Syllabus
1. History of plant cytology
2. Plant cell as a component of photoautotrophic organisms, evolution of plant cells
3. Compartmentalisation of plant cell Compartmentalisation rules, role of membranes. Composition of membranes (membrane lipids and proteins), transport across membranes. Changes in membrane arrangement and composition during cell ontogeny and as a response to environmental factors
4. Endomembrane system of plant cells Components of the endomembrane system (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, transport vesicles) and their mutual relationships.
5. Vacuole Origin and growth of vacuoles, types of vacuoles. Tonoplast and its transport functions. Functions of vacuoles in maintaining cytoplasmic homeostasis, storage and detoxification. Roles of vacuoles in plant interactions with environment. Vacuoles as a lysosomal compartment. Role of the vacuole in water uptake and osmoregulation. Vacuoles and growth of plant cell.
6. Nucleus Morphology of non-dividing (interphase) nucleus (nuclear envelope, chromatin, nucleolus). The processes in the interphase nucleus and their regulation. Transport of substances between the nucleus and cytoplasm.
7. Mitochondria Origin of mitochondria. Morphology of mitochondria. Cell respiration and other mitochondrial functions. The development of mitochondria during cell differentiation, in dormant tissues and in response to environmental factors.
8. Plastids Origin of plastids. Classification of plastids. Mutual plastid relationships. Chloroplasts - envelope membranes, peripheral reticulum, and transport of metabolites. System of thylakoid membranes and primary reactions of photosynthesis. Chloroplast stroma - functions in secondary reactions of photosynthesis and in nitrogen metabolism and proteosynthesis. Structure and functions of the chloroplasts of plants with C4 and CAM photosynthesis. The development of chloroplasts during leaf ontogeny. Structure, function and development of non-photosynthesizing plastids (proplastids, etioplasts, gerontoplasts, leucoplasts, chromoplasts).
9. Cell wall Overview of cell wall functions. Macromolecules of the primary cell wall and cell wall architecture - interspecies differences and changes during cell growth and development Apoplastic transport. Biosynthesis and assembly of cell wall components. Cell wall growth. Secondary cell wall - composition, development and occurrence. Impregnation of cell walls (lignification, suberisation and cutinisation)
10. Cytoskeleton Organisation of cytoskeleton (microtubules, actin filaments). Cytoskeleton functions in cell arrangement, in transport processes and in cell growth and morphogenesis.
11. Cell signalling Types of signals, reception and transduction of signals, second messengers Plasmodesmata, their structure, transport of substances and signals through plasmodesmata, symplasmic domains
12. Development of plant cell Cell division, growth, and morphogenesis, role of cytoskeleton and cell wall. Cell polarity. Programmed cell death in plant cell development and in response to stress factors
Annotation
Course on plant cytology for advanced students. The course deals with evolution and compartmentation of plant cells, with structure, function and development of plant cell components (endomembrane system, vacuoles, nuclei, mitochondria, plastids, cytoskeleton and cell wall), with cell signalling and cell polarity, ontogenetic development of plant cells and its regulation (cell division, growth, and morphogenesis, cell senescence, and programmed cell death).