Course Contents

THEORY 1. Nutrition and Digestion Evolution of nutrition; the metabolic fates of nutrients in heterotrophs; digestion; animal strategies for getting and using food, diversity in digestive structures of invertebrates and vertebrates; the mammalian digestive system: gastrointestinal motility and its control, oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus, stomach, small intestine: main site of digestion; large intestine; role of the pancreas in digestion; and role of the liver and gallbladder in digestion. 2. Temperature and Body Fluid Regulation Homeostasis and Temperature Regulation; The Impact of Temperature on Animal Life; Heat Gains and Losses; Some Solutions to Temperature Fluctuations; Temperature Regulation in Invertebrates, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals; Heat Production in Birds and Mammals; Control of Water and Solutes (Osmoregulation and Excretion); Invertebrate and Vertebrate Excretory Systems; How Vertebrates Achieve Osmoregulation; Vertebrate Kidney Variations; Mechanism in Metanephric Kidney Functions. 3. Reproduction and Development Asexual reproduction in invertebrates; advantages and disadvantages of asexual reproduction; sexual reproduction in invertebrates; advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction; sexual reproduction in vertebrates; reproductive strategies; examples of reproduction among various vertebrate classes; the human male reproductive system: spermatogenesis transport and hormonal control, reproductive function; the human female reproductive system: folliculogenesis, transport and hormonal control, reproductive function; hormonal regulation in gestation; prenatal development and birth events of prenatal development: the placenta; birth; milk production and lactation. 4. Descriptive Embryology Fertilization; embryonic development: cleavage, and egg types; the primary germ layers and their derivatives; echinoderm embryology; vertebrate embryology: the chordate body plan, amphibian embryology, development in terrestrial environments, avian embryology, fate of mesoderm. BOOKS RECOMMENDED 1. Zoology. Miller, S.A. and Harley, J.B., 1999, 2002 and 2005. 4th, 5th & 6th Edition (International). Singapore: McGraw Hill. 2. Integrated Principles of Zoology. Hickman, C.P., Roberts, L.S. and Larson, A., 2004. 11th and 12th Edition (International). Singapore: McGraw Hill. 3. Biology of Invertebrates. Pechenik, J.A., 2000. 4th and 5th Edition (International). Singapore: McGraw Hill. 4. Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates.Kent, G.C. and Miller, S., 2001. New York. Mc Graw Hill. 5. Biology. Campbell, N.A., 2002. 6thEdition. Menlo Park, California: Benjamin / Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.