BIOLOGY 223 – PARASITOLOGY
SYLLABUS - FALL SEMESTER 2009
Date Lecture Text Lab
Sep. 01 T Intro. To Parasitology Chap. 1, 2 Lab setup and
03 R Principles of Parasitism Chap. 2, 3 ELISA test for Toxoplasma gondii
08 T Platyhelminthes Chap. 13
10 R Trematoda/Aspidos Chap. 14 Marsh Creek snails/fish
Stevens Run mosquitoes
15 T Digenea Chap. 15
17 R Digenea Chap. 16, 17 Trematodes – (adults, larvae),
Beetle feeding expt.
22 T Digenea Chap. 18
24 R Monogenea Chap. 19 Trematodes – 2 (schistosomes)
29 T Exam I
Oct. 1 R Cestodes Chap. 20 Monogenea/lab quiz on trematodes
06 T Cestodes
08 R Cestodes Chap. 20, 21 Cestodes
13 T READING DAY
15 R Nematodes Chap. 22, 23 Larval cestodes
20 T Nematodes Chap. 24, 25, 26
22 R Nematodes Chap. 27, 28 Nematodes - 1
27 T Nematodes Chap. 29, 30
29 R Acanthocephala/Crustacea Chap. 32, 33, 34 Nematodes - 2
Nov 3 T Exam II
05 R Protozoa Chap. 4, 5 Acanthocephala/lab quiz
10 T Kinetoplasts/Bugs Chap. 5, 37
12 R Atrial Flagellates/lice Chap. 6, 36 Flagellates/bugs
17 T Amoebas/Fleas Chap. 7, 38
19 R Coccidia/flies Chap. 8, 39 Amoebas/fleas/flies
24 T Coccidia/Malaria Chap. 9
26 R Thanksgiving Break No lab
Dec 1 T Malaria Chap. 9
03 R Piroplasms/Mosquitoes Chap. 9, 39 Coccidia/Malaria/mosquitoes
08 T Ciliates/Ticks/mites Chap. 10, 41
10 R Open session/posters Ciliates/ticks/ lab quiz on protozoa and arthropods
Dec. 13 Final Exam – 1:30 P.M.
BIOLOGY 223 - PARASITOLOGY, Fall, 2009
Parasitology is a course intended for biology or other majors who are interested in the health professions, graduate or veterinary school, or who want to study the major groups of animal parasites affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Much of what we do centers around four questions concerning the host-parasite relationship: 1) Under what circumstances and how does a host become infected? 2) What adaptations (morphological, physiological, biochemical, immunological, and ecological) did the host and parasite evolve as a consequence of the relationship? 3) How does the host respond to the presence of the parasite? and; 4) What ecological and behavioral factors allow a parasite to be transmitted from host to host? A great deal of what we cover will draw upon your previous courses in biology and chemistry, for parasitology is the most integrative of disciplines, one in which the scientist must be acquainted with the host's biology as well as that of the parasite. Prerequsites: Biology 111 (or 101) and Bio 112. Having taken Chemistry 107-108 is a plus.
The Laboratory will introduce you to selected organisms from the major taxonomic groups of animal parasites. As a part of the lab, we will collect and necropsy wildlife and laboratory hosts. You will fix, stain, make microscope slides of selected parasites found, and identify these parasites to the lowest taxon that is reasonably possible. You will assemble a small microscope slide and fluid-preserved parasite collection to be submitted for grading. Examination of microscope slides of selected parasites will allow you to become familiar with the body plan and its variation within the taxa studied. Finally, we will examine stool or other samples for helminth eggs, protozoan cysts and trophs. You will also perform one or two short experiments and provide a written report of the results.
A portion of the course grade will consist of a poster dealing with some aspect of animal parasitology. This poster and accompanying oral presentation will give you and your partner a chance to explore, a particular parasite, parasite group, parasitic disease, host response to a parasite, and much more. For this you will need to undertake some basic library research. Sources for this poster are to come from the primary research and review literature and only secondarily, the internet. The college library has paper or electronic versions of several journals and books that are entirely or largely devoted to parasitology. These journals include, but are not limited to, The Journal of Parasitology, Experimental Parasitology, Comparative Parasitology (formerly Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington), and Journal of Wildlife Disease. I have personal copies of the International Journal for Parasitology that may contain information of value to your topic. The library also receives the annual volumes of Advances in Parasitology. Articles from other journals can be obtained through our web-based databases, interlibrary loan, or by visiting an area research library. Note: Selected scientific web sources are usable but may not constitute the majority of the references used to construct the poster.
This poster is to be submitted as a PowerPoint file attached to an e-mail message. It is important for you to observe copyright laws and provide citations for all figures and other information from your sources. Printed copies are to be produced in the library. The grade will consist of the poster, preliminary references and a 5-6 minute oral presentation using your PowerPoint illustration. Since you will be completing your work on a computer you are responsible for ensuring the safety of this work by making regular backups. Excuses such as, "The computer crashed" or "I lost my flash drive" are not acceptable! Please make sure that you keep copies of your work in at least two different places (i.e. Save a copy of your work on your hard drive, H drive and a cd/flash drive or zip disk).
Exams and Quizzes will be based on lecture material, textbook assignments, videos and specific literature sources (readings) assigned for that section of the course. Lab quizzes are based on material covered in the preceding lab sessions. The Honor Code applies to all work submitted for a grade.
Course Grading
2 Hour Exams @ 20% ea 40% 3 Lecture Quizzes @ 3% ea 9%
Final Examination 20% Poster and Oral Report 10% Parasite Collection 8% Lab Expt. Report(s) 4% 3 Lab Quizzes @ 3% ea 9% Course Grade Total = 100%
Textbook
Roberts,
L. S. and J. Janovy, Jr. 2009 Foundations of
Parasitology, (8th Ed.). McGraw-Hill, 701 pp.
Laboratory Supplies
I will provide most specimens, reagents, apparatus, as well as laboratory handouts and other information during the lab. You will need to obtain a good dissecting kit, a half-gross box of microscope slides (can be shared), bound lab notebook, a number 2 pencil, colored pencils, e.g. red and blue, and a fine or extra fine black ballpoint pen for slide labels. A pair of laboratory safety goggles is recommended for work with host necropsies. Gloves will be supplied.
Honor Code
All work submitted for a grade is subject to the provisions of the Honor Code. You may share hosts for necropsy, various parasite species, data collected from experiments, and literature citations with classmates. You are on you own for exams, quizzes, lab reports and the poster (with partner).
Outcomes
At the end of the course you should: 1) be able to recognize the basic body plan and organ systems of the major parasite groups studied; 2) have an understanding of the life cycles and epidemiology of these groups; 3) have a grasp of the many adaptations undertaken by both parasite and host in their intimate relationship; 4) develop a vocabulary of terms useful in veterinary and human medicine; 5) be able to design and construct a scientific poster; 6) be able to produce whole mount microscope slides of parasites; and 6) be able to process, mount and stain sections of host tissue infected with parasites.
Last update 8/26/09
Sherman Hendrix
McCreary 222, ext. 6152