1. Introduction to course resources (WebCT Vista) and required text.

2. Overview of photosynthesis.

3. Light absorption and energy conversion; the reaction center complex; the photosystem.

4. Carbon reactions in C₃ plants.

5. Photorespiration.

6. Variations in mechanisms of CO₂ fixation.

7. Carbohydrate metabolism; sucrose and starch synthesis.

8. Glycolysis.

9. Citric acid cycle.

10. Structure and function of lipids; fatty acid biosynthesis.

11. Synthesis of membrane lipids.

12. Synthesis and catabolism of storage lipids; genetic engineering of lipids.

13. Carotenoid biosynthesis.

14. Terpenoids.

1. Importance of carbohydrates in living cells; fundamentals of sugar nomenclature

2. Sugar nucleotides: metabolism and interconversion

3. Biosynthesis and metabolism of sucrose and sucrose oligosaccharides

4. Biosynthesis and metabolism of sucrose and sucrose Oligosaccharides (contd.)

5. Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis

6. Starch biosynthesis and degradation

7. Starch biosynthesis and degradation (contd.)

8. Glycoproteins and glycolipids

9. The cell wall polysaccharides: structure and biosynthesis

10 . The cell wall polysaccharides: structure and biosynthesis (contd.)

11. The cell wall polysaccharides: structure and biosynthesis (contd.)

12 . The cell wall polysaccharides: structure and biosynthesis (contd.)

13. Biosynthesis of non-starch storage polysaccharides

14. Sugar and polysaccharide engineering; sugars and “metabolomics”

15. Sugar and polysaccharide engineering; sugars and “metabolomics” (contd.)

1. Overview of N and S assimilation pathways and amino acid biosynthesis.

2. Nitrogen and sulfur use by plants.

3. Nitrate uptake and reduction.

4. Origin of 2-oxoglutarate.

5. Ammonia assimilation and recycling.

6. Glycine and serine synthesis.

7. Aminotransferase reactions.

8. Branched-chain amino acid, threonine and lysine metabolism.

9. Proline, arginine and ornithine synthesis; polyamines and non-protein amino acids.

10. Sulfate assimilation; cysteine and methionine synthesis and metabolism.

11. Aromatic amino acid synthesis; histidine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan.

12. Secondary plant products derived from aromatic amino acids.

13. Secondary plant products derived from aromatic amino acids (contd.)

14. Quaternary ammonium and tertiary sulfonium compounds.

15. Course evaluation and mini-symposium [student presentations].