Functional Biology of Plants

Dr Martin J. Hodson, School of Biological & Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University. Martin Hodson is a Visiting Researcher in Environmental Biology in the School of Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. Professor John A. Bryant, Emeritus Professor, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter. John Bryant is Professor Emeritus of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Exeter; Visiting Professor in Molecular Biology at West Virginia State University, USA; Chair of Christians in Science and is a past President of the Society for Experimental Biology.

• Preface, ixAcknowledgements, x1 Origins, 11.1 Plants – what are they?, 11.2 Back to the beginning, 11.3 Eukaryotes emerge, 21.4 Photosynthetic eukaryotes – the first 'plants', 31.5 The greening of Earth – plants invade the land, 41.6 Embracing the terrestrial lifestyle, 61.7 Arrival of the angiosperms, 81.8 Sex and the alternation of generations, 112 Introduction to Plant Cells, 142.1 Plant cells, 142.2 Cell walls, 152.3 The plasma membrane, 212.4 Cell compartmentation, 232.5 Chloroplasts, 242.6 Mitochondria, 272.7 The nucleus, 292.8 The vacuole, 312.9 Endomembrane systems, 312.10 Microbodies/peroxisomes, 322.11 Ribosomes, 342.12 The cytoskeleton, 342.13 The mitotic cell cycle, 362.14 Metabolism, 423 Genes, Gene Expression and Development, 563.1 Genes, 563.2 Gene expression, 593.3 Chloroplasts and mitochondria, 653.4 Control of gene expression – switching genes on and off, 693.5 Molecular aspects of development, 753.6 Plant hormones, 753.7 Light receptors, 863.8 Concluding comments, 924 From Embryo to Establishment, 944.1 Introduction, 944.2 Embryogenesis, 944.3 Endosperm, 994.4 Perisperm, 1004.5 Late embryo growth, storage deposition and desiccation, 1004.6 Seed coat, 1094.7 'Recalcitrant' seeds, 1094.8 Apomixis, 1094.9 Seeds and fruit, 1104.10 Fruit development and ripening, 1124.11 Dormancy and quiescence, 1144.12 Germination, 1154.13 Establishment, 1205 Roots, 1245.1 External morphology of roots, 1245.2 Root anatomy, 1245.3 Root growth, 1265.4 Soil chemistry and water relations, 1305.5 Plant mineral nutrition, 1325.6 Movement of nutrients to the root surface, 1335.7 Absorption of water and nutrients, 1335.8 Mycorrhizae, 1395.9 Root nodules and nitrogen fixation, 1395.10 Tropisms, 1425.11 Gravitropism in roots, 1436 Stems, 1456.1 Structure of the stem, 1456.2 The young stem, 1456.3 The shoot apical meristem, 1466.4 Shoot organizational forms, 1486.5 The mature stem, 1486.6 The tallest, largest and oldest plants, 1516.7 Ageing and senescence, 1526.8 Long-distance xylem transport, 1546.9 Translocation in the phloem, 1556.10 Biological clocks in plants, 1576.11 Phototropism – how do stems curve towards the light?, 1606.12 Gravitropism in stems, 1606.13 Thigmotropism, 1616.14 Nastic movements, 1616.15 Bud dormancy, 1637 Leaves, 1667.1 External morphology of leaves, 1667.2 The anatomy of the leaf, 1667.3 Control of leaf growth and development, 1677.4 Photosynthesis, 1687.5 Photorespiration, 1747.6 The photosynthesis/transpiration dilemma, 1777.7 C4 photosynthesis, 1787.8 Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), 1817.9 Sources and sinks, 1827.10 Stomata, 1847.11 Leaf senescence and abscission, 1868 Flowers, 1898.1 Introduction, 1898.2 What is a flower?, 1898.3 Organization of flowers and flowering – inflorescences and life-styles, 1918.4 Formation of flowers, 1928.5 Gametogenesis, 1988.6 Pollination and fertilization, 2048.7 Evolution, 2149 Environmental Stresses, 2169.1 Responses to stress, 2169.2 Temperature, 2179.3 Waterlogging, 2219.4 Drought, 2239.5 Salinity, 2269.6 Chemical stress, 2289.7 Light and radiation, 23210 Acclimation and Adaptation to Environmental Stresses, 23510.1 Adaptation and acclimation responses, 23510.2 Temperature, 23610.3 Resistance and adaptation to waterlogging, 24010.4 Resistance and adaptation to drought, 24310.5 Resistance and adaptation to salinity, 24710.6 Tolerance and adaptation to toxic metals, 25210.7 Adaptations to light and radiation, 25611 Biotic Stresses, 26011.1 Plant/plant competition, 26011.2 Plant/animal interactions, 26511.3 Plant pathology, 27112 Plants and the Future, 28412.1 Climate change, 28412.2 Loss of plant biodiversity, 28812.3 Biomass and biofuels derived from plants, 29112.4 Genetically modified crops, 29712.5 Conclusion, 300Glossary, 302Index, 309

"Martin Hodson and John Bryant have written the most captivating and elementary textbook on modern plant biology. It might be read from cover to cover by anyone seeking an introduction to the subject, but seems especially suited to high school, undergraduate and vocational courses."  (Expl Agric, 1 January 2013)Named CHOICE Outstanding Title for 2012 “Students who are new to plant science will be quite well served, as will graduate students and others needing to develop fuller understandings and perspectives on their research.  Summing Up: Highly recommended.  Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty.”  (Choice, 1 November 2012)