Module manager: Dr Chris West
Email: c.e.west@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| BLGY2164 | How Plants Live |
BLGY3173
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Plants are remarkable organisms whose ability to harvest solar energy and fix carbon makes them key organisms in terrestrial ecosystems and human societies alike. Students choose to study four out of six research led topics covering key aspects of plant science and food security. Topics include the mechanisms that plants use to capture resources from the environment, including through symbiotic relationships with microbes. The module also looks at how plants adapt their growth and development to the environment in order to maximise resource acquisition. The module has a strong emphasis on environmental and food security issues, including looking at how biotechnology could improve resource acquisition and allocation in crops.
The aims of this module are as follows:
- To develop an understanding of the roles of agriculture and biotechnology in addressing threats arising from population growth and climate change
- To discuss how plants adapt and react to the environment
- To develop insight into how plants allocate resources in response to nutrient availability
- To show how plants modify their environment to maximise nutrient availability
- To illustrate the importance of symbiotic relationships in plant growth
- To show how biotechnology plays an important role in promoting food security
- To develop skills in critical analysis of primary scientific literature.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Describe the current and future issues in food security, with particular reference to crop production.
2. Evaluate the roles of agriculture and biotechnology in addressing the challenges associated with global food security.
3. Explain and discuss the mechanisms by which plants obtain and allocate resources for growth and crop yield.
4. Critically examine current biotechnological approaches to improve crop yield.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Research: students will be able to assess and communicate the current experimental approaches and research findings that advance knowledge of plant growth and resource acquisition.
6. Academic: students will develop and apply critical analysis skills to assessing the scientific literature.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 24 | 1 | 24 |
| Seminar | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Private study hours | 175 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 25 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Practice group poster and practice OTLA.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | . | 50 |
| Coursework | Online Time-Limited Assessment | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Students choose from one of three topics for a poster presentation in semester 1 based on a single research paper and delivered to a small group. An OTLA at the end of semester 2 will consist of two questions, one from two of the three topics covered in semester 2. Students are expected to attend four of the six topics.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 17/09/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team