Bi8270 Variability of human population

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Lenka Falk, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Mgr. et Mgr. Lenka Falk, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 10/50, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 9/50
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 17 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
At the end of the course student should be able to undestand and explain biological variability of human populations of the world. The Aim of the course is to explain to the students that presence of biological variability of human population shows us that humankind has one origin and is not possible to divide human population on particular groups (rases). Students will be introduced to methodology of human variability.
Learning outcomes
Student will be able to: - explain the absurdity of the racism from the current scientific point of view - describe the phenotypic variability of monogenic inherited human characters, its genetic basis and the world distribution - to describe the phenotypic variability of human polygenic features and its genetic basis and world distribution - summarize the variability of human pigmentation and possible causes - explain different kinds of adaptations to climatic conditions - explain differences in the metabolism of starches, lactose and fats
Syllabus
  • 1. Human variability and its description. History of exploration of human variability. Races and rasism. Classification of human variability.
  • 2. Polygenic markers I. Body shape, body height, head shape, morphology of face and nose.
  • 3. Polygenic markers II. Skin colour, eye colour, hair colour. Faktors of growth and development.
  • 4. Monogenic Markers I. Blood polymorphisms.
  • 5. Monogenic markers II. Blood proteins. Inhered defects od metabolism.
  • 6. DNA polymorphism. Molecular-genetic methods, DNA markers and individual variability.
  • 7. Distribution of human variability in world populations. Race as a biological unit, population, distribution of individual markers.
  • 8. Adaptations of human orgaism I. High altitude adaptation. Adaptation to various teperature (heath and could). Adaptation to various food composition.
  • 9. Adaptations of human organism II. Abnormal hemoglobin, hemoglopbionopathies and adaptations to malaria, selection against to ABO blood groups system.
  • 10. Variability and behaviour. I.Q. Measurement of human mental abilities. What influences hight of I.Q. Is I.Q. inherded?
  • 11. Future of humankind I. Population growth, children mortality, mortality of adult population and ist health.
  • 12. Future of humankin II. Change of natural environmet and natural selection. Genetic changes. z prehistorie, evoluce na postupu: člověk v budoucnosti
Literature
  • MIELKE, James H., Lyle W. KONIGSBERG and John RELETHFORD. Human biological variation. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2006, xiv, 418. ISBN 0195188713. info
  • Human variability and plasticity. Edited by Barry Bogin - C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, xiv, 241. ISBN 0521453992. info
  • BENEŠ, Jan. Homo sapiens sapiens : hominizace ve světle biologických behaviorálních a sociokulturních adaptací. Vyd. 1. V Brně: Univerzita J. E. Purkyně, 1990, 219 s. ISBN 8021001739. info
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2025/Bi8270