This course gives a rigorous and most complete vision of the animal kingdom and protozoa. The approach followed is evolutionary and comparative.
- provide an overview of the animal kingdom - compare the structures and functions of the major zoological groups - understand the basis of evolution and phylogenetic relationships between zoological groups - understand the life cycles of the main pests - understanding the ontogeny of a vertebrate
The main structures and functions of the major animal groups will be seen and compared with each other. Students should be able to answer questions such as: what is a diploblastic/triploblastic, acoelomate/pseudocoelomate/coelomate, protostomian/deuterostomian, radial symmetry/bilateral symmetry, what is a chordate, splanchnocranium/neurocranium, basic structures of the vertebrate nervous system, embryology of an amphibian, etc. Numerous examples will be taken from among the parasitic organisms.
The theoretical course consists of an ex-cathedra lecture given by the teacher in an audience. The course is also fully accessible in the form of commented and recorded powerpoint presentations, available throughout the year. A discussion forum allows students to ask questions and debate issues. Additional resources, whether multimedia or scientific articles, are available to complement the learning process. Exercises are also offered (MCQ exercises, etc.). Practical work allows the student to complete the theoretical courses through microscopic observations and dissections.
The theoretical exam is in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire. Examples of questions are reviewed during the lectures. The exam consists of 30 questions, each with 6 possible answers, only one of which is correct. Students have 90 minutes in total. Three grading scales are applied: 8 questions graded +6 / 0; 14 questions graded +4 / 0; 8 questions graded +2 / 0. There are no negative marks.
Practical sessions are assessed continuously throughout the year using various methods explained by the teaching assistants during the first session (e.g., entry test, exit test, report, etc.). If the student achieves an average of at least 14/20 during the year, they will be exempted from the oral exam held in the exam session. The final practical exam is an oral examination. Students are presented with situations encountered during the year (dissection, microscopic slide analysis, organism identification). Practical work accounts for 35% of the final grade (combined with continuous assessment).
A student who obtains a grade of 7/20 or less in either the theoretical exam or the practical exam will receive at most that grade as the final mark for the course unit. If the student obtains 8/20 or higher in both exams, the weighted average (35% for practicals) will be used as the final mark for the course unit.
A student who passes either the theoretical exam or the practical exam in the first session, but fails the final grade, may be exempted from the part successfully completed only between the two sessions of the same academic year. No partial exemption will be granted from one academic year to the next (e.g., a student who obtains a grade below 10/20 for the course unit but has a score of 10/20 in the theoretical exam will have to retake the theoretical exam).
- Campbell and Rice. Biology. 7th edition, Pearson. - Beaumont and Cassier. Animal biology. From protozoa to epithelial metazoa. Tome 1. Dunod. - Beaumont and Cassier. Animal biology. Les cordés: anatomie comparée des vertébrés. Dunod. - Ruppert and Barnes. Invertebrate zoology. Brooks Cole. - Lecointre and Le Guyader. Phylogenetic classification of living organisms. Belin.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Biology | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Biology | Standard | 1 | 5 |