This course explores the world of plants, focusing on how they are built, how they grow their structure, Function, reproduction, and how they interact with their environment. Students will also study the many ways plants are important to people, providing food, raw materials, and medicines that support daily life.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify and classify different types of plants according to their structure and function.
- Explain how plants live and grow, including photosynthesis, reproduction, and their role in ecosystems.
- Describe the practical importance of plants to human society, from nutrition and industry to healthcare.
Required Materials
- Laboratory & Practical Tools
- Compound light microscopes & hand lenses
- Prepared plant slides (root, stem, leaf cross-sections; xylem, phloem; stomata; pollen grains) if available
- Fresh plant specimens (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds)
- Simple chemicals: iodine, safranin, methylene blue, acetocarmine, ethanol, distilled water
- Glassware: beakers, test tubes, Petri dishes, droppers, pipettes, funnels, graduated cylinders
- Field & Outdoor Study
Field notebooks and sketchpads
Collection jars, bags, and labels
Measuring tools (tape measure, ruler, thermometer, pH paper for soil studies)
- Teaching & ICT Aids
- Charts and models of plant organs, tissues, and life cycles
- Multimedia support: projector, computer with access to digital botany databases
Videos & animations on photosynthesis, plant development, and classification
Books and References
- 1. Raven, P.H., Evert, R.F., & Eichhorn, S.E. (latest edition). Biology of Plants. W.H. Freeman/Macmillan.
- Mauseth, J.D. (latest edition). Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology. Jones & Bartlett.
