Environmental stress, including temperature variation, hypoxia, and pollutants, deleteriously affects the functions of both animals and plants disrupting their homeostasis. Understanding the organism responses to environmental stress and the underlying mechanisms are essential to complete student formation in science and technology for environment. The expected learning outcomes are related to Plant Physiology, Ecophysiology, Physiology, Comparative Physiology, Environmental Physiology. In particular, the Educational Objectives are related to the acquisition of Cultural Competencies concerning the knowledge of: physiological terminology; homeostasis; phenotype plasticity; functional acclimatization of animals and plants. Teaching Objectives are also the acquisition of Methodological Skills, concerning the ability to carry out application of the scientific method for the analysis of components and factors of processes, systems and problems concerning the environment, both natural and modified by human beings and experimental data processing
teacher profile teaching materials
The effects of climate variations on plants. Plant responses to environmental stresses. Adaptation and acclimation in plants. Phenotypic plasticity. The plant cell. The cell wall: structure and role in cell expansion. Water and plant cells: the water potential. The osmotic behavior of plant cells. The water balance of the plant and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum: root water absorption, xylem transport (tension-cohesion theory), transpiration. Stomata: morphology, opening and closing mechanisms, regulation by environmental signals. Photosynthesis: reactions to light. General concepts, organization of the photosynthetic apparatus, antenna systems, reaction centers, excitation of photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic electron transport chain, Z scheme, redox potential. Formation of the proton gradient and synthesis of ATP in the chloroplast. The regulation of the photosynthetic process under excessive light: photoinhibition and photoprotection of PSII. Photosynthesis: carbon reactions. Calvin-Benson cycle, photorespiration, CO2 concentration mechanisms in C4 and CAM plants. Adaptations and acclimatization to abiotic stresses: water deficit, salt stress, excess water and oxygen deficiency, stress from high and low temperatures. Secondary metabolism: definition and ecological role of secondary metabolites. The main classes of secondary metabolites: terpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds and phenols.
The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it
Raven, Evert, Eichhorn - Biologia delle Piante - Zanichelli.
Pdf files of the lectures
Other material prepared by the teacher
Prof. Cona receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it
Programme
PLANT RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSESThe effects of climate variations on plants. Plant responses to environmental stresses. Adaptation and acclimation in plants. Phenotypic plasticity. The plant cell. The cell wall: structure and role in cell expansion. Water and plant cells: the water potential. The osmotic behavior of plant cells. The water balance of the plant and the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum: root water absorption, xylem transport (tension-cohesion theory), transpiration. Stomata: morphology, opening and closing mechanisms, regulation by environmental signals. Photosynthesis: reactions to light. General concepts, organization of the photosynthetic apparatus, antenna systems, reaction centers, excitation of photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic electron transport chain, Z scheme, redox potential. Formation of the proton gradient and synthesis of ATP in the chloroplast. The regulation of the photosynthetic process under excessive light: photoinhibition and photoprotection of PSII. Photosynthesis: carbon reactions. Calvin-Benson cycle, photorespiration, CO2 concentration mechanisms in C4 and CAM plants. Adaptations and acclimatization to abiotic stresses: water deficit, salt stress, excess water and oxygen deficiency, stress from high and low temperatures. Secondary metabolism: definition and ecological role of secondary metabolites. The main classes of secondary metabolites: terpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds and phenols.
The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it
Core Documentation
Luigi Sanità di Toppi. Interazioni piante-ambiente. PICCINRaven, Evert, Eichhorn - Biologia delle Piante - Zanichelli.
Pdf files of the lectures
Other material prepared by the teacher
Prof. Cona receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it
Type of delivery of the course
Lecture-based course taught by dedicated teachers: response mechanisms to environmental stresses of animal organisms (3 cfu, prof. Marco Fiocchetti) and plant organisms (3 cfu Prof.ssa Alessandra Cona).Attendance
In presence (remote teaching for the categories of students authorized by the University)Type of evaluation
The exam consists of an oral test with questions equally distributed between plant and animal organisms. teacher profile teaching materials
Introduction to the concept of internal/external environment and stress in animals. Phenotypic plasticity and definition of short term acclimatation and long-term adaptation. Homeostasis and mechanisms of animal response to variation of external environment. Mechanisms of integrated organismic response: nervous and endocrine system.
Animal physiological response to variation of chemical environmental factors. Oxygen: respiratory system and mechanism of ventilation. Cardiocirculatory system. Mechanism of sensing and response to oxygen low availabiity (hypoxia/anoxia) in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Examples of respiratory adaptations. Water and ions: mechanism of regulation of body water and electrolytes. Water and salinity tolerance. Examples of responses and adaptations to water and osmotic stress in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Animal physiological response to variation of physical environmental factors. Temperature: cellular and organismic effect of temperature. Mechanisms of response to temperature stress. Examples of responses and adaptations to low and high temperature in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
- Fisiologia Animale A. Poli, E. Fabbri, C. Agnisola, G.Calamita, G. Santovito, T. Verri Edises
Programme
Animal Physiology:Introduction to the concept of internal/external environment and stress in animals. Phenotypic plasticity and definition of short term acclimatation and long-term adaptation. Homeostasis and mechanisms of animal response to variation of external environment. Mechanisms of integrated organismic response: nervous and endocrine system.
Animal physiological response to variation of chemical environmental factors. Oxygen: respiratory system and mechanism of ventilation. Cardiocirculatory system. Mechanism of sensing and response to oxygen low availabiity (hypoxia/anoxia) in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Examples of respiratory adaptations. Water and ions: mechanism of regulation of body water and electrolytes. Water and salinity tolerance. Examples of responses and adaptations to water and osmotic stress in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Animal physiological response to variation of physical environmental factors. Temperature: cellular and organismic effect of temperature. Mechanisms of response to temperature stress. Examples of responses and adaptations to low and high temperature in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Core Documentation
- Fisiologia ambientale degli animali Pat Willmer Graham Stone Ian Johnston, Zanichelli- Fisiologia Animale A. Poli, E. Fabbri, C. Agnisola, G.Calamita, G. Santovito, T. Verri Edises
Reference Bibliography
- Fondamenti di Fisiologia generale ed integrata, 2019 Taglietti, Edises - Fisiologia umana. Un approccio integrato. Ottava Edizione. Dee U. Silverthorn, Pearson - Meccanismi di base della Fisiologia cellulare, 2019 Mazzanti, Mancinelli, EdisesType of delivery of the course
The course is composed by 2 different modules that will be held through lectures about mechanisms of response of animal (24h, Prof. Marco Fiocchetti) and plant (24h, Prof.ssa Alessandra Cona) organisms to environmental stresses.Type of evaluation
The evaluation of student’s knowledge will be performed through a final oral examination on course’s topics consisting in two parts one about animal mechanism of response to stress and the other one on plant mechanism of response to stress, equally distributed in terms of time.