CAMPBELL Neil A , REECE Jane B. BIOLOGIA. Pearson.
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SAVADA D, HELLER H C, HELLER CH , ORIANS G H , PURVES W K , HILLIS D M. . PRINCIPI DI BIOLOGIA. Zanichelli.
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SOLOMON, BERG, MARTIN. BIOLOGIA. EDISES
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BROOKER,, WIDMAIER, GRAHAM, STILING. BIOLOGIA GENERALE. McGraw-Hill
Brusca e Brusca, Invertebrati, Zanichelli
Learning Objectives
Knolewdge acquired:
Knowledge on the main living invertebrate, their adaptation to the environment, morphology and physiology, reproduction and life cycles, animal diversity with relation to environmental features. Acquisition of a critical knowledge on issues linked to the study of animals both in the field and laboratory. Knowledge on animal evolution and the main evolutionary theories in an historical context as well as in the actual scientific discussion. Guiding line of the course are the understanding of the adaptation of animals to the environment and evolutionary constraints.
Competence acquired:
Acquisition of a zoological language; interpretation of the evolutionary trees of the animals; use of specialist tools to classify animals; interpretation of quantitative data applied to zoology.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Capacity of autonomous study of zoological and evolutionary issues; in depth study of specific issues treated in the course; classification of animals to the level of Order; contextualisation in the environment of the knowledge related to the different animals; development of scientific hypotheses; interpretation of experimental data to verify hypotheses.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended):
None
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...):
Hours reserved to private study and other individual formative activities:
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours):
Contact hours for: Laboratory field/practice (hours):
Seminars (hours):
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab:
The frequency to lectures lab and fiel work is strongly recommended.
Teaching tools:
Lectures are face to face, with much time dedicated to critical discussion on previous knowledge also derived from life experience. During the lectures pictures and schemes are shown as well as videos on living animals in their environment.
In the lab animals are observed when necessary with the aid of a microscope, and dissected. Field work is an important aspect of the course.
Seminars on zoological and evolutionary aspects complement the course.
Type of Assessment
An oral exam on the subjects discussed throughout the course.
Course program
General concepts in Biology. Levels of organization. The scientific hypothesis. Structure and functions of macromolecules. Nucleic acids and molecular genetics. Cellular organization. Membranes. Energetic metabolism. Cell cycle. Meiosis and sexual cycles. Sex Determination. Sexual reproduction and parthenogenesis.
Evolution: similarity and convergence. How to classify: traditional systematics, phenetics and cladistics. Molecular basis of systematics. Natural selection, sexual selection and speciation. Micro- and macroevolution, neoteny, homeotic genes, HOX-genes. Neodarwinism and creationism, “Intelligent design”. Evolutionary tendencies: fact or artefact? Origin of life: from Redi to Miller. Ediacarian faunas and the “Cambrian explosion”. Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes . The cell, structure and function. Mitosis and Meiosis. Meaning of sexual reproduction. Sex determination. Parthenogenesis: continuous, cyclical, facultative. Invertebrate Development and Embriology. Organization bauplans. Respiration. Respiratory pigments. Adaptation to terrestrial life. Excretion.
Sistematics
Protozoa: Sarcomastigophora (flagellata –Trypanosoma cycles -, amoebas), Ciliophora (movement, nutrition, reproduction), Apicomplexa (malaria cycle). Porifera, Cnidaria (general, Idrozoa, Scifozoa and Antozoa; hints on Myxozoa), Ctenofora, Platelminta (general, Turbellaria, hints on parasites; cycles of Fasciola, Schistosoma, Tenia, Echinococcus), Acela, Nemertina. Pseudocelomata: Gastotrica, Rotifera e Nematomorfa. Nematoda, general and parasite cycles. Hints on other pseudocelomata. Lofoforata. Anellida (general, Policheta, Oligocheta, Irudinea). Mollusca (general, Gasteropoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda) hints on other classes.