HOME STUDY - BOTANY COURSE
Study plant physiology and taxonomy at home." Clients... that have completed courses with ACS that we have spoken to, have all been extremely happy. Leanne & myself are more than happy with the assistance we received and the prompt attention."
- Dynamic Workforce Solutions
- learn about plants in a 'hands-on' way by conducting your own experiments
- learn how to prepare a collection of pressed, dried, plants
- work in nature - collecting samples and studying ecology
- work in a lab - conduct research on plant tissues and processes
Duration: 100 hours
COURSE AIMS
On completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the Plant Kingdom and understanding of the taxonomic hierarchy
- Identify and describe the different types of plant cells and tissues, their structure and function
- Determine the role and function of specific vegetative parts of the plant
- Determine the role and function of the reproductive parts of the plant
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role and function of the seed in the life cycle of the plant
- Explain the mechanism and the role of photosynthesis in the metabolism of plants and relate to plant growth in controlled environments
- Explain the mechanism and the role of respiration in the metabolism of plants
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role of water in the plant
- Review the movement of water, solutes and assimilates through the plant
- Understand the effects of tropisms and other plant movements on growth and development
- Undertake risk assessments relevant to the learning outcomes in this unit
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is divided into 10 lessons as follows:
- Taxonomic Classification of Plants - History of taxonomy, Binomial system, Levels of classification, Families, Principle of priority, Name changes, Hybrids, Varieties, Cultivars, Abbreviations, Botanical keys, Key to Phyla, etc.
- Cells and Tissues - Types of Plant Cells, Plant Tissue, Primary and Secondary Growth
- Specific Vegetative Parts of a Plant - Stem Formation, Leaf Structure and Leaf Arrangement, Root Structure
- Flowers and Fruit - The Flower, Inflorescence (panicle, umbel, composite head), fruits (simple, aggregate, multiple), Reproductive Growth and Development
- Seed and the Developing Embryo - Seed Structure, Food Storage Organs, Seed Coats, Embryo, Seed Germination, Requirements, Stimulants, Inhibitors
- Photosynthesis and Growing Plants - Photosynthetic Apparatus, Process, Gas Exchange, Light transformation to Energy
- Respiration - Stages of Respiration, the Krebs Cycle, Electron Transport Chain, Rate of Respiration, Control of ATP Production in Respiration
- The Role of Water - Osmosis, Water Movement from Soil to Root, The Transpiration Stream
- Movement of Water and Assimilates through a Plant - Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake, Absorption and Transport of Mineral Nutrients, Translocation of Sugars, Adaptations for Water Storage, Food and Water Storage Organs
- The Effects of Tropisms and Other Growth Movements - Plant Hormones, Tropisms, Chemical Growth Modifications.
WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE
During this course, students will:
- Prepare a collection of forty pressed, dried, labelled plants
- Learn how to key out plants using a Botanical Key
- Identify the phyla, family, genus and species of ten unknown plants
- Identify modified plant parts on live plants
- Describe in botanical terms leaf shapes from a range of different plants
- Dissect and draw labelled diagrams of several flowers
- Collect fruits and categorise them by type (pome, drupe, etc)
- Germinate seeds and describe changes that occur to the seeds over time
- Observe changes in potted plants under varying levels of sunlight and relate this to photosynthesis
- Observe transpiration in live plants and relate this to theoretical knowledge
- Observe and record osmosis in an experimental situation
- Observe and record phototropism in plants
What qualification will I achieve for completing this course?
This is an individual module course. The individual module courses are 100 hour long usually and can be taken on their own or as part of a larger program of study. If you wish to take an individual module course as a stand alone course, you can elect to sit an optional exam at the end of it. If you successfully pass the exam and all assignments, you will receive a Statement of Attainment.
You can take examinations at a time and location to suit you. If you enrol, you will be sent further information on how to arrange examinations at the end of the course. If you do not wish to take the exam, you will receive a Course Completion letter when you have passed all assignments.
There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. So for example, if an individual module course contains ten lessons, you will need to complete ten assignments. Assignments can be sent to us via email, post or fax. Other qualifications, such as certificates, diplomas etc may require examinations to be taken as part of the overall assessment process. You can find further information on the examinations process by clicking on the “Enrolment” link above. You can find further information on other courses by clicking on the “Courses” link above.
NB: This course also satisfies the learning criteria of the Royal Horticulture Society’s Module B of the Advanced Certificate in Horticulture. For more information on our RHS qualifications, contact the school.
If you would like more advice on a course, then you can contact us and ask a tutor about the courses. You can contact us by calling 0800 328 4723 or +44(0) 384 442752 or emailing info@acsedu.co.uk
Learn Botany Online - Study Self Paced
ACS student comment: "It has been an eye opener!! I am now living in a different world, my whole perspective to life and nature has changed and now I cherish it more. [My tutor] encourages me a lot and that kept me going. She would give more positive constructive correction where necessary as if it was not that bad at all. She has been supportive and understanding" Lucia Masuku, South Africa - Botany 1 course
- learn essential plant physiology and taxonomy
- introduction to plant morphology and anatomy
- work in agriculture, horticulture, environmental or plant science, teaching, pharmaceuticals
- seek a pathway to undergraduate plant specialism courses
It also satisfies the learning criteria of the Royal Horticulture Society’s Module B of the Advanced Certificate in Horticulture. For more information on our RHS qualifications, contact the school.
