Biology

I.The fundamentals of Biology: Characteristics of Living Organisms: autotrophy and heterotrophy; the role of plants in the biosphere. The chemistry of living things. Key chemical bonds. Water and life. The main organic molecules in biology. Structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids and products of secondary metabolism, proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids. II. Cytology (cell biology) - general characteristics of the cell. Procaryotes and Eucaryotes. The components of the eucaryotic cell. Typical structure of the plant cell (cell walls, plastids, vacuole). Genetic information and the cell cycle. Replication and transcription; translation and protein synthesis. Genes and chromosomes, genotype and phenotype. Mitosis and Meiosis. III. Histology and Plant Anatomy. Structural organisation of the plant. Thallus and Corm.Meristematic tissues. Adult tissues. Vegetative organs of higher plants: roots, stems and leale. Reproductive organs of higher plants. IV. The Basics of Systematic Botany (general part). General classification of plants. Metagenetic cycles. Vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. Principal groups of cryptogams: algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes and pteridophytes. Characteristics of the spermatophytes: Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Principal differences between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. V. The Basics of Systematic Botany (special part). Monocots: Poaceae, Liliaceae, Iridaceae, Amaryllidaceae. Dicots: Salicaceae, Juglandaceae, Fagaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Brassicaceae, Capparaceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Oleaceae, Rutaceae, Vitaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Solanaceae, Asteraceae. VI. Practical laboratory work involving observation using the optical microscope and the preparation of histological and anatomic samples. Techniques for the recognition of species by the observation of reproductive and vegetative characters.

Preliminary knowledge to the understanding in animal biology. Basic knowledge about the structure of the animals, body architecture (=Bauplane), morphology of the different systems. Elements of biology of the animals living in different environments. Reproductive strategies. Adaptations to different environmental factors (temperature, oxygen, salinity, et c.). Interactions between organisms: competition, predation, parasitism. Principles of zoological nomenclature, criteria of classification and the identification of the organisms. Laboratory Techniques of harvest and maintenance of the animals with sampling in the field. Recognition of the organisms in the field and in the laboratory with the use of dichotomous keys. Investigations in laboratory on the fauna of inland waters.