Plant development

This UE is a specialization module in Functional Plant Biology, covering the mechanisms underlying the major stages in plant development.

It is based on knowledge derived mainly from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and covers the following concepts from a molecular, cellular and physiological point of view:

• Roles and functions of the main phytohormones.
• Development of male and female gametes, fertilization.
• Embryo, seed and fruit development.
• Functioning of root and stem meristems (vegetative and floral).
• Flower architecture.
• Adaptive development mechanisms in response to abiotic factors: light, gravity, cold.

Certain aspects of development will also be analyzed from an evolutionary perspective, by studying the role of developmental genes in the diversification and evolution of developmental processes in land plants (evolution of the root system, floral architecture, etc.).

• Knowledge :
• Understand strategies for studying plant development: techniques for studying gene expression (notion of reporter genes) and gene function (mutant approaches, transgenesis).
• Acquire the key physiological, biochemical and molecular bases of plant development.

Understand the role and modes of action of phytohormones.

• Know-how :
• Know how to phenotype and genotype mutants.
• Analyze molecular mechanisms related to development.
• Master the scientific approach: hypothesis, experiments (replicates), observation, description, interpretation, synthesis, conclusion (deduction, proposal of a general model).
• Know how to search for scientific information, synthesize it from several sources and rank it according to credibility.
• Learn the basics of scientific writing.

• People skills :
• Thoroughness, curiosity.

Critical thinking skills

L2 UE Fundamentals of Plant Physiology

Recommended prerequisites: Basic knowledge of molecular, cellular and genetic biology