
, 4 pm
Submission of written section
via Blackboard
Plant(s) must be submitted at
KHN 307B between 9am-4pm
Final exam 20% Cumulative lab portion, non-
cumulative lecture portion

Labs (50% of grade)
Pre-Lab worksheets (5 @
2% each)
10% Printed copy given to TA
upon arrival in lab
In-Lab Activity (5 @ 8%
each)
40% Printed copy given to TA at
the end of each lab


Midterm
The midterm will start at the beginning of class.
The learning goals and outcomes associated with each included book chapter will
serve as a study guide for each midterm. I have also provided sample exams to
Ryerson SOS (announcements for study sessions will be made in class prior to
exam) for the purposes of guiding studying for the midterm and final exam.

%
Treasure Hunt
***On your own time***, you will complete a field trip exercise and you will grow your
own plants - The Botany Treasure Hunt. The field trip portion may be done in groups but
plant growing and write-ups will be done individually (i.e., your answers may not be
phrased in the same way as other class participants). Note: it is not valid to have your
mom/aunt/brother/friend/friendly grocer grow your plant. This will be considered a
serious violation of Ryersons academic integrity policies.

Lab assignments:
Your lab book will be available in Blackboard. Please print each lab prior to
attending lab (and read the entire lab before attending the lab). You may print the
lab materials on both sides of a regular piece of paper. However, you may not
reduce the size of the print-outs for the purposes of handing in your work to your
TA.
You will be required to submit your answers to pre-lab questions before each lab
begins (which come as part of every lab assignment). This will help you prepare
to do the activities described in the lab. These will be graded and contribute to
your final class grade. Failure to complete the pre-lab questions will mean the TA
will deny entry to the lab.

Missed exercises and late penalties:
If you miss a midterm for medical reasons, please contact the instructor for make-
up opportunities. I will not grant make-up opportunities for non-medical reasons.
With permission from the instructors, you may attend another lab session while
that particular lab is being offered (but not after the lab is complete). Exceptions
are made only for serious, long-term emergencies (e.g., serious illness), and only
after permission of the instructor is granted.
You must pass both the lecture and lab portions of the class in order to pass the
entire class. Lab attendance is therefore mandatory. If you miss more than two
labs (even for medical reasons) you will have missed more than half the lab
material and you cannot pass the lab portion of the class. Therefore, you will fail
the class.
Lab assignments should be turned in to the TAs. All other material should be
turned in to the instructor.
All lecture-based assignments must be handed in by 4 pm on the due date. You
can turn it in during class or lab, or to the Chemistry and Biology Drop box (KHN
212). Late assignments will be penalized by 5% per day, unless arrangements are
made before the due date (or exceptional conditions exist).
Submit HARD COPIES of your assignments unless we ASK you to do so
electronically.

Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism, copying and all other forms of cheating are unacceptable. According
to the Ryerson University Student Code of Academic Conduct (available at
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol60.pdf), the minimum penalty for any case
&
of academic misconduct is a grade of zero for the assignment and a DN (Disciplinary
Notice) will be placed on the students academic record and official transcript. More
severe consequences are possible. If you are unsure of what is acceptable, you should
read the policy and consult with the course coordinator.
A few simple rules to prevent plagiarism:
1. When in doubt about whether you should cite or acknowledge someone, do so.
2. If you are unsure of how to cite someones writings or ideas, ask one of the
instructors for help. Reference librarians are also a good source of information
for help with citations.
3. If someone else has performed the task (e.g., growing a plant, answering a
question on a lab exercise or midterm), then it is their work and cannot be
presented for grading as your work.
Tools We Plan To Use To Detect Plagiarism In All Submitted Assignments
Properties of electronic files
Internet search engines to compare written work with that available online
Online reference sources
Electronic databases and full-text electronic journals
Online samples from paper mills/essay-writing services
Plagiarism detection software
Turnitin.com: Ryerson University has licensed Turnitin.com as a plagiarism
detection and prevention tool, which is freely available to all instructors. The
service compares submitted essays against a database of millions of previously
submitted documents, included submitted Ryerson papers, and performs a
thorough search of Internet resources.

Students who do not want their work submitted to the Turnitin plagiarism detection
service must, by the end of the second week of class, consult with the instructor to make
alternate arrangements.

MOSS (Measure Of Software Similarity) is a free, automatic system for
determining the similarity of C, C++, Java, Pascal, Ada, ML, Lisp, or Scheme
programs. The main application of MOSS is in detecting plagiarism in
programming classes.

Accessibility
I endeavor to make this class an accessible experience for all students. If you have any
requests or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.

It really helps us improve this class when we hear from our students about what we can
do better. A feedback process brings to our attention situations in which we may not have
adequately considered accessibility and allows us to better plan for accessibility in the
future. If you have any questions or additional needs, please let us know as soon as
possible.


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Tentative Lecture Schedule
Date Topic Reading
Week 1 An Introduction
Photosynthesis, Light and Life
REE 1,7
Week 2 Movement of Water and Solutes in Plants
Cells and Tissues of the Plant Body
REE 30, 23,
Week 3

Plant Secondary Metabolites
Plant-Plant Competition
The Root: Structure and Development
REE 2, 24
Week 4 Plant Nutrition and Soils
Early Development of the Plant Body
REE 29, 22
Week 5

The Shoot: Primary Structure
Development Secondary Growth in Stems
REE 25, 26
Week 6 Regulating Growth & Development: Plant
Hormones and External factors
27, 28
Week 7 The Process of Evolution
Systematics: The Science of Diversity
Algae, Bryophytes,
REE 11, 12, REE 15, 16
Week 8 Seedless Vascular Plants, Gymnosperms REE 17, 18,
Week 9 Evolution of Angiosperms,
Introduction to the Angiosperms
REE 19, 20
Week 10 Plant mating systems
Plant-pollinator Interactions
pp. 169 172,
Week 11 Plants & People: Agriculture
Recombinant DNA Technology, Plant
Biotechnology, and Genomics
REE 21, 10
Week 12 Plants & People: Cannabis as a Case Study

Labs
# Date Topic Due:
1 Sept 12-19 Nourish a. Bring listed lab tools
b. Pre-lab Worksheet
c. In-lab Worksheet
2 Sept 26-Oct. 3 Protect a. Bring listed lab tools
b. Pre-lab Worksheet
c. In-lab Worksheet
3 Oct 10-24 Age a. Bring listed lab tools
b. Pre-lab Worksheet
c. In-lab Worksheet
4 Oct 31-Nov 7 Mystery a. Bring listed lab tools
b. Pre-lab Worksheet
c. In-lab Worksheet
5 Nov 14-Nov
21
Beauty a. Bring listed lab tools
b. Pre-lab Worksheet
c. In-lab Worksheet