BIO 251H1H

Plant Form And Function

BIO251H1H
2015
COURSE OUTLINE

Table of Contents
PAGE
3.

General Information
Instructors
Teaching Assistants and Course Administration
Textbook
Course Sections

4.

Grades and Grading Policy

6.

Lecture Schedule

7.

Laboratory Outline

8.

Laboratory Schedule

9.

Appendices

10.

Lab Safety and Procedures

13.

Use of the Compound Microscope

17.

Calibration of Microscope

19.

Use of Novaspec II Spectrophotometer

21.

Using Digital Micropipettes

GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor:

Tammy Sage (Lecturer)

ESC Rm 2079, tammy.sage@utoronto.ca

Teaching Assistant

Vanessa Lundsgaard-Nielsen
vanessa.nielsen@mail.utoronto.ca
Matt Sata
mattstata@gmail.com
Stefanie Sultmanis
stefanie.sultmanis@mail.utoronto.ca

Course Administration
And Techical Support:

Penelope Gorton
ESC Rm 3048
p.gorton@mail.utoronto.ca

Required Textbook:

Raven, Evert, Eichhorn 2013. Biology of Plants. 8th Edition.

(available for purchase at U of T Bookstore)

Course web page:

http://www.portal.utoronto.ca

To access the course web page go through the portal to BIO251.

Lectures - Supplementary materials and/or lecture notes will be posted by the instructors
on the course web page.
Questions You can e-mail questions to your TA about the labs. Please make an
appointment with your lecturer to discuss course material. For administrative questions like
changing your lab time or missed quizzes and the midterm, please contact the course
administrator by e-mail to make an appointment.
Course administration Updated information about the course schedule, exam locations,
etc. will be posted on the course web page in the Announcements Section. Webnotes,
updated lab materials and study aids will be posted within the individual sections of each
lecturer. For administrative questions please e-mail the course administrator.
Marks Check your quiz and test marks on the portal and contact the course administrator
within one week of obtaining a mark if you have questions. No changes to your mark will
be addressed after this one week grace period.
Lecture Sessions: T 6-8 p.m. (Koffler Centre, 569 Spadina Ave., Room 108).

GRADES AND GRADING POLICY

Grades are based on 2 tests and 4 lab quizzes.
Marks distribution:

40 % test #1 on Section I lectures and labs (Feb. 9)

40 % test #2 on Section II lectures and labs (April Finals)
20% weekly lab quizzes (4 at 5% each)

Exam description:
Tests are a combination of multiple choice and true/false answers, graded
electronically from scanned answer sheets. Any material presented in lectures and
labs will be on the test. Because textbook readings supplement lecture and lab
material, any assigned material in the textbook that is relevant to lab or lecture
material may also be on a test. Lab quizzes will follow the same format and may
also include short answers. Lab quizzes will be given at the beginning of each
laboratory. The lab quizzes will address the previous lab and the lab to be
conducted on the day of the quiz. Students failing to complete a laboratory
session following the quiz will receive a mark of zero for the quiz.
Bring to all tests:
(1) Your student photo identification card.
(2) Pencil and eraser for multiple choice scantron answer sheets. Pen cannot be
used on the scantron sheet. Any question marked with pen will not be graded.
Attempt every question. There is no advantage in leaving an answer blank.
Exam Locations
The first midterm test covering Section I will be held on Monday, February 9
between 2:10 pm and 4:10 for all afternoon lab sessions and between 6:10 and 8:10
for all evening lab sessions. The tests will be written in Earth Sciences and will be 2
hours long. Students will be assigned to their test room by last name. The room
allocation will be posted on the web page a few days before the test. Students
arriving at the incorrect exam time will not be allowed to take the exam. For
example, if a student misses the afternoon exam for which he/she is scheduled, the
student will not be allowed to take the evening exam. Please pay attention to the
time when your exam is scheduled.
The test covering Section II will be held during the April final exam period.
Students are required to check with Arts and Science to find the date location.
Missed Test
Students who miss the mid-term test for reasons entirely beyond their control
may, by noon on Wednesday, February 11th, submit to the course
administrator, a written request for special consideration explaining the
reason for missing the test and attaching appropriate documentation. The
official Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Toronto Medical Note is the only
acceptable medical note in case of illness. The medical note must be completed by
4

