Invertebrate Biology

The diversity of invertebrates is huge, and they have spread throughout the Earth. The adaptations acquired during evolution allow them to prosper, compete, defend, and sometimes defeat even man. A small mosquito or an ant forces the industry to spin and produce aerosols to protect them from bites… Invertebrates toxins and the ways they defend themselves can be not only painful and poisonous but also beneficial if you know how and where to use them. The invertebrate biology program will introduce the following interesting organisms: a group of protists - protozoa and invertebrates, which are widespread in various environments and vital for the normal functioning of ecosystems. During the lectures and practical works, the variety of forms and functions of protozoa and invertebrates, adapted to different living environments, will be examined. The main taxonomic groups of invertebrates and their biological features will be reviewed. A more detailed analysis focuses on economically, medically, and ecologically important protozoan and invertebrate species. Research methods for protozoa and invertebrates are reviewed. The course will present the latest trends and issues in protozoan and invertebrate research, unanswered questions, indicating to students the areas in which they can conduct research, and at the same time introducing them to professional areas in which the knowledge acquired during the subject can be applied and used.

The aim of the subject - To provide knowledge about the structure, functions, diversity and adaptations of protozoan and invertebrate organisms, ensuring their survival in the environment.

The scientific concept of the world, General biology course.

1. Protozoa and their innovations allowing to survive in the environment. Species of medical and economic importance and their diagnostic. 2. Parasites: Sponges, their biology, importance in ecosystems and practical application. 3. Cnidarians, animals of radial symmetry. Toxin production. Prevalence and main features of the structure. 4. Development of bilateral symmetry and cephalization in flatworms. Adaptations to parasitic life. Medically important species, their effects on other organisms, symptoms, diagnostics. 5. Free-living and parasitic nematodes, their effects on humans, animals, and plants. Sampling and research methods. Use of nematodes for biocontrol. 6. Annelids: biological characteristic, diversity, and significance in ecosystems. Species of economic importance. Sampling and research methods. 7. Microscopic multicellular organisms (rotifers, tardigrades) and their biological features, distribution, importance in ecosystems, collection, research methods, cultivation under laboratory conditions. 8 - 9. Arthropod's overview, diversity, and reasons of abundance and flourishing. Crustaceans: adaptations to the water habitat. The overview of planktonic, benthic crustaceans and their importance. 10-11. Insects and their acquired evolutionary innovations. Metamorphosis and its importance. Overview of insect diversity. Insect synanthropic, rare, and common species. Useful insects and pests. Species of economic importance. Insect research methods. 12. Biological features of arachnids and overview diversity. Ticks are suitable hosts for various pathogens. 13. Unique features of mollusks. Taxonomic diversity, adaptations to the living environment. Economic importance of mollusks: food, pearl formation. Species important as the host of parasites. Exceptional nervous system and nervous activity of cephalopods. Rare and protected species of mollusks in Lithuania. 14. Echinoderms are inverted, close to vertebrate. Peculiarities of structure and development, biological diversity. 15. Macro-invertebrates importance as bioindicators. Use of invertebrates in the teaching process and preparation of educational invertebrate material: microscopic preparations, fixation of organisms, preparation of collections. Lab works 1. Protozoan structure and diversity (analysis of water samples from different water bodies). Growing protozoa under laboratory conditions. Analysis of medically important protozoa in microscopic preparations. Morphological analysis of sponges and cnidarians. 2. Identification and morphological analysis of planarians, trematodes, and cestodes. Roundworms: Analysis of ascarids and non-parasitic nematodes. 3. Morphological analysis of annelids, using live and fixed specimens and microscopic slides. 4. Diversity of microscopic multicellular organisms in water and moss samples. 5. Arthropods: freshwater planktonic and benthic crustaceans. Analysis of adaptations to life in water and on land. Diversity of Lithuanian crustaceans in fixed preparations and live samples. 6. Arthropods: structure of insects and arachnids; representatives of main insect orders, identification of adults and larval stages. Identification of insects important as indicators. 7. Analysis of mollusk structure is fixed and live specimens. Morphological analysis of shell. Species diversity and traits important for identification. 8. Analysis of features of echinoderms (starfish, sea urchins, holothurian) in fixed specimens.

1. Ability to use the knowledge acquired during the study of the subject in recognizing and characterizing the biological features of unicellular protists - protozoa and invertebrates, using the main definitions and concepts used in invertebrate biology. Ability to analyze and compare various groups of invertebrates, their adaptations to survival in the environment. 2. Ability to describe the meaning and functions of the studied organisms in ecosystems. Ability to predict the state of an ecosystem with the decline or increase of certain species. The ability to identify factors, causes and conditions is essential for the conservation of rare, endangered species and species diversity. 3. Ability to adapt collection, research and analysis methods to protozoa and various groups of invertebrates. 4. Ability to define important biological characteristics of economically and medically important protozoan and invertebrate species. Indicate the diagnostic stages of pathogenic and parasitic organisms.