Plants: Nature's Chemical Factories

REVISED

Spring 2012 quarter

Faculty

Lalita Calabria botany, phytochemistry, systematics , Peter Pessiki chemistry

Fields of Study

botany and chemistry

Preparatory for studies or careers in

natural sciences, medicine

Description

Plants produce an outstanding number of chemical compounds that function as protection against pests, as colorings, as scent attractants, as hormones, and more.  Many of these compounds have proven to be important for human survival and are utilized by humans for food, medicine, poison, and spiritual ceremony.  This program will explore plants and the chemicals produced by these plants that humans find useful.  We will utilize lectures, labs, and fieldwork to focus on the botany and chemistry of these productive plants.  The chemistry lectures will be based on classes of chemical constituents, and the botany lectures will outline the taxonomy, ethnobotany, and chemical ecology of the major groups of plants as it relates to their chemistry (chemotaxonomy).  Labs will focus on learning how to isolate plant chemicals using techniques such as soxhlet extraction, column chromatography, and distillation. The fieldwork component will take advantage of our unique campus setting and may include wildcrafting, some kitchen-based labs, and utilizing the many gardens on campus in a variety of ways.

Advertised Schedule

6-10p Mon/Wed, 9a-5p three Sat (April 7, 21, May 12)

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Offered During

Evening and Weekend

Program Revisions