Introduction to Biology

obligatory courses

Basic knowledge of botany, zoology and cel biology at the level of the secondary school.

Classroom

Basic biological processes at the molecular and cellular level; the impact of environmental contaminants (natural and anthropogenic) on cellular processes and at the level of the organism - including fungi and plants; plant characteristics as a base for bioindication; generation of transgenic plants, their application for various purposes, environmental risk.

The aim of the lecture is to present basic biological processes at the molecular, cellular and the organism level, including changes induced by natural and anthropogenic environmental stresses. The focus will be on: (i) general processes at the cellular level; (ii) mitosis and meiosis; (iii) responses to environmental contaminants at the organism level. Basic information on the mechanisms of a plant and fungi responses to environmental stresses will be presented, including a plant characteristics as a base for bioindication. Generation of transgenic plants will be presented - their application and a risk of side effects of their use.

The subject of the lecture in zoological part are such issues as: definition of life with its attributes at various levels of biological organization: molecular, cellular, organism and population; levels of animal morphological and functional organization; ontogenesis and life cycles in animals; basics of animal evolution and phylogenetic classification; specificity of the morphology of the most important types and classes of animals and their morphological and physiological adaptations obtained in the process of evolution; the impact of natural and anthropogenic environmental factors on body functions and populations.

1. A.Szweykowska, J.Szweykowski: a)"Botanika-systematyka"; b) "Botanika - Morfologia"

2. Praca zbiorowa pod red A.Woźny: "Podstawy Biologii Komórki Roślinnej", PWN

3. Praca zbiorowa pod red S.Malepszego "Biotechnologia Roślin", PWN

4. Prac zbiorowa pod red P.Wojtaszek "Biologia Komórki Roślinnej" PWN

5. C.H.Walker, S.P.Hopkin, R.M.Sibly, D.B.Peakall "Podstawy ekotoksykologii" PWN

6. Red. Andrzej Czubaj: Biologia. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Rolnicze i Leśne, Warszawa 1999

7. Dzik J. Zoologia, WUW, 2015.

8. Krebs C. J. Ekologia. PWN, 2011

- knows basic mechanisms underlying the influence of environmental contaminants on cellular processes

- is able to define basic selection criteria of organisms for the bioindication purpose;

- understands the mechanisms of the generation of transgenic plants;

- is able to assess the suitability of transgenic plants and the risk of their use.

- can provide definitions of life as a process at the level of the cell, organism, population and in evolutionary time-scale;

- indicate the morphological and phylogenetic criteria for classifying animals;

- knows the stages of animal ontogenesis at various levels of morphological organization;

- knows ontogenetic cycles and understands their importance for the biology of different animals;

- can indicate the effects of changes caused by anthropogenic factors

- knows how to explain the reasons for differences in biodiversity

At the end of the semester a written test consisting of 60-70 questions is conducted . A student has to: (i) mark a correct answer or give a short written answer (depending on a question). To pass an exam the minimum 60% of the correct answers is required.

The exam will be conducted in the classroom

not required