Autotrophy

This course unit presents the main functions of carbon, mineral, and water nutrition in plants, which ensure their autotrophy (the production of their biomass). It will provide the necessary foundations for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of nutrient absorption, distribution, and assimilation. The course unit will consist of two main parts, one dedicated to mineral nutrition and the other to carbon nutrition.

After reviewing the properties of plant membranes and walls and the concepts of transmembrane transport, the part of the EU dedicated to mineral nutrition will teach the mechanisms of water absorption and circulation, root absorption, subcellular compartmentalization and mineral distribution, as well as nitrogen assimilation metabolism.

The chapter on carbon nutrition will present how chloroplasts function in plant cells, photosynthesis (capturing light energy and synthesizing the first carbon compounds), the production of organic compounds, and their allocation within the plant.

Knowledge:

- understand the mechanisms of transmembrane transport,

- understand the basics of carbon and nitrogen assimilation,

- master the different scales at which nutrition can be approached: subcellular, tissue, organ, and whole plant.

Expertise:

- master a rigorous scientific approach to studying plant nutrition mechanisms according to the scale considered,

- conduct rigorous scientific reasoning (tutorial),

- conducting experiments, analyzing results, interpreting them, and drawing conclusions (practical work).

Interpersonal skills:

- develop an interest in plant biology,

- develop scientific curiosity and rigor,

- develop critical thinking skills,

- working in teams (practical work in pairs, group work in tutorials)

- basic knowledge of biochemistry and enzymology,

- Basic knowledge of molecular biology, particularly gene expression and its regulation.

- basic knowledge of cell biology,

- Basic knowledge of plant anatomy.