Bi8065 Biology of parasitic arthropods

Faculty of Science
Spring 2022
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Andrea Bardůnek Valigurová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Andrea Vetešníková Šimková, PhD.
Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Andrea Bardůnek Valigurová, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SOUHLAS
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the lecture is to familiarize students with the biology of crustaceans, chelicerata and insects of some medical or veterinary importance. Teaching, usually taking place in blocks, is in form of lecture and supplementary practice with examples of selected parasites. The outcome is electronic presentation.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student should be able to understand and use the basic parasitological terminology and will acquire information on basic groups of parasitic arthropods, their taxonomic classification, current views on their importance and position in the zoological system as well as on the bionomy of individual parasitic groups. The student will also acquire basic knowledge about evolutionary trends leading to parasitism, population biology of vectors, development cycles of pathogens and vectors, and their mutual interactions with hosts. The student will become acquainted with the most important diseases transmitted by arthropods.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction: taxonomic position of parasitic groups of arthropods. Crustacaea: Basic characteristics of crustaceans, taxonomic position of their parasitic groups and overview of some parasitic taxa. 2. Acarina: Basic bionomics, classification and evolution of parasitic groups - Parasitiformes, Acariformes. 3. Insecta: Basic characteristics of insects. Heteroptera: Basic characteristics of groups and evolutionary trends directed towards origin of parasitism, bionomics of individual parasitic groups. 4. Phthiraptera: Basic characteristics of groups and evolutionary trends directed towards origin of parasitism, bionomics of individual parasitic groups. 5. Diptera „Nematocera“: Basic characteristics, bionomics of typical hematophagous forms. 6. Diptera „Brachycera“: Evolutionary trends of origin of hematophagous and endoparasitic groups, significant bionomic data, characteristics and functional morphology of selected parasitoid groups. 7. Siphonaptera: Characteristics of groups, significant bionomic data. 8. Origin of hematophagia and main strategies of hematophags: Bionomic, anatomic and physiological adaptations for hematophagia. Functional morphology of hematophags. 9. Adaptations of intestinal and tissue parasites: Parasite’s invasion and avoiding host immunological responses. Functional morphology and enzymatic equipment of parasites, host resistance against ectoparasites, interactions of ectoparasites with immune response of vertebrate hosts. Defending and recognizing mechanisms of arthropods: factors of their , susceptibility and resistance against pathogens. 10. Parasite-host coevolution: Specificity of host-parasite interaction and mechanisms of their origin, methods to study parasite-host coevolution. Internal conditions of arthropods as living environment of microorganisms: Specificity of vector-pathogen interactions, anatomic and physiological factors, development of microorganisms in vector tissue, pathogenicity of infective agent for vector, transstadial and transovarial transmission, interference of pathogens in vector body. Bionomic and ecologic factors determining the significance of arthropods as vectors: Epidemiology, zoonosis, antropozoonosis, synantropy. Population biology of vectors and their importance for pathogen transmission. 11. Overview of the most significant diseases transmitted by vectors: Agent and manifestation of disease, pathogen’s and vector’s life cycle, geographic distribution. Recommended literature: Buchar J., Ducháč V., Hůrka K., Lellák J. 1995: Klíč k určování bezobratlých. Scientia, Praha. Jongejan F. and Kaufman W.R. (eds.) 2002: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London. Horák P. et al. (ed.) 2007: Paraziti a jejich biologie. Praha, Triton. Lane R. P. and Crosskey R. W. (eds.) 1993: Medical insects and arachnids. Chapman and Hall, London. Lehane M. J. (ed.) 1991: Biology of blood-sucking insects. Harper Collins Academic, London. Marquardt W. C. et al. (eds.) 2004: Biology of disease vectors. 2nd ed. Elsevier Academic Press, Burlington, Massachusetts. Chapman and Hall. Kettle D.S. (eds.) 2004: Medical and veterinary entomology. CAB International. Kettle D. S. (ed.) 1995: Medical and veterinary entomology. CAB International. Kim K. C. (ed.) 1985: Coevolution of parasitic arthropods and mammals. John Wiley, New York. Wikel S. K. (ed.) 1996: The immunology of host-ectoparasitic arthropod relationships. CAB International.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Doporučená literatura viz osnova přednášky
Teaching methods
lecture
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on the per-term frequency of the course: předmět bývá vypsán podle zájmu studentů.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2004, Spring 2006, Spring 2008, Spring 2011, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2020, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2022, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2022/Bi8065