ZOOLOGY - channel 1

The knowledge and understanding of the main functions that allow the life of animal organisms and the different structural plans through wich the functions are performed, of the reproductive mechanisms and of evolutionary processes underlying animal biodiversity.
The knowledge of the main taxa of Protozoa and Metazoa and the ability to apply such knowledge in the recognition of the most common animal groups.
The acquisition of the disciplinary lexicon, necessary for correct communication in Italian, written and oral.

The teaching is divided into lectures and exercises; the latter provide both recurrent assessment activities and practical laboratories, with observation of microscopic and macroscopic preparations. Field activities are also planned.

1 - Characteristics of animals. Functions and organization: metabolism, respiration and gas exchanges, nutrition, transport, excretion and osmoregulation, interaction with the environment: sense organs and nervous system. Skeleton, movement and locomotion. Homeostasis (Temperature regulation, osmoregulation). Reproduction: sexuality and sexual reproduction. Sexual Reproduction in Metazoa. Meiosis and gametogenesis. Anphigony and parthenogenesis. The conditions of sexuality: gonocorism and hermaphroditism. Secondary sexual characters and sexual dimorphism. Insemination and fertilization. Reproductive strategies. Embryonic development: egg types, segmentation, gastrulation; germ layer. Asexual reproduction in Metazoa. Post-embryonic development and vital cycles.
Reproduction and Sexuality in Protozoa. Meiosis position in the life cycle of organisms.

2 - Classification, phylogenesis and animal organization. Evolution and animal diversity. Taxonomic categories. The species. Nomenclature rules. Concept of homology. Phylogenesis and phylogenetic trees. Classification methods. Main evolutionary ways of animals.

3 - PROTOZOA. General characteristics; classifications; main taxa, with particular attention to protozoan species parasites of humans.

4 - METAZOA. Evolution of the body plan in the main animal taxa. Symmetry and movement. Way of Life. The origin of pluricellularity and major evolutionary pathways. Morphology and adaptive radiation of the main Phyla: Porifera. Cnidaria (Hydrozoa, Sciphozoa, Cubozoa, Anthozoa). Ctenophora. Platyhelminthes (Turbullaria, Trematoda, Cestoda, with particular attention to the main human parasites species). Nemertina. Rotifera. Lophophorata (Briozoa). Mollusca (Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Scaphopoda, Monoplacophora, Aplacophora). Anellida (Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Irudinea). Nematoda (with particular attention to the main human parasites species). Arthropoda: Chelicerata (Merostoma, Arachnida), Crustacea (Decapoda, Isopoda, Anfipoda, Stomatopoda, Cirripedia), Uniramia (Miriapoda, Esapoda). Echinodermata (Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea, Holothuroidea, Crinoidea). Chordata: Tunicata, Cephalochordata and Vertebrata. The principal steps in the evolution of the Vertebrata: Agnatha, Chondricthyes, Osteichthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia.

SUPPORT MATERIALS

I. De Bernardi ed altri - Zoologia. Parte generale. Ed. Idelson Gnocchi

II. De Bernardi ed altri - Zoologia. Parte sistematica. II edizione. Ed. Idelson Gnocchi

III. Hickman, Roberts, Keen, Eisenhour, Larson, I'Anson. Diversità animale, 16° edizione. McGraw-Hill

IV. Notes of the lectures and other didactic material distributed during the course

V. Hickman, Keen, Eisehour, Larson, l'Anson. Integrated Principles of Zoology, Seventeenth Edition, McGraw-Hill Education International Edition

Additionale readings

V. Hickman, Roberts, Keen, Eisenhour, Larson, I'Anson. Fondamenti di Zoologia, 16° edizione. McGraw-Hill
VI. La Greca M. - Zoologia degli Invertebrati. Ed. UTET
VII. La Greca M. - Elementi di Biologia e Zoologia Generale. Ed. Ciurca
VIII. Brusca R. C. e Brusca G. J. - Invertebrati. Ed. Zanichelli
IX. Westheide W. E Rieger R. - Zoologia sistematica. Ed. Zanichelli