This exciting new textbook presents current knowledge of plant biology, highlighting important topics for future development and research. Starting with the evolutionary history of plants, the book addresses the dynamic nature and regulation of plant genomes, the conversion of products of photosynthesis into the vast diversity of molecules that comprise the plant body, and the nature and coordination of growth, development, and reproduction of the plant. The book next describes how these fundamental properties of plants are impacted by their surroundings: by the physical environment including light, daylength and temperature, and by interactions with other organisms - pests and pathogens, pollinators and microbes that supply nutrients. Finally, the book outlines the history, importance and future of human interactions with plants.

Key features:

• Each chapter is prefaced with Learning Objectives directly related to the text that follows as a convenient scene-setter for both students and instructors

• Throughout the book, text descriptions are accompanied by informative, high-quality illustrations aiding understanding of complex concepts and mechanisms

• Extensive online material expands and enhances understanding of many of the topics covered, allowing students to test their knowledge of chapter content and prepare for formal examinations

Carefully designed for, and written at, a level accessible to all undergraduate biologists who have a grounding in the fundamentals of molecular biology and biochemistry, Essential Plant Biology is also a valuable resource for postgraduates in plant research. For lecturers, the breadth of coverage and clear organization facilitate the teaching of both complete courses in plant science and more focused topics in plant biology.

Allan Downie is an Emeritus Fellow and former group leader at the John Innes Centre, Norwich. He has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Dundee. His research interests are in plant-microbe interactions, focussing on interkingdom signaling between nitrogen-fixing endosymbionts and their plant hosts.

Jonathan Jones is a Senior Group Leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK. He received his PhD at Cambridge Genetics Dept and the Plant Breeding Institute. His group investigates how plant immune receptors detect pathogen effectors and activate defense, and also how best to use this knowledge to protect crops.

Robert Sablowski is a Group Leader at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. He obtained his PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of East Anglia and was a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. His research has focused on growth and development of meristems and flowers, and more recently on the links between growth and division in plant cells.

Colwyn M Thomas is Course Director for the M.Sc in Plant genetics and Crop Improvement at John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. He has 25 years of experience teaching genetics and plant biology, primarily at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. He has a PhD in plant virology from the University of Wales which was followed by post-doctoral research in plant-pathogen interactions at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK.

Lars Østergaard is Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford, UK and a former group leader at the John Innes Centre, Norwich UK. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. His research is focussed on genetic and hormonal interactions during plant reproductive tissue development.

Alison M Smith is an Emeritus Fellow and former Group Leader at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. She has a PhD in Plant Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Her research interest is in plant metabolism, particularly the central roles of starch and sucrose.

Nicholas Harberd was Sibthorpian Professor of Plant Science at the University of Oxford, UK and is now an Emeritus Research Fellow at St John’s College Oxford. He was previously a Group Leader at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. He has a PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge. His research interest is in the hormonal regulation of plant growth with particular focus on environmentally sustainable crop yield.