BIOLOGY 475 - PARASITOLOGY

FALL 2006

 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

            Instructor: Stephen M. Shuster

            Office: BS 302

            Office Hrs: TTh 11:00-12:00

            Phone: 523-9302, -4641, -2381

            PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

            This course is a survey of animal parasites, using selected taxa to illustrate concepts and patterns of parasite/host evolution, systematics, physiology, morphology, life history, ecology and behavior. Lectures will concentrate on organizing and interpreting information about parasitic animals to illustrate (1) evolutionary relationships within and among taxa, and (2) adaptations that allow species to pursue parasitic life cycles. Laboratories will provide living and preserved examples of taxa described in lecture and in reading assignments, as well as experimental procedures that will permit students to explore parasitic relationships and life histories.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

            The two primary objectives of this course are to provide students with (1) an understanding of the conceptual framework that unifies biological science, as well as, (2) an appreciation for the diversity and abundance of parasitic organisms that inhabit this planet.

 

COURSE APPROACH:

            Class meetings will consist of lectures by the instructor (in CHM 113, TTh 9:10-10:50), combined with audio-visual materials relating to current lecture topics. Students will be expected to prepare for lectures by reading from required texts and primary literature available on reserve in the library. The laboratory (in BS 328, Tu 13:00-15:50; 16:10-19:00) will consist of displays of preserved or live invertebrates, hands-on inspection and dissection of preserved specimens, and (if weather and time permits) optional field trips to local habitats for instruction in observational and collection techniques.

 

OFFICE HOURS:

            Students are encouraged to make use of the instructor's and teaching assistant's office hours. The pace and volume of information introduced in this course makes it easy to get behind. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, do not hesitate to get some help.

 

TEXTBOOKS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS:

1. L. S. Roberts & J. Janovy, Jr. 2005. Foundations of Parasitology 7th ed., W.C. Brown, Dubuque, IA (required).

2. Reserve readings (available in the library; required).

3. Dailey, M. D. 1996. Meyer, Olsen & Schmidt's Essentials of Parasitology, 6th ed., W.C. Brown, Dubuque, IA (required).

5. Dissection kits (available in the NAU Bookstore; required, ask for them by name).

6. Laboratory notebook (looseleaf binder with white, unlined paper; required)

 

EVALUATION:

The lecture portion of the course will require two lecture exams given during lecture periods, and a comprehensive final exam at the end of the semester. Each lecture exam will be worth 50 points, the final exam is worth 100 points. You must take ALL of these exams (see Make-up below). The laboratory portion of the course will require two, one-hour practical exams and a comprehensive final practical exam at the end of the semester. As with the lecture exams, you must take ALL of these exams. Each laboratory will begin with a 10-point quiz covering material from the previous as well as the present laboratory. Other credit given in laboratory will be explained in the laboratory manual.

 

Total points for the course will be allocated as follows:

 

                                                Lecture exam points      200

                                                Laboratory points         250

                                                                             __________

 

                                                                                    450 total points

 

Grades will be assigned in one of two ways. The most rigorous one is on a straight scale: 90% -100% of the total points = A; 80%-89% = B; 70%-79% = C; 60%-69% = D; 59% or lower = F. The less rigorous scheme will be based on the ranks of students’ scores. By this scale, approximately 10-15% of students will receive A’s, 15-20% will receive B’s, 30-40% will receive C’s, 15-20% will receive D’s and the remaining students will receive F’s. In cases in which students' total scores are extremely close to the next higher score (e.g., within 1.0 point), grades may be adjusted to account for enthusiastic class participation. All other adjustments will not be considered.

 

Make-up Exams, Attendance and Cheating: Students will not be allowed to retake examinations under any circumstances. Students may take an exam in advance of the exam date if they know they will be absent. However, such arrangements must be made at least one week in advance of the scheduled exam. If an exam is missed, students must be able to document their reasons for missing the exam, and only extreme catastrophes will be considered as valid excuses. Only then will the exam be dropped from the student's total score. Car trouble is not an excuse since taxis DO exist in Flagstaff and its environs. All other missed exams will be counted as zero toward the student's total score. Regular attendance is strongly recommended given the amount of material introduced only in class. To excel in this class you will need to understand, integrate and apply information from lecture, laboratory and reading material. Academic honesty is the ONLY policy in this course. Evidence of plagiarism or cheating is justification for failure on an exam, expulsion from the course, and dismissal from the University, as stated in the Departmental policy for cheating and plagiarism (available in the Departmental Office). CHEATING IS A SERIOUS ACADEMIC OFFENSE! EXPECT NO LENIENCY WHATSOEVER!

 

If you have any questions, see your instructor during office hours.

