Course Contents

1. Bioenergetics: Energy, laws about energy changes. Oxidation and reduction in living systems. 2. Metabolism: i. Biosynthesis, degradation and regulation of sucrose and starch.mBreakdown of fats with special reference to beta-oxidation and its energy balance. Biosynthesis of fats. ii. Replication of DNA. Reverse transcription. Biosynthesis of DNA and RNA. iii. Components of protein synthesis. Genetic code, protein synthesis: initiation, elongation and termination. 3. Alkaloids: Occurrence, physiological effects, chemical nature with special reference to solanine, nicotine, morphine, and caffeine. Aflatoxins, their nature and role. 4. Terpenoids: Classification: monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, tetraterpenes, polyterpenes and their chemical constitution and biosynthesis. 5. Vitamins: General properties and role in metabolism. Practical 1. Separation of nucleic acids by gel electrophoresis. 2. To estimate the amount of vitamin C in a plant organ (orange, apple juice). 3. To determine potential alkaloids in plants. 4. To estimate terpenoids in plants. 5. To estimate soluble proteins by Biuret or Lowry or Dye-binding method. 6. To estimate the amount of total Nitrogen in plant material by Kjeldahl's method.

Course Synopsis

The course content of Plant Metabolism aims to improve student competences in plant metabolism to explicit the fundamentals of metabolic energy, metabolism and plant constituents. Students will be taught about the synthesis and breakdown of various bio-chemicals (sucrose, starch, fatty acids, proteins, DNA, RNA, alkaloids, vitamins and terpens) along with their regulatory mechanisms inside the living cell.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of course student will be able to 1. Understand the details of plant metabolism at a level that allows experimental implementation in a comprehensive manner 2. Integrate the different biochemical synthesis and breakdowns 3. Gain an appreciable understanding of applying knowledge of bio-energetics, synthesis and breakdown of biological molecules inside the living cells. 4. Explain the regulatory mechanisms of all above said reactions to correlate them with plant physiology at an advanced level.