4 ECTS credits
100 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1021628ANR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
.
The course General Zoology contains a general overview of the major animal phyla and the different organs and tissues characteristic of this group. The principal goal of this course is to let the students gain insight in the diversity of building plans, organ systems and tissues present in the animal kingdom and the unique characteristics of animal organisms in an evolutionary context. The course consists of interactive lectures (HOC) and practical exercises (WPO) that complement and further clarify the course content via microscopy sessions, dissections and a large collection of preserved zoological specimens for the different considered phyla.
NA
Competencies & Study outcomes
- The student knows the basic principles of zoological nomenclature and the most frequently used taxonomic levels (species, genus, family, order, class, phylum) and knows the differences between taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny.
- The student knows the basic principles of genetics, Mendelian inheritance, natural selection, drift, migration, mutation and speciation.
- The student knows the most important traits of the major animal phyla Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Chordata and can reconstruct the emergence of these traits in an evolutionary context. The student can also reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among these phyla based on synapomorphic traits and can indicate discrepancies with more robust phylogenies based on molecular markers.
- The student knows the most important adaptations that contributed to the success of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. These include adaptations for life on land and in aquatic environments and trophic and locomotory specializations.
- The student can reconstruct the evolution of vertebrates from invertebrate ancestors and the emergence of novel adaptations in the different groups.
- The student knows the different stages of embryonic development in different animal model species (sea urchin, amphioxus, frog, chicken, human) and can recognize these stages in models and on microscopic slides. The student can also reconstruct the embryonic origin of different organ systems and make comparisons across different phyla.
- The student knows the morphological and anatomical structure and the evolutionary origin of the most important animal tissues (epithelia, bone, cartilage, muscle, connective tissue, nervous tissue) and can recognize tissues in specimens.
- The student knows the anatomical structure and the evolutionary origin of the most important organ systems. These include the digestive, excretion, cardio-vascular and gas exchange systems, the nervous system including sensory organs, the endocrine and immune system.
- The student knows how the most important metabolic functions are regulated in the different animal phyla.
- The student knows the most important reproduction modes that occur in the animal kingdom (clonal reproduction, parthenogenesis, cyclical parthenogenesis, sexual reproduction) and can illustrate these with examples.
- The student can analyze the morphological traits of an unknown organism and can tentatively assign it to one of the phyla considered in the course.
- The student can independently perform a dissection of a biological specimen and recognize different organ systems and tissues.
- The student can use a microscope and can make drawings of animals and tissues presented on microscopic slides.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 75% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 25% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
The course material from the lectures (HOC) is evaluated via an oral examination with open questions and a written preparation.
The course material from the practical sessions (WPO) is evaluated via a permanent evaluation (participation in practical sessions + tasks) during the year (40% weight) and an oral exam (60% weight). Both for the permanent evaluation and the WPO exam it is necessary to obtain a passable score (at least 10/20) to be able to pass for the WPO-component of this course. Attendance of the practical sessions is obligatory and failure to attend practicals without proper justification (e.g. via a doctor’s note) will result in a subtraction of 2 points (out of 20) per missed practical for the permanent evaluation.
To calculate the final mark the three components are weighted as 75% HOC + 25% WPO with the important constraint that the student needs to obtain a pass (at least 10/20) for both the HOC and WPO components to pass this course.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Chemistry: Default track (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Bioengineering Sciences: Profile Cell and Gene Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Bioengineering Sciences: Profile Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Bioengineering Sciences: Initial track (only offered in Dutch)