2025

Toxic Plants Biology

Name: Toxic Plants Biology
Code: BIO14005I
3 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours
Scientific Area: Biological Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Presentation

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Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

Knowledge on the morphological plant diversity of toxic plants. Taxonomic recognition of plants with toxicological properties. Knowledge on plant secondary metabolites and their effects on animals. Recognition of the various symptoms associated with plant poisoning. Ability to identify toxic plant species. Ability to recognize groups of plants and potentially toxigenic structures. Ability to relate the phenological phase, the plant's health status and the variability of environmental conditions with the production of secondary metabolites.
Ability to use rigorous scientific terms.

Contents

1. Biology of poisonous plants: an introductory approach;

2. Taxonomic and chemical characterization of toxic plant families and species;

3. Toxicose symptoms associated with plant ingestion;

4. Adequacy of treatment to clinical symptoms.

Teaching Methods

Lecture classes will be used for thematic presentation and discussion, using a wide variety of technological resources. Teaching materials will be available on-line. Lab classes include toxic plant identification. Lab exercises based on case studies: symptoms identification of toxicoses associated with plant ingestion and discussion about toxicosis treatment adequacy. Monographs should be about one poisonous plant or a group of poisonous plant. Herborization of 1 specimen of the toxic plant selected to the monograph, with labels of the constituent parts.

Lecture exam: 20%; Abstracts of lectures: 30%; Monograph: 40%; Herborization: 10%.