a medical doctor. Medical notes are required in case of illness. The makeup
exam will be held on Friday, February 13th from 2:10 until 4:10. There is only
one make-up test. If you miss the initial test and make-up test, you will receive a
score of 0 for the test except under the most exceptional of situations.
Missed Lab and Quiz
Students who miss a lab and the quiz should contact the TA and the course
administrator within two days of the missed lab/quiz for permission to make up the
lab and quiz. This must be done in advance of the make -up quiz. Students must
have a valid, documented reason for missing the lab. Illness, documented with an
official Faculty of Arts and Sciences Medical note is considered a valid reason.
Holidays honored by the instructors of this course are those officially observed by
the University of Toronto.
Grade changes:
Students who wish to receive consideration for a grade change for a test must
discuss the test with the instructor. Students who wish to receive consideration for a
grade change for a quiz must discuss this with their TA. Grade changes will only be
considered within one week of the posting of the grade on the portal. Grade
changes will not be considered after this time. Check the portal frequently to
make sure that your marks are posted and therefore recorded.

BIO251H LECTURE SCHEDULE 2014

Lecture
#

Date

Topic

Readings in Raven et al
Chapter Pages

1.

Jan. 6

Primary Plant Organization

Plant Cell Structure

23

Plant Tissue I: Epidermal Tissue

23
24
25

2.

3.

4.

Jan. 13

Jan. 20

Jan. 27

Feb. 3

38-62
71-74
538-544
553-555
555-557
564-565
590-595

Plant Tissues II: Ground Tissue

23
24
25

Primary Vascular Tissue: Phloem

Primary Vascular Tissue: Xylem

23
23

541-544
565-568
579-584
590-593
596
546-552
544-546

Photosynthesis, Light Reactions

122-135

Carbon Fixation, C3 photosynthesis

135-140

Carbon Fixation, C4 photosynthesis

140-145

CAM

145-149

Water and Plant Cells

Phloem Transport

4
30

75-81
722-726

Feb. 9 Exam! On Lecture and Lab Material Through and including Feb. 3
6.

Feb. 10

Sink Physiology

TBA

7.

Feb. 24

Water/Inorganic Nutrient Movement

30
26

708-722
615-635

8.

Mar. 3

Development I: Embryogenesis
Development II: Post-embryonic
Development

22
22
24
25

526-534
534-537
559-564
579-583

9.

Mar. 10

Developmental Mechanisms
Cell Cycling, Cell Expansion, Cell

3
TBA

62-70

Differentiation
10.

Mar. 17

Plant Hormones I: Introduction

Auxin

27
28

638-644
660-664

11.

Mar. 24

Plant Hormones II

27

647-652

12.

Mar. 31

Plant Reproduction

25

604-607

LABORATORY OUTLINE
Laboratory Manual:

The manual can be downloaded from the course web page

through the portal: http://portal.utoronto.ca.
Due to revisions in the labs, individual laboratory exercises
will be posted before each lab. You must print a copy and
bring it to lab with you.

Laboratory Sections:

P0101
P5101
P0102
P5102

M 2-5 ESC Rm 1027 or 1032

M 6-9 ESC Rm 1027 or 1032
M 2-5 ESC Rm 1027 or 1032
M 6-9 ESC Rm 1027 or 1032

Room assignments will be posted on the course website by Friday, January 9th. Labs
start promptly at 2:10 or 6:10 p.m. Lab coats are required for all labs. There is
absolutely no food or drink allowed in the labs.
Lab attendance
The labs run in a two week cycle. Your lab section meets every other Monday. Lab
attendance is compulsory. Please mark your lab dates in your calendar right away. The
midterm is written during lab time followed by reading week therefore.
Lab Evaluation
Material in the lab will be examined during each lab period with quizzes at the beginning of
each lab starting with lab 2. Therefore quiz 1 will be written in lab. 2. There will be 4
quizzes worth 5% each. Each quiz will cover the material from the previous lab and
material from the current lab that is available from the lab handout that you will download
from the web. Items you should know from the lab include understanding how the lab
worked, the functional and evolutionary significance of features presented in the lab,
technical aspects of any experiment including the basics of equipment function, and
definitions of key terms as discussed in the lab handouts and in-class discussions. This
information is best learned in the lab rather than afterwards. Students failing to complete
a laboratory session following a quiz will receive a zero for that quiz.

