Course Description
Organismal biology of protists (algae, protozoa, and zoosporic fungi) with an emphasis on cellular and developmental biology, evolution, phylogenetic relationships, life histories, physiology, and ecology.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students enrolled in this course will be required to
give an oral presentation on a related topic.
Athena Title
BIOL OF PROTISTS
Prerequisite
BIOL 1104 or (BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or BIOL 2108L or (PBIO(BIOL) 1220 and PBIO(BIOL) 1220L)
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will have developed a knowledge base to support lifelong interest and learning in protistan biology and should be able to: 1) identify protists belonging to the major protistan evolutionary lineages; 2) describe the principal structural, biochemical and developmental characteristics, life history, and phylogenetic relationships of the major groups of protists; 3) research and write a term paper on an instructor-approved topic of interest in protistan biology. Students enrolled in CBIO(PBIO) 6600 will give a 30- minute presentation on the term paper.
Topical Outline
Introduction and major protist groups Origin of life Evolution of eukaryotic cells Cellular characteristics of protists Archezoa Euglenozoa Introduction to algae Chlorophyta Glaucocystophytes Rhodophyta Alveolata Actinopods Rhizopods Choanoflagellates Chytrids Slime molds Microsporidians Stramenopiles Prymnesiophytes Cryptomonads Chlorarachniophytes Ecology of Protists Protistan symbiosis The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.
Syllabus