 

 

 

Biology 475 – Parasitology

Fall 2006

Course Outline

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                    Suggested

    WK      Date       Lecture Topic                                           Reading1                           Laboratory of the Week2

___________________________________________________________________________________________

     1         8/29        Introduction                                               Ch 1-3; RR1                     Laboratory techniques (Ch 15:

                                                                                                                                                  pp. 228-229)

                8/31        Parasitology issues                                Ch 4-5

     2         9/05        Parasitology issues                                Ch 6; RR2                         Protozoa I (Ch 1: pp. 2-16)  

                9/07        Flagellates

     3         9/12        Flagellates                                                Ch 7; RR3                         Protozoa II (Ch 1: pp. 17-24)

                9/14        Flagellates, Amebas                                                                              

     4         9/19        Amebas                                                     Ch 8 ; RR4                        Protozoa III (Ch 1: pp. 25-39)

                9/21        Amebas, Apicomplexa                           Ch 9-10       

     5         9/26        Apicomplexa                                                                                         Practical exam I

                9/28        Myxozoa, ciliates and mesozoans       Ch 11-12; RR5       

     6         10/03      Lecture Exam I

                10/05      Aspidobothreans, Digeneans              Ch 13-18; RR6                 Platyhelminthes I (Ch 2: pp. 44-

                                                                                                                                                  55)

     7         10/10      Digeneans                                                Ch 17-18                           Platyhelminthes II (Ch 2: pp. 55-

                                                                                                                                                  82)

                10/12      Monogeneans and Cestodarians        Ch 19-20

     8         10/17      Eucestoda                                                Ch 21; RR7                       Platyhelminthes III (Ch 3)

                10/19      Eucestoda                                               

     9         10/24      Acanthocephalans & Nematomorphs                                            Ch 31; RR8                                                 Acanthocephalans (Ch 4, 6)

                10/26      Nematodes                                              Ch 22-23                                                                                                

 

    10       10/31      Rhabditida, Strongylida                          Ch 24-25; RR9                 Practical exam II

                11/02      Ascarida, Oxyurida                                  Ch 26-27

    11       11/07      Spirurida, Filaroidea                               Ch 28-29                           Nematodes I (Ch 5: pp. 123-143)

                11/09      Lecture exam II                                      

    12       11/14      Other Roundworms                                Ch 30                                 Nematodes II (Ch 5: pp. 144-162)

                11/16      Annelida and Pentastomida                 Ch 32         

    13       11/21      Crustaceans I                                          Ch 34; RR10                    Annelids and Crustaceans (Ch

                                                                                                                                                  78)

                11/23      Thanksgiving Holiday                                                                                                                                                        

    14       11/28      Crustaceans II                                         Ch 35-36; RR11              Insects and Arachnids (Ch 9-14)                              

                11/30      Insects I                                                     Ch 37-39       

    15       12/05      Insects II                                                    Ch 40                                 Final Practical Exam

                12/07      Arachnids                                                                                                                                                      

    16       12/12      FINAL EXAM: 7:30-9:30 AM  CHM 113

 

 1 Chapters in Roberts & Janovy,  RR=Reserve Reading (see attached list); 2Chapters in Dailey

 

Biology 475 – Parasitology

Fall 2006

Reserve Reading1

________________________________________________________________________

 

RR1:      Yoon, C. K. 1993. What might cause parasites to become more virulent. Science 259: 1402.

                Herre, E. A. 1993. Population structure and the evolution of virulence in nematode parasites of fig wasps. Science 259: 1442-1445.

 

RR2:        Schmidt, K. 1995. Trypanosome mystery solved? Science 268: 204.

                Smith, A, B. J. D. Esko, S. L. Hajduk. 1995. Killing of trypanosomes by the human haptoglobin-related protein. Science 268: 284-286.

                Navarro, M. and K. Gull. 2001. A pol I transcriptional body associated with VSG mono-allelic expression in Trypanosoma brucei. Nature 414: 759-763.

 

RR3:        Marshall, E. 1995. A deadly parasite spurs up-to-the-minute biology. Science 267: 811-812.

               

RR4:        Nussenzweig, R. S. and C. A. Long. 1994. Malaria vaccines: multiple targets. Science 265: 1381-1383.

 

RR5:        Frenkel, J.K. 1988. Pathophysiology of toxoplasmosis. Trends in Parasitology.

 

RR6:        Curtis, L. A. 1987. Vertical distribution of an estuarine snail altered by a parasite. Science.  235:1509-1511.

                Cappron, M. and A. Capron. 1994. Immunoglobulin E and effector cells in schistosomiasis. Science 264: 1876-1877.

 

RR7:        Craig, P.S., Deshan, L. and Zhaoxun, D. 1991. Hydatid disease in China.  Parasitology Today. 7:46-50

 

RR8:        Nielsen, C. 1998. Sequences lead to tree of worms. Nature 392: 25-26.

               

RR9:        Blaxter, M. L., P. DeLey, J. R. Garey, L. X. Liu, P. Scheildeman, A. Vierstraete, J. R. Vanlfeteren, L. Y. Mackey, M. Dorris, L. M. Frisse, J. T. Vida and W. K. Thomas. 1998. A molecular evolutionary framework for the Phylum Nematoda. Nature 392: 71-75.

 

RR10:      Hinnebusch, B.J., Perry, R.D., and Schwan, T.G.  1996. Role of the Yersinia pestis hemin storage (hms) locus in the transission of plague by fleas.  Science  273:367-370

 

RR11:      Hafner, M. S., P. D. Sudman, F. X. Villablanca, T. A. Spradling, J. W. Demastes and S. A Nadler. 1994. Disparate rates of molecular evolution in cospeciating hosts and parasites. Science 265: 1087-1090.

 

1available as PDF files.