BIO 251 LABORATORY SCHEDULE 2015

Lab exercises will be posted the week before the lab is held. All
students are expected to have read the handouts before lab.
Lab. Date

Lab. # and cycle

Lab Topic

Quiz #

January 12
January 19

Lab # 1 (cycle 1)
Lab # 1 (cycle 2)

Structure of Cells and Tissues

Structure of Cells and Tissues

No quiz
No quiz

January 26
February 2

Lab. # 2 (cycle 1) Photosynthesis

Lab. # 2 (cycle 2) Photosynthesis

1
1

February 9 Exam I on Lecture and Lab. Material Through February 3

February 23
March 2

Lab. # 3 (cycle 1) Source-Sink Relations in Plants

Lab. # 3 (cycle 2) Source-Sink Relations in Plants

2
2

March 9
March 16

Lab. # 4 (cycle 1) Plant Embryogenesis; set up lab. #5

Lab. # 4 (cycle 2) Plant Embryogenesis; set up lab. #5

3
3

March 23
March 30

Lab. # 5 (cycle 1) Auxin and Xylem Regeneration

Lab. # 5 (cycle 2) Auxin and Xylem Regeneration

4
4

APPENDICES

A. Laboratory Safety and Procedures

B. Use of a Compound Microscope
C. Calibration of Microscope
D. Use of the Novaspec II Spectrophotometer
E. Using Digital Micropipettes

10

APPENDIX A
LABORATORY SAFETY AND PROCEDURES
(ADOPTED FROM BIO 250Y)

Emergency Response Guidelines:

St. George Campus Emergency Local Telephone Numbers:
Campus Police 8-2222
Metro Police 9-911
Fire Department 9-1Student Health Services 8-8030
Hazardous Chemical Spills 8-7000
General Rules:
Please observe the following "rules" of conduct in the BIO 251Y lab rooms.
1.

No food, drink, or smoking is allowed in the lab.

2.

Wear appropriate clothing in the labs; wear a lab coat and

disposable gloves if chemicals are handled (gloves are provided).
Do not wear open-toed shoes in the lab.

1. Advise your instructor of any special health conditions you have which they should know
about in the event of an emergency
2. Do not behave in any way that disrupts the class or endangers the health and safety of other
people in the class. Report any accidents, breakage, or damage of equipment immediately to your
instructor.
3. Clean up after yourself. Dispose of waste in the appropriate containers. Clean your glassware.
Wash your hands before leaving the lab. Do not wear disposable gloves outside the lab.
Procedures for handling microorganisms:
Although you will not be given pathogenic organisms for study in this course you should
be aware of safety procedures in dealing with microbes in general. The mammalian
immune system is normally able to handle most microorganisms, including those that are
potentially pathogenic. However, there are two hazards that must be avoided:
1. Persons with diseases that affect the immune system are at risk in handling normally nonpathogenic microorganisms. If you believe that you have such a condition you should consult
your physician and you will be excused from the laboratory exercises using microorganisms.
2. Living cultures of "harmless" microorganisms can become invaded or colonized by pathogenic
ones. Although this is unlikely it is always safest to treat all microorganisms as potentially
pathogenic.
3. Clothing coming in contact with microorganisms should be removed and washed. The best
way to avoid the embarrassment of leaving crucial pieces of clothing behind in the lab is to wear
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a lab coat. Lab coats are required for these exercises and should be taken home in a plastic
bag and washed frequently.
4. Never touch living microorganisms with any part of your body. If you do come in contact
with microorganisms wash the affected part thoroughly in soap and water.
5. Keep laboratory doors closed.
6. Never eat or drink in the laboratory.
7. Wash your hands before leaving the laboratory.
8. Report any spills to an instructor so that they can be cleaned and disinfected.
9. Never leave microbial cultures open to the air: keep them covered at all times. Many
microorganisms can become airborne and inhaled.
10. Sterilize all implements that you have used to handle microorganisms. You will be
instructed in how this is done.
11. Place all used microscope slides in the jars of disinfectant provided.
12. Place all culture vessels away from the edge of the lab bench and away from areas where
they could become knocked over.
Chemical Rules:
1. Always wear protective clothing when handling chemicals. We advise not wearing contact
lenses when handling chemicals.
2. Do not pipette solutions by mouth. Use the pumps provided.
3. Keep solutions capped when not in use.
4. Dispose of chemicals in the labeled containers. Do not put solutions down the drain.
5. Read the safety data on the chemicals you will use so that you know what to do in case of a
spill or emergency (see text below).
6. Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the lab.
Glass and "Sharps":
1. Dispose of broken glass in the yellow buckets, and razor blades in the small yellow containers.
Please do not put paper waste in the "sharps" containers. Never throw glass into the garbage bins.
2. Use a brush and pan to sweep up broken glass. Ensure that all broken glass is cleaned up
(brush and pan are in the prep room).
3. Report breakage of equipment to your instructor.
First Aid:
For a minor injury: Administer First Aid. There is a First Aid kit in the BIO250 prep room
1031 and in the BOT 251Y prep room ES 1024, and there are 2 first aid stations located on the
2 and 4 floors in the Earth Sciences Building.. Familiarize yourself with the locations of the
First Aid kit in the prep room.
nd

