546-0190/02 – Fundamentals of Ecology and Biology (ZEB)
| Gurantor department | Department of Environmental Engineering | Credits | 2 |
| Subject guarantor | Mgr. Oldřich Motyka, Ph.D. | Subject version guarantor | Mgr. Oldřich Motyka, Ph.D. |
| Study level | undergraduate or graduate | Requirement | Compulsory |
| Year | 1 | Semester | summer |
| | Study language | English |
| Year of introduction | 2022/2023 | Year of cancellation | |
| Intended for the faculties | HGF, FMT | Intended for study types | Bachelor, Follow-up Master |
Subject aims expressed by acquired skills and competences
Students can define fundamental concepts in the fields of biology and ecology relevant to the field of their study – nanotechnology, they are able to distinguish between the structure of animal and plant cells and have understanding of the fundamental taxonomic classification and phylogeny of plants and animals. Students are able to explain the differences between these groups of organisms in terms of their physiology as well as its importance in assessment of the impact nanotechnology can have on the environment. They are able to describe the interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment and choose proper way of quantification and analysis of the nanotechnology-induced changes in the environment.
Teaching methods
Lectures
Summary
Subject is focused on introduction to the fundamental terms, definitions and concepts of biology and ecology relevant to the studied field of nanotechnology. Students are acquianted with the structure of animal and plant cells as well as with the fundamental taxonomic classification of animals and plants. Special attention is paid to different physiology of these groups of organisms. The subject includes an introduction to genetics and ecology while, in the case of ecology, most of the lectures are focused on the application of ecological principals in the study of nanotechnology. Students gain knowledge on all kinds of interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment as well as on the possibilities of quantification and analyses of the environmental changes.
Compulsory literature:
Recommended literature:
Additional study materials
Way of continuous check of knowledge in the course of semester
Oral exam
E-learning
Other requirements
Submitting a report on a given topic
Prerequisities
Subject has no prerequisities.
Co-requisities
Subject has no co-requisities.
Subject syllabus:
1. Fundamental definitions of biology and ecology: biology and ecology as natural sciences. Brief history of biology and ecology, definition of life
2. Cell: cell structure, differences between plant and animal cell, cell wall, cell membrane, organelles
3. Animals: basic taxonomic classification, evolution, protostomes and deuterostomes, invertebrates and vertebrates
4. Plants: basic taxonomic classification, evolution, non-vascular and vascular plants, gymnosperms and angiosperms, monocots and dicotyledons
5. Animal physiology: physiology of the animal cell, metabolism, thermoregulation, breathing
6. Plant physiology: physiology of the plant cell, metabolism, uptake, transport and excretion of water and nutrients, photosynthesis
7. Essentials of genetics: genes and alleles, Mendel’s laws, heredity, molecular basis of heredity, mutations, replication and transcription
8. Ecology: disciplines of ecology, ecology according to the object of the research, related life sciences, ecology as mathematical biology
9. Ecology: biogeochemical cycles, water, oxygen and carbon cycles, food chains – producers, consumers and decomposers, grazing food chain, detritus food chain, parasitic food chain
10. Ecology: Interaction between the organisms and their environment – fundamental terms and definitions, ecological valence, environmental conditions affecting the organism – biotic and abiotic
11. Ecology: interspecific and intraspecific interactions – neutralism, protocooperation, commensalism, mutualism, amensalism, competition, predation, parasitism; territoriality, same-species groups of organisms
12. Ecology: essentials of ethology and behavioural ecology – terms and concepts, sociality, altruism, innate behaviour, learning
13. Ecology: environmental change assessment, monitoring of the environment, bioindication, biomonitoring
Conditions for subject completion
Occurrence in study plans
Occurrence in special blocks
Assessment of instruction