General zoology lays the foundations for understanding living organisms starting from the cellular level to the organismic level from an evolutionary perspective. The course aims to provide the tools to acquire the skills and the ability to recognize the adaptations of living organisms from an evolutionary, anatomical and physiological point of view, knowing how to use the appropriate supports and tools.
D1 - Knowledge and understanding
• acquire the basics of animal evolution, morphology and physiology of the main anatomical structures starting from the cell to get to the more complex organisms
• know the various structures and their functioning, the distinctive characteristics of animal organisms
• distinguish the differences and peculiarities of the different structures of the different animal taxa
• learn the basics of animal anatomy and physiology starting from the cell
D2 - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Through class activities, students will be able to describe how a cell is made and the functions of the different organelles that compose it. They will be able to recognize and describe the various structures in multicellular organisms, they will also be able to discriminate the main physiological and adaptive aspects of animals.
D3 - Autonomy of judgment
The autonomy of judgment will be developed from the knowledge imparted in the classroom and verified during the written test at the end of the course.
D4 - Communication skills
Lessons will be organized to develop interaction between students and improve the scientific lexicon used in zoology. The written test includes multiple-choice questions to stimulate the student to re-elaborate what has been learned during the lectures.
D5 - Learning ability
Learning ability is stimulated by deepening the knowledge learned during previous studies, when students will learn more about the morphology and physiology of cells and organs and the evolution of biodiversity.

Basics knowlwdge of Biology

I module - Prof. Silvia Battistella Characteristics of life. The main biological molecules. Structure, ultrastructure and functions of the cell. The plasma membrane. The energy flow. Cell reproduction. Reproduction in the animal kingdom. II Module - prof. Piero Giulianini Support, protection and movement. Homeostasis. Internal fluids and circulation. Nervous coordination. Sensory systems. Chemical coordination. Organic evolution.

Hickman et al. ZOOLOGIA (XVIII ed). McGraw Hill Education
Sadava, Hillis, Craig Heller; Hacker BIOLOGIA (1. La Cellula, 2. L’ereditarietà e il genoma, 5. La biologia degli animali)

I module Prof. Silvia Battistella
Characteristics of life: Chemical constituents of the cell. The importance of water in life. Biological compounds.
The main biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, triglycerides, proteins, nucleic acids.
Structure, ultrastructure and functions of the cell: the nucleus, the nuclear membrane, the chromatin, the nucleolus. The endoplasmic reticulum; ribosomes, lysosomes, peroxisomes, the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, the cytoskeleton.
The plasma membrane: structure and functions.
The energy flow: activation energy of biological reactions. Enzymes, ATP. Notes on glycolysis, alcoholic and lactic fermentation, the Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, electron transporters.
Cell reproduction: the cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis.
Support, protection and movement
Structural colors and chromatophores. Mimicry and intraspecific communication in Cephalopods. Skeletal systems. Muscle hydrostat. Scourge and cilia: the axoneme. Musculature in Invertebrates.
Homeostasis
Water and ions, exit and entry routes. Osmosis, membrane permeability and hypo-, iso- and hyper-tonic solutions. Hyper- and hypo-osmotic osmoconform and osmoregulatory animals. Stenoalini and euryhaline aquatic animals. Pecilothermic and homeothermic animals; ectotherms and endotherms. Bradimetabolism and tachymetabolism. Body temperature regulation. Adaptations to hot environments. Adaptations to cold environments.
Internal fluids and circulation
Circulation and internal fluids. The blood of the Vertebrates and the hemolymph of the Arthropods. Coagulation in Vertebrates and Arthropods. Breathing in an aquatic and air environment. The direct exchange in the tracheae of the Insects. Blood and hemolymphatic pigments, adaptations.
Nervous coordination
Neurons and glial cells. Membrane potential at rest. Na + / K + pump and K + loss channel. Transmission of the action potential. Saltatory conduction. Chemical and electrical synapses. Neurotransmitters, degradation and reuptake. Bilateralism and cephalization. Pulse intensity transduction mechanism in receptors.
Sensory systems
Classification of receptors. Pulse intensity transduction mechanism in receptors. Classification of receptors. Proprioceptive systems: statocyst. Lateral line in fish. Acoustic systems. Photoreceptors and simple eyes. Compound eye of Arthropods. Visual accommodation in Cephalopods and Vertebrates.
Chemical coordination
Chemical mediators: derivatives from fatty acids, steroids, amino acid and peptide derivatives. Autocrine, paracrine, endocrine and neuroendocrine signaling. Mechanism of action of steroid and peptide hormones. Primary and secondary responses. Control of the moult in Crustaceans and Insects. Neuroendocrine system of Craniotic Vertebrates. Calcemia control and stress reactions.
Organic evolution
Evolutionary processes according to Darwin. Homologous structures and homoplasms. Plesiomorphic and synapomorphic characters. Phenomena of speciation. Cladogenesis. Allopatric speciation. Sympatric speciation. Adaptive radiation. Phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibria. The stabilizing, directional and divergent selection: examples. Population genetics. The neutral and near-neutral theory of molecular evolution. Genetic drift. The 5 mass extinctions.

Lectures in the classroom and recording of the lessons. Any changes to the methods described here, which may be necessary to ensure the application of the security protocols related to the COVID19 emergency, will be communicated on the website of the Department, the Degree Program and teaching.

Detailed information and pdf presentations of the topics are available on the Moodle website of the course.

Written test with 60 multiple choice questions (5). The test questions require the following score: 1 point for each correct answer, - ¼ point for each incorrect answer, 0 points for no answer.
The following voting criteria of the "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System" (ECTS) will apply:
Grade A (30-30L): 57.6-60/60 points;
Grade B (27-29) 51.6-57.5/60 points;
Grade C (24-26) 44.4-51.5/60 points;
Grade D (21-23) 38.4-44.3/60 points;
Grade E (18-20) 36.0-38.3/60 points.
Grade F (<18) is below 36/60 points.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more objectives of the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development of United Nations.