th

For a serious injury or illness: Call the Campus Police at Local 8-2222. Use the phone located
in the prep room between ES1032 and ES1027. Familiarize yourself with the location of the
nearest campus phone.
Chemical first aid: Check the material safety data sheets (MSDS) found in the BIO250 prep
room 1031 for the recommended first aid procedure for each chemical. The three common
chemical hazards are inhalation, ingestion, and skin/eye contact. For most chemicals the
following basic first-aid procedures apply:
12

Inhalation: Move patient to fresh air.

Ingestion: Call poison control and notify (9-416-813-5900).
Skin/eye contact: Flush area with water for 15 minutes. Wash skin with soap and water.
Consult physician if irritation persists. All labs are equipped with an eye-wash station.
Fire:
1. Activate the nearest wall-mounted fire alarm located in the hallways near the exits.
2. Phone the University Emergency Centre, Local 8222.
3. Evacuate the room and building.
4. Report to Campus Police if anyone is suspected of being in the building after general
evacuation.
5. Attempt to extinguish a fire only if you can do so safely. Each lab room has a fire
extinguisher next to the door.
6. Familiarize yourself with the location of fire exists and fire extinguishers.
Chemical Spill:
For a minor spill:
1. Report the accident to your instructor.
2. Soak up the chemical in paper towels.
3. Dispose of the contaminated towels in the appropriate waste container (ask your instructor).
For a major spill:
Alert your instructor. They will decide to either evacuate the room and call the Hazardous
Chemical Control at Local 8-7000 or to contain and clean up the spill with the special equipment
provided in the prep room.

13

APPENDIX B
USE OF A COMPOUND MICROSCOPE

The compound microscope you will be using (Figs. 1 & 2) is the Nikon Alphaphot or Nikon
Alphaphot 2 biological microscope. As each type of microscope may have unique operating
characteristics, we ask that you review the following instructions adapted from the Nikon
operating manual.
MICROSCOPY
Obtain a microscope from the cabinet. When carrying any microscope always support the base
with one hand while firmly holding the arm of the microscope with the other hand.

14

15

16

17

APPENDIX C
CALIBRATION OF MICROSCOPE

In bright field microscopy an ocular micrometer or eyepiece micrometer is used to measure the size
of object in the field of view. An ocular micrometer has been placed in one of the ocular lenses of
the compound microscope and appears as a linear scale (numbered 0-100) over the field of view.
Please keep in mind that this scale is abstract - the units cannot be used to measure objects until the
distance between each unit is determined. In other words, the ocular micrometer must be
calibrated.
In order to calibrate the ocular micrometer you must compare it to the known scale of a stage
micrometer. A stage micrometer is a glass microscope slide with a 1 cm scale placed in the centre.
This scale is divided into 1 mm (1000 m) and 0.2 mm (200 m) units. The distance between the
smallest units on the stage micrometer is equal to 0.2 mm. you will calibrate the ocular micrometer
for each objective lens by determining how many units of the ocular micrometer are equal to a
certain length on the stage micrometer.
1
Place the stage micrometer ("compass points and scale") on the microscope stage. Focus
and adjust the illumination using the condenser focus and iris diaphragm.
2
Rotate the ocular lens so that the image of the ocular micrometer is superimposed over
the image of the stage micrometer.
3
Determine the number of ocular micrometer units that equal as closely as possible a
known number of divisions on the stage micrometer. The easiest way to do this is to line up the
"zero" on the ocular and stage micrometers. The smallest divisions on the stage micrometer are
200 m. Determine the distance between the closest divisions of the ocular micrometer and
record this information below.
Example:
!

- 20 units of the ocular micrometer corresponds to 2 units of the stage micrometer

(Figure 2).
!
- Each division on the stage micrometer equals 200 m, so 20 units of the ocular
micrometer equals 400 m.
!
- In this example, an individual unit on the ocular micrometer is 20 m (400 m/20).

18

Figure 1

At 4 x:

Figure 2

ocular units = m (stage micrometer)

Therefore, one ocular unit = m

At 10 x:

ocular units = m (stage micrometer)

Therefore, one ocular unit = m

At 40 x:

ocular units = m (stage micrometer)

Therefore, one ocular unit = m

4.

