Undergraduate Course Catalog 2012-2013
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
» http://www.colsa.unh.edu/
Plant Biology (PBIO)
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Professor: Thomas M. Davis, Wayne R. Fagerberg, Curtis V. Givan, Leland S. Jahnke, J. Brent Loy, Arthur C. Mathieson, Subhash C. Minocha, Christopher D. Neefus
Affiliate Professor: Clinton J. Dawes, Walter C. Shortle, Kevin T. Smith
Associate Professor: Alan L. Baker, Estelle M. Hrabak, Anita S. Klein
Affiliate Associate Professor: Janet R. Sullivan
Assistant Professor: Kirk D. Broders
Research Assistant Professor: Dennis E. Mathews
Extension Professor: Alan T. Eaton, Catherine A. Neal, Cheryl A. Smith
Extension Associate Faculty: Rebecca Grube Sideman
Extension Assistant Professor: Brian A. Krug
Plant biology is the study of plants at the population, organismal, cellular, and molecular level; and the investigation of the uses of plants for food, fiber, recreational, and ornamental purposes. Offerings in marine and freshwater plant biology also are provided and facilitated by the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory and two marine laboratories where the plant biology faculty maintains an active involvement in teaching and research.
General Science Certification
See Department of Education and COLSA.
B.S. in Plant Biology
This degree is for students intending to seek employment in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries; to work in governmental agencies, environmental groups, and consulting firms; to teach secondary education; or to undertake graduate studies in preparation for advanced research and teaching positions. Students interested in university teaching and/or research, and governmental and industrial research, should plan to complete an advanced degree in the field.
Students are required to take the core courses, which include the biology core curriculum and five plant biology elective courses. One capstone experience, supervised and approved within the major, is required of all seniors. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirement may be satisfied through a course, created work or product, or some form of experiential learning (e.g., honors theses, mentored research projects, and other special student activities). Departments are responsible for certifying that graduating seniors have met the capstone requirement for their majors.
In addition, courses for the Discovery Program and the University Writing Requirement must be completed.
Core Courses
| Abbreviation | Course Number | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL | 411 | Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular | 4 |
| BIOL | 412 | Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology | 4 |
| CHEM | 403 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM | 404 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| MATH | 424B | Calculus for Life Sciences | 4 |
| BMS | 503 | General Microbiology | 5 |
| BIOL | 541 | General Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL | 528 | Applied Biostatistics I | 4 |
| CHEM | 545/546 | Organic Chemistry and Laboratory | 5 |
| BMCB | 658/659 | General Biochemistry and Laboratory | 5 |
| PHYS | 401 | Introduction to Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS | 402 | Introduction to Physics II | 4 |
| GEN | 604 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| PBIO | 701/702 | Plant Physiology and Laboratory | 5 |
| PBIO | 758 | Plant Anatomy | 5 |
| GEN | 774 | Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering | 3 |
| PBIO | 566 | Systematic Botany | 4 |
| PBIO | 795 | Investigations |
Plant Biology Electives
Five additional courses must be selected from those listed under categories 1-5. No more than three courses from any one category can be used to fulfill the requirement. It is strongly recommended that students choose courses from as many of the categories as possible to obtain a broad background in plant biology. Core courses cannot be used to fulfill elective requirements. PBIO 795, Investigations in Plant Biology, can be used once to fulfill one of the five electives, if taken for three or more credits. PBIO 796, Special Topics in Plant Biology, can be used to fulfill elective requirements, if taken for three or more credits and pre-approved by adviser.
