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Tulane University LABORATORY
FOR PLANTS AND HUMAN AFFAIRS A weekly tutorial laboratory to accompany EBIO-318 Plants and Human Affairs. All students taking this course must also register for EBIO-318. Space in the laboratory is limited and enrollment is restricted. Grades are based on laboratory performance. Note: Laboratory attendance is mandatory, and more than one unexcused absence will result in involuntary withdrawal from the course or failing grade. SCHEDULE OF LABORATORY EXERCISES 1. The Herbarium. An introduction to plant classification, plant collections, and field data. Bibliographic and electronic resources for plant identification. Practical exercise: Collect, identify, press, mount, and label a herbarium specimen. Field trip: Inspect selected species of economic plants cultivated on campus. 2. Fiber Plants. Exhibits of major plant fibers and fiber-yielding species. The structural, anatomical, and chemical diversity of plant fibers underlying their different uses. Practical exercise: Identify unknown fibers using several chemical tests. 3. Wood. Exhibits of major woods and the their source species. The comparative anatomy of woody tissues. Practical exercise: Use the light microscope to examine the structure of wood and cork. Make a sheet of paper using a mold and deckle. 4. Temperate Fruits and Nuts. Exhibits of some major temperate fruit species. The comparative morphology of temperate fruits. Practical exercise: Initiate the production of fruit wine. 5. Tropical Fruits and Nuts. Exhibits of some major tropical fruit species. The comparative morphology of tropical fruits. Practical exercise: Sample a variety of tropical fruits and juices. 6. Sugars and Starches. Exhibits of major sugar- and starch-yielding plants and their products. The chemical characteristics of carbohydrates. Practical exercise: Determine the structural properties of plant carbohydrates using simple chemical tests. Compare the morphology of starch grains from various plant species and tissues. Field trip: Visit a Louisiana sugar mill. 7. Legumes. Exhibits of major leguminous plants and their products. The classification of legumes. Practical exercise: Make a dichotomous key to legume seeds (pulses). Make tofu from raw soybeans. 8. Fatty Oils and Waxes. Exhibits of major plant species yielding fatty oils and waxes. Practical exercise: Characterize plant fats and oils using simple chemical tests. Prepare an oil-seed specimen for examination under the light microscope. Make a bar of soap. 9. Alkaloidal Drugs and Stimulants. Exhibits of major plant species yielding caffeine and other alkaloidal stimulants. Practical exercise: Extract caffeine from coffee. Roast, grind, brew, and "cup" several varieties of African and American coffees. Brew and taste several varieties of tea and maté. Field trip: Visit a cigar factory, perfumery, pharmacy museum, or other places of botanical interest in the French Quarter, New Orleans. 10. Resins and Aromatic Oils. Exhibits of incense resins, spices, and culinary herbs and their source plants. Practical exercise: Taste and compare beverages flavored with essential oils. Initiate the production of ginger beer. 11. Experiments With Food Plants. Exhibits of food plants and recipes contributed by course participants. Practical exercise: Eat the exhibits and sample the beverages made earlier in the course.
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