In order to calculate magnification of a drawing or photograph measure the final size of

the image and divide this by the actual size as measured using a calibrated ocular
micrometer.

Units
1 meter (m) = 100 centimetres (cm) 1 centimetre (cm) = 10
millimetres (mm) 1 millimetre (mm) = 1000 micrometers
(m) 1 micrometer (m) = 1000 nanometres (nm)
19

APPENDIX D
USE OF THE NOVASPEC II SPECTROPHOTOMETER
Introduction:
Your spectrophotometer is an easy to use microprocessor based instrument providing rapid
measurement of both light absorbance and light transmission in the visible region (325-900 nm).
The instrument has a spillproof membrane keypad with 8 logical keys, and also offers peak
check, absorbance ratio/difference and simple kinetics functions. It has full automatic calibration
at switch-on, and RS232C interface and analogue output for connection to a serial printer and a
chart recorder, respectively.

1
2
3
4
5

Display panel
Spill-proof membrane keypad
Sample Compartment
Rigid chassis mounts all major components
Moulded cover protects against ingress of dirt

The Electromagnetic Spectrum:

The figure below indicates the full electromagnetic spectrum. Note that the range that is detectable
by the Novaspec II spectrophotometer is from 325 to 900 nanometers which covers the entire visible
region of light.

20

Operation Guide:
1
APPLY POWER: Turn on the power switch located at the back of the instrument.
Allow the instrument at least 15 minutes warm-up time.
2
SELECT THE WAVELENGTH: Press the "WAVELENGTH+" or "WAVELENGTH
" keypad buttons until the desired wavelength appears in the display panel.
3
SELECT THE MODE: Press the "MODE" keypad button to indicate whether
absorbance, transmittance or concentration is to be determined. The mode indicator light
appears in the display panel.
Absorbance: A measure of the amount of light at a specified wavelength that has passed
through the sample relative to that which has passed through the reference. The relationship
between the concentration of the sample and its absorbance is linear, and hence absorbance
mode is widely used experimentally. Note that an absorbance value of 1.000 (i.e. complete
absorbance) is equivalent to 0% transmittance.
Transmittance: A measure of the amount of light of the specified wavelength that has passed
through the sample relative to the amount of light that has passed through the reference. This
is displayed as a percentage. The relationship between the concentration of the sample and its
transmittance at any given wavelength is not linear and hence transmittance mode is rarely
used experimentally.
Concentration Mode: The user can enter the concentration of a known standard solution by
placing the standard in the cell compartment and adjusting the value using "CONC" or
"CONC+" on the keypad. The concentration of a sample may then be determined relative to
the standard solution. Select the decimal place by pressing both "CONC+" and "CONC" at
the same time.
4.

SET THE REFERENCE ON A BLANK:

a)

Fill a cuvette or a test tube about half full with pure water (or other reference liquid).

b)

Insert the cuvette into the sample holder and close the cover.

c)

Press the "SET REF" keypad button.

Note that this step must be repeated each time the wavelength is changed.
5.

MAKE A SAMPLE MEASUREMENT:

a)
b)

Refill the cuvette with the sample liquid to be tested.

Insert the cuvette into the sample holder and close the cover. The result may now be
read directly from the display panel.

21

APPENDIX E
USING DIGITAL MICROPIPETTES
Avoid the following:
1
2

Never try to use pipette without a tip; this can ruin the precision piston that measures the
volume of fluid.
Never set the pipette down with a filled tip; fluid can run back into the piston.

Instructions for Use:

1.

Carefully rotate control button to desired volume -- do not force nor go past the range of
the pipette. e.g., For a 20 l pipette currently set at 15 l you must dial backwards to get
to 2 l; you will break the pipette if you rotate past 20 l.

2.

Push pipette end firmly into the proper-sized tip.

3.

Always hold container at nearly eye-level while withdrawing or expelling fluid to ensure
you can see what you are pipetting.

4.

Hold pipet almost vertically when filling.

To Withdraw Sample
1

Depress button to first stop, hold in this position. Dip tip into solution to be pipetted and
draw fluid into tip by gradually releasing the plunger.

Slide tip along the inside wall of the tube while you removing tip from solution to
dislodge any excess fluid adhering to outside of tip.

To Expel Sample
1

Touch pipette tip to inside wall of tube where you want sample. A capillary effect helps
draw fluid out of the tip.

To expel sample, slowly depress button to first stop. Press on to the second stop to blow
out the last bit of fluid. Hold button in second position as you carefully remove pipet out
of the tube.

To eject tip, depress lower plunger. Eject into specially marker beakers for used tips.

22