Category 1: Systematics, Ecology, and Evolution
PBIO 566, 625, 717, 719, 722, 723, 747; NR 713, 730, 765, 783
Category 2: Marine and Freshwater Plant Biology
PBIO 503, 625, 717, 719, 722, 723, 727, 732, 747; ZOOL 725
Category 3: Plant Structure and Physiology
PBIO 709, 713, 727; BMCB 714/715; GEN 774/775
Category 4: Environmental Horticulture
NR 506; PBIO 547, 565, 650, 651, 652, 679; ZOOL 745
Category 5: Plant Genetics, Cell Biology, and Biotechnology
GEN 705, 771, 772, 775; BMCB 751, 753, 754
B.A. in Plant Biology
The curriculum provides a broad background in the liberal arts and plant biology. Students may enter this program as first-year students or transfer into it from other liberal arts or science programs. This program is of particular interest to students who intend to utilize their plant biology training in public relations, teaching, or other related careers in combination with a liberal arts background. The program allows students to obtain minors in other fields such as English, history and philosophy of science, international affairs, education, art, etc., to create an interdisciplinary program, or to pursue a double major. Students must complete a minimum of 40 semester credits in the major, including B.A. degree core courses, upper-level biology category electives, Discovery Program requirements, and other B.A. requirements. One capstone experience, supervised and approved within the major, is required of all seniors. The capstone explores areas of interest based on the integration of prior learning. The capstone requirement may be satisfied through a course, created work or product, or some form of experiential learning (e.g., honors theses, mentored research projects, and other special student activities). Departments are responsible for certifying that graduating seniors have met the capstone requirement for their majors.
Upper-Level Plant Biology Category Electives
12 credits minimum
Select courses from several of the five plant biology categories (see B.S. program). PBIO 758 and GEN 774 are also recommended.
Required Discovery Courses
Required: Biological Science, BIOL 412, Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology; Physical Science CHEM 403, General Chemistry
Recommended: Quantitative Reasoning, BIOL 528, Applied Biostatistics I; Humanities, PHIL 424, Science, Technology, and Society; or HUMA 651, Humanities and Science: The Nature of Scientific Creativity
Other B.A. Requirements
Foreign language equivalent to one year of college language at the elementary level not previously studied, or one semester of a course in a foreign language beyond the elementary year, or one year of American Sign Language.
Requirements
| Abbreviation | Course Number | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBIO | 412 | Introductory Botany* | 4 |
| ZOOL | 412 | Biology of Animals | 4 |
| PBIO | 501 | Basic Biochemistry | 3 |
| or CHEM | 545/546 | Organic Chemistry and Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOL | 541 | General Ecology | 4 |
| PBIO | 566 | Systematic Botany | 4 |
| or PBIO | 722 | Marine Phycology | 4 |
| GEN | 604 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| or PBIO | 612 | Plant Genetics and Reproduction | 4 |
| PBIO | 701/702 | Plant Physiology and Laboratory | 5 |
*waived if previous credit received for BIOL 411-412 or equivalent
Minors
The Department of Plant Biology offers two departmental minors: a minor in plant biology and a minor in environmental horticulture. These minors are available to all students and are designed to provide a flexible and broad selection of courses to complement any other major area of study.
The requirements for the plant biology minor are:
PBIO 412 or equivalent or BIOL 601, and a minimum of 16 credits from the following list of courses: PBIO 566, 625, 651, 701/702, 709, 713, 717, 719, 722, 727, 758, 795 (maximum of four credits), 796, 799; BIOL 601; BMCB 754; GEN 772, 774/775.
The requirements for the environmental horticulture minor are:
PBIO 421 or PBIO 412 and a minimum of 16 credits from the following list of courses:
PBIO 405, 565, 566, 612, 650, 651, 652, 679, 701, 760, 795 (horticulture-related topics), and 796. Up to two electives may be selected from the following list of Thompson School Horticultural Technology classes: HT 404, 251, 257, 258, 271, 275, and 276.
For advice on course selection, students should see the department chairperson.
Departmental Honors
Honors in plant biology or environmental horticulture will be awarded to students who complete 16 credits of honors courses in plant biology courses (including a minimum of four credits in a senior honors thesis project), and maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.4 (overall average and in major coursework). Students wishing to apply to the departmental honors program should consult with the department chairperson.
