Practical course deals with plant pigments, photosynthesis and respiration, mineral nutrition, water regime and phytohormone
effects. Student gets knowledge on plant functions and acquires experience on work with living plant material, explant in
vitro cultivation, meets basic analytical methods , eg. chromatography, spectrophotometry and gasometry.
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Praktická výuka fyziologie rostlin. Zabývá se rostlinnými barvivy, fotosyntézou a respirací, minerální výživou, vodním režimem a efekty růstových látek. Student si osvojí základní návyky práce s živým rostlinným materiálem, seznámí se s kultivací rostlinných explantátů in vitro a s některými základními analytickými metodami, např. chromatografií, spektrometrií a gazometrií. Představuje také interakce rostlin s okolní biosférou na příkladu mykorhizní symbiózy.
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Literature - Czech
Description of goals, methods and background informations are available in a printed form in the practicum.
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Requirements to the exam
presence in the practicum, elaborated protocols
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Syllabus -
Plant pigments. Extraction and TL chromatography of chloroplast pigments, elution and determination of absorption spectra. transport of electron from donor to acceptor in prepared extract. Paper chromatography of vacuolar pigments, identification by means of UV-source.
Photosynthesis, respiration, assimilates. Measurement of net photosynthesis in C3 and C4 plants estimating changing level of carbon dioxide in closed system. Influence of CO2 level on rate of photosynthesis, compensation concentration of CO2. Rate of respiration measured as increasing level of CO2 in darkness in closed system. Starch localisation in leaves - function.
Plant water regime. Estimation of osmotic potential of epidermis of onion bulb (observation of incipient plasmolysis). Rate of transpiration, stomatal and cuticular transpiration - gravimetric method.
Mineral nutrition. Nitrogen deficiency, effect on growth, development and efficiency of photosythetic apparatus in young plants of maize. N, P, K, Mg, Ca deficiency - manifestation in young plants of wheat and kohlrabi. Fytotrof - an expert system for mineral deficiency assessment.
Plant in vitro cultivation. Passage of Drosera. Potato micropropagation by node segments. Cell culture - cell viability estimation using trypane blue.
Plant growth substances. Effect of IAA, BAP, ABA and GA3 on growth and development of cress seedlings.
Mycorhizal symbiosis. Cultivation and passage mycorhozal fungi, anatomical and morphological analysis of mycorhozal fungi and roots of plants colonized by mycorhizal fungi.
Male gametophyt - phospholipid signaling in apical growth
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Plant pigments. Extraction and TL chromatography of chloroplast pigments, elution and determination of absorption spectra. transport of electron from donor to acceptor in prepared extract. Paper chromatography of vacuolar pigments, identification by means of UV-source.
Photosynthesis, respiration, assimilates. Measurement of net photosynthesis in C3 and C4 plants estimating changing level of carbon dioxide in closed system. Influence of CO2 level on rate of photosynthesis, compensation concentration of CO2. Rate of respiration measured as increasing level of CO2 in darkness in closed system. Reducing and non-reducing sacharides, aldo-sugars, keto-sugars. Storage polysacharides. Starch localisation in leaves - function.
Plant water regime. Estimation of osmotic potential of potato tuber tissue (gravimetric method) and epidermis of onion bulb (observation of incipient plasmolysis). Effects of water content on net photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance - estimated by means of TPS open systém. Root pressure - gravimetric method. Light and stomata opening and closure.
Mineral nutrition. Nitrogen deficiency, effect on growth, development and efficiency of photosythetic apparatus in young plants of maize. N, P, K, Mg, Ca deficiency - manifestation in young plants of wheat and kohlrabi. Fytotrof - an expert system for mineral deficiency assessment.
Plant in vitro cultivation. Passage of Drosera. Potato micropropagation by node segments. Cell culture - cell viability estimation using trypane blue. Mycorhizal symbiosis. Cultivation and passage mycorhozal fungi, anatomical and morphological analysis of mycorhozal fungi and roots of plants colonized by mycorhizal fungi.
Male gametophyt - phospholipid signaling in apical growth
Plant growth substances. Effect of IAA, BAP, ABA and GA3 on growth and development
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (12.03.2019)
Learning outcomes
LEARNING OUTCOMES – Plant Physiology Practicum
Course description and aim
The Plant Physiology Practicum course focuses on acquiring practical laboratory skills and developing a comprehensive understanding of plant physiological processes through experimentation. Students learn to apply and interpret various experimental approaches — from the extraction and chromatography of pigments and measurement of photosynthesis and respiration, to water relations, nutrient deficiency assessment, phytohormone effects, in vitro culture, and mycorrhizal symbiosis analysis. The aim of the course is to ensure that students not only conduct standard physiological experiments but also understand their purpose, interpret results critically, identify potential methodological limitations, and propose improvements.
Student performance is assessed through laboratory reports, which must document individual results, analysis, and evaluation of the experimental process and outcomes.
Learning Outcomes1. Knowledge and Understanding (Remembering / Understanding)
After completing the course, the student:
explains the principles of basic plant physiology methods (chromatography, spectrophotometry, fluorometry, gas exchange and transpiration measurements, osmotic potential determination, in vitro culture),
describes the physiological basis of photosynthesis, respiration, water relations, mineral nutrition, phytohormonal regulation, and mycorrhizal symbiosis,
understands the significance of experimental models for studying plant function and responses.
2. Application (Applying)
The student:
independently performs basic laboratory experiments in plant physiology, handling instruments and samples safely and effectively,
applies theoretical principles in designing and implementing small-scale experiments,
records, processes, and clearly presents experimental data.
3. Analysis (Analyzing)
The student:
identifies relationships between experimental conditions and physiological plant responses,
analyzes collected data in the context of biological variation and methodological limitations,
evaluates how different experiments contribute to understanding plant functioning in changing environments.
4. Synthesis (Creating)
The student:
integrates knowledge from different topics of plant physiology into a coherent understanding of plant functioning,
proposes modifications or extensions of experimental designs to test new hypotheses,
formulates well-structured conclusions based on observed data and physiological reasoning.
5. Evaluation (Evaluating)
The student:
critically assesses the reliability and validity of experimental data,
identifies possible sources of error and suggests improvements in methodology,
interprets results within a broader biological and ecological framework, supporting arguments with experimental evidence.
Final competencies of the course graduate
A graduate of the Plant Physiology Practicum course:
possesses fundamental theoretical knowledge and practical proficiency in experimental plant physiology,
can independently plan, perform, and interpret physiological experiments,
demonstrates critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills,
is capable of accurate and concise written communication of experimental results in the form of laboratory reports,
exhibits methodological accuracy, responsibility, and teamwork in laboratory settings.
Last update: Hála Michal, RNDr., Ph.D. (25.01.2026)
