PřF:Bi6150 Mycorrhizal symbioses - Course Information
Bi6150 Mycorrhizal symbioses
Faculty of ScienceSpring 2025
- Extent and Intensity
- 1/0/0. 1 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching - Teacher(s)
- prof. RNDr. Miroslav Vosátka, CSc. (lecturer)
- Guaranteed by
- prof. RNDr. Miroslav Vosátka, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Vít Gloser, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science - Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
- fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Experimental Plant Biology (programme PřF, B-EMB)
- Phycology and Mycology (programme PřF, N-BOT)
- Course objectives
- The aim of this course is acquaint the students with the most prevalent type of symbiosis on the Earth - mycorrhizal symbiosis, which substantially affects ecophysiological functioning of almost 90% of vascular plant species.
- Learning outcomes
- After passing this course, students are able to:
identify and characterize different types of mycorrhizal symbioses;
position the organisms involved with respect to current systematics;
compare them as regard their functioning and placement within symbiotic continuum;
discuss impact of these symbioses on plant growth and fitness and on natural as well as agroecosystems. - Syllabus
- Symbiosis - concept, mutualism, parasitism, comensalism, neutralism, competition, facultative and obligate symbionts.
- Mycorrhizal symbioses - arbuscular mycorrhiza, ectomycorrhiza, ectendomycorrhiza, orchid, arbutoid, monotropoid and ericoid mycorrhiza. Occurrence and taxonomy of symbionts. Intraradical and extraradical structures. Ecophysiological functions of mycorrhizas (model of multifunctionality). Effects on host metabolism - nutrient flows between symbionts (carbohydrates, phosphates and other low mobile nutrients, nitrogen compounds, water). Relations to other soil microorganisms - bacteria, saprotrophic and pathogenic soil-borne fungi. The effects on host growth and competition abilities. The role in plant community structure. Mycoheterotrophy. The role of mycorrhizas in life cycle of host plants.
- N2 fixators. Taxonomy of the symbionts. Biochemical pathways of N2 fixation. Dual symbioses. The effects on plant growth and plant communities.
- Literature
- GRYNDLER, Milan, Milan BALÁŽ, Hana HRŠELOVÁ, Jan JANSA and Miroslav VOSÁTKA. Mykorhizní symbióza. O soužití hub s kořeny rostlin (Mycorrhizal symbiosis. On the coexistence of fungi with plant roots.). 1. vydání. Praha: Academia, 2004, 366 pp. 1. vydání. ISBN 80-200-1240-0. info
- SMITH, SE and DJ READ. Mycorrhizal symbiosis. 3rd ed. London: Academic Press, 2008, 800 pp. ISBN 978-0123705266. info
- PETERSON, RL. Mycorrhizas: Anatomy and Cell Biology. NRC Research Press, 2004, 176 pp. ISBN 0-660-19087-7. info
- RASMUSSEN, HN. Terrestrial orchids: from seed to mycotrophic plant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. info
- Teaching methods
- Lectures.
- Assessment methods
- The course is finished by the oral exam. The basic facts presented in the lectures are required.
- Language of instruction
- Czech
- Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
- The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks. - Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
- Teacher's information
- http://elanor.sci.muni.cz/~mykorrhi
- Enrolment Statistics (recent)
- Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2025/Bi6150