20112 Plants and Vegetation

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Life Sciences

Prerequisites: none

Required: General Biology I or Introduction to Life Sciences

Authors: Gad Pollak, Ilana Gardi, Lea Koren

The course provides basic knowledge on a wide variety of topics in botany. The first part of the course deals primarily with the effect of environmental factors on the existence, development and dispersal of the individual plant and the impact of these on formations throughout the world, particularly in Israel. The second part details the anatomic and morphologic structure of the plant as well as processes characteristic of its various organs. Students are acquainted with processes of water and ion absorption in plant roots, processes of transpiration and photosynthesis characteristic of leaves and with the sophisticated reproduction mechanisms of seed plants. The topics are demonstrated in guided field trips and laboratory sessions, some mandatory.

Topics: Forms and rhythms; Habitat – abiotic features, biotic features; Plant communities; Vegetation in Israel; Cells and tissues; The root; The shoot; The flower and the fruit; Seed, germination and control factors in plant development.