Plant biochemistry

 The lectures in “Plant biochemistry” introduce the main principles of metabolism, characteristic for plants, especially crops. The core biochemical constituents of the cell as well as phenomena related to enzyme catalysis, energy transformation and the main biochemical processes and reactions are illustrated in detail. The metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, nucleic acids and proteins is thoroughly covered. The high biosynthetic activity of the plant cell is emphasized and the mechanisms of production of various compounds within it, including valuable secondary metabolites like polyphenols, essential oils, glycosides, vitamins, etc., are elucidated. The biochemical contents of plant production, which determine its quality, are also characterized. In the topic devoted to biochemistry of the photosynthesis, the ecological adaptation of plants with C3, C4 and CAM metabolism is discussed. 

The materials in the programme are divided into topics, which are logically linked, interdependent and consecutively introduced, with the aim to facilitate their understanding and the better adoption of the physiological, agrochemical, genetic and phytopathological processes and phenomena, which are studied in the next disciplines.