This is an approved General Education Course and is not intended for majors in biology
Instructor: Dr. Terry
O'Brien
Office:
201H Science Building
Phone: 856 256-4500 ext. 3587
obrien@rowan.edu
Current office hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Web links related to this course
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Fruit Pod of Cacao Tree
(Source of Chocolate)
|
Coffee Plant |
Grape Vine |
Textbook: Estelle Levetin
and Karen McMahon.
2006. Plants and Society (4th edition). McGraw-Hill
Publishers.
Description:
Schedule-at-a-Glance
Plants are nearly ubiquitous
in human cultures. This
laboratory course
considers the origin and use of plant products by humans, from foods
and
pharmaceuticals to woods and clothing. Students who complete this
course
will better understand the diverse ways that plants are used by humans,
the
diverse origins of such plants, and the diverse features of plants that
have
permitted their utility. 4 s.h.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of written exams, individual and group projects and class participation. There will be an opportunity to tailor the individual project to suit one's specific interests in plants and their uses by people.
Examples of Topics Covered*:
Fundamentals of Plant Chemistry, Structure and Development
Plant Reproduction and Life Cycles
Global Geography of Plant Resources
Agriculture and Horticulture:
Cropping Techniques
"Traditional" and
"Alternative" Crops
Feeding the Masses
Biotechnonology in Modern
Agriculture
Plants in Cuisine:
Human Nutrition and Plants
Staple Crops: Cereal
Grains,
Legumes, and Tubers
Vegetable Crops
Fruit and Nut Crops
Herbs and Spices
Vegetable Oils and Waxes
Beverages From Plants
Medicinal Plants
Plant Poisons and Psychoactive Plants
Perfumes
Toxic Plants / Plant Toxins
Wood, Paper and Cloth Products
Soaps
Dyes and Tannins
Conservation of Plant Resources
* A majority of these topics will be included in the course.
The topics will vary from year to year.
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| Corn Plant
(Maize) |
Black Pepper
Plant |
Hops Vine |
Handouts
(.pdf format; use
Adobe Acrobat to view them):