BI 220: Invertebrate Zoology

€Lecture schedule €Laboratory schedule €Asking and answering questions €Themes €Tasks €Phyla of protozoa and animals €Administrative stuff

Owen Sholes, Department of Natural Sciences, Kennedy 128
Assumption College, Worcester, MA 01609
508-767-7483, osholes@assumption.edu

Lecture: MWF 9:30

Laboratory: Th 8:-11:30, 2:30-5:30, K208

Text: J.A. Pechenik. 1996. Biology of the Invertebrates. 3rd edition. W.C. Brown, Dubuque, IA. 554p. ("Too many people think of invertebrate zoology as an exercise in memorizing terms..."; p. xiii).

Laboratory Manual: I.W. Sherman &;V.G. Sherman. 1976. The Invertebrates: Function and Form. 2nd ed. Macmillan. (you could share it with fellow students)

Bring Pechenik to lab each week, too!

Lecture Schedule

Laboratory Schedule: studying the organisms themselves

Goals: Asking Questions, Answering Questions, Finding Information

Let's start with the objectives of the book's author. His goal is to ask questions about invertebrates, and then try to answer those questions. I know this not only because of all the questions at the end of each chapter, but because the author told me that was his goal. What's more, it is not just a goal of his book, but of his work as a biologist.

In general, figuring out answers to questions is the goal of science (as it is in all human intellectual endeavors). The fun part, and also the scary part, is when the answer to the question isn't in the book. It's uncharted territory, and you can be wrong without even knowing it. But there's only one way to find out -- try it. Chances are, if you are careful and take advantage of all that we already know, some of your questions will be good ones, and some of your answers will be right.

It is absolutely essential that your questions and answers be in your own words. If you merely rephrase the text, you will have to try again. If you copy the text or another student, your grade is automatically zero.

I. ANSWERING QUESTIONS

A. Quizzes: These will be short and deal with the main features of the animals in question. You should be able to identify animal groups by their pictures, traits, and habitats, and discuss how they manage to survive.

B. Assignments: The questions on assignments will range widely, and you will work in groups to try to find answers: What is it, and how can you tell? How do invertebrates accomplish certain essential things? How doe they affect humans?

C. Final Exam: It will be like the quizzes and assignments (15% of the grade).

II. ASKING YOUR OWN QUESTIONS (What makes a question a good question?)

Items of Interest and Questions. From a chapter or sections of the text, first you will pick some items that interest you (not ones that you think I will like, but that actually interest you). Then, for each item of interest, you will ask at least one question about it (a series of questions would be even better). Based on what you already know about the item, what else would you like to know (after all, the text can't cover everything)? Your questions can ask anything: Why? Why not? How? What else? What next? How can they be that way and live like that? How can they do that?

The point of this exercise is to get you to wonder about these animals. I should be able to figure out why you think something is interesting by the questions you ask about it. Spend your time and effort on asking questions. There is only one limit on the questions you ask: they may not repeat those in the text.

III. FINDING INFORMATION.

The text is not the only place to get information about invertebrates. In particular, it is not the only source of illustrations of invertebrates, especially illustrations in color. One potentially useful source we can explore is the world wide web with its vast array of images, including photographs, micrographs and drawings. We may be able to find pictures that illustrate important aspects of animal biology. If so, we can create a new kind of visual supplement to the text, sort of a cyber-museum. First, we have to find illustrations (web browsers will help us do that), then we have to decide which illustrations are useful (Do they look good? What do they show?). Once we have a group of good pictures, we can post them on the web for all to see. If you want, we can also post the names of the people who found each picture (if you're going to do the work, you might as well get the credit).

HOW OFTEN ARE WE GOING TO DO ALL THESE THINGS? (grades)

There will be 3-4 quizzes, several assignments, 5 items and questions, and 3 web searches, so there will be 15-20 grades during the semester. Each task will be based on 10 points, the lowest grade other than zero will be dropped, and the rest will account for 85% of your grade. There will also be a comprehensive final exam (15%).

On days when something isn't due, whatever we cover could be on the next quiz. If you miss something, it will lower your grade. Late material will not be accepted (and you will get a zero). In the past, students who haven't done the work have gotten low grades.

HINTS: 1. Come to class. 2. Do the work.

OFFICE HOURS: Kennedy 128, MWF 8:30-9:00, 10:30-11:00 a.m., MW 2-5, Th 1-2

It always helps to make an appointment. If I am not in my office when you arrive, check my door for an indication of where I am. If that doesn't help, leave a message on my door or with the secretary in K138, or try voice mail or e-mail. Don't give up!

SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, ETC.

If you want to complain or make a suggestion about how we do things in the course, send it in campus mail (with or without your name) to Box 850B.

Themes

What do animals need to do?

What are those things that all animals need to accomplish?

Once we know what all animals must do, we can see how each group of animals does those things. As we go through the course, we will see that there are many ways to perform the same essential function. Those differences are the basis for the diversity of animal life on the planet, and are the reason why those critters are so different from us.

Phylogeny, similarity and ancestry

For example, there has been an outbreak of food poisoning caused by an organism called Cyclospora that seems to have been on some types of fruit. What is it? If it is a bacterium, it might be susceptible to some kinds of antibiotics that kill bacteria. If it is a protozoan, other drugs would have to be used. Knowing the relationships among organisms does matter! For an overview, see the tree of life web sites.

Major Phyla of Protozoa and of Animals (Metazoa)

examples of parasites

Protozoa

Phylum Opalozoa

Phylum Mycetozoa

Phylum Labyrinthomorpha

Spore-forming protozoa

Phylum Microspora

Phylum Myxozoa

Amoeboid protozoa

Phylum Radiozoa - radiolarians

Phylum Heliozoa

Phylum Archamoebae

Flagellated protozoa

Phylum Euglenozoa

Phylum Metamonada

Phylum Dinozoa

Phylum Choanozoa

Metazoa

examples of intertidal invertebrate animals

Phylum Cnidaria

Class Hydrozoa; Class Cubozoa; Class Scyphozoa; Class Anthozoa

illustrations and web sites

Class Turbellaria; Class Trematoda; Class Cestoda

an abstract on phylogeny

Phylum Rotifera

illustrations and web sites

information and images, more information, related to rotifers

basic information and images

a little information as one of the aschelminth phyla

information and images

Class Polyplacophora; Class Gastropoda; Class Bivalvia; Class Cephalopoda

basic information, some more basic information

basic information, another picture

Class Polychaeta; Class Oligochaeta; Class Hirudinea

Subphylum Trilobitomorpha; Subphylum Chelicerata; Subphylum Crustacea; Subphylum Uniramia

SEM images, some basic information, an outline of information

Phylum Brachiopoda

basic information, some fossils from Kentucky

Class Crinoidea; Class Stellaroidea; Class Ophiuroidea; Class Holothuroidea

illustrations and web sites

Subphylum Urochordata; Subphylum Cephalochordata; Subphylum Vertebrata

Web Site Searchers (Spring 1997, alphabetical order)