Zoology
148: Parasitology
Contents
Instructor, catalog
description, requirements
About the course and
instructor
Instructor: Dr. Paul R. Crosbie, Department of Biology
Office: Room 206A Science: office hours,
10:00-12:00, Monday and Wednesday
Phone: 278-2074
Email: pcrosbie@csufresno.edu
Lecture times:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00-9:50, Science 204
Laboratory time:
Tuesday, 9:00-11:50, Science 322
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (the new one, which will
appear in the 2001-2002 General Catalog): ZOOL 148. Parasitology (4). Prerequisites:
BIOSC 1A, 1B. CHEM 1A or 3A. The study of the biology of parasitic organisms,
including those of humans. Lecture topics: life history strategies, infectious
processes, epidemiology, ecology, parasite evolution and phylogeny, diagnosis
and treatment. Laboratory and field
exercises: identification and sampling techniques, taxonomy, and investigation
of biological processes. (3 lecture, 3 lab or field hours).
Textbook (required):
Roberts, Larry S. and John Janovy Jr.
2000. Gerald D. Schmidt and
Larry S. Roberts’ Foundations of Parasitology. 6th edition. $98.27
+ tax (new): $73.70 + tax (used).
ISBN 0-697-42430-8. This is the most up to date edition of a classic
text, still (in my opinion) the best general parasitology text available. The
excessive cost seems inevitable. Older versions are often available from used
sources. If you happen to find one of
these, it will probably do for the course. Bring to each lecture.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
For laboratory you will need a laboratory coat. This is essential, as we will
frequently be dealing with bodily fluids and solids, and you should bring it to
each lab. Second, each of you should have your own basic dissection kit that
should include at a minimum the following: one scalpel with removable blades,
with spare blades (#20 or 21); two pairs of dissecting scissors – one small
with both blades pointed, one large with one blade blunt; and one pair of fine
pointed forceps with serrated tips. The bookstore has these items, and they’re
cheap. Each of you must have
an email account and internet connection: after the first few weeks of the
class, most handouts will only be available as either attachments to emails
from me, or at the course web site.
ABOUT THE COURSE: This is a general introductory course in
parasitology. All non-parasitic (free living) organisms harbor parasites, and
even some parasites have parasites. It is becoming increasingly evident that
parasites have had a profound effect on host ecology and evolution, and
consequently on the structure and composition of communities. During the course you will learn to identify
a wide variety of parasites, learn and practice collection and diagnostic
techniques, master the intricacies of parasite life history patterns and
strategies, learn the unique metabolic pathways observed in many parasites, and
gain an understanding of the systematics and evolutionary history of the major parasitic
taxa. Other than readings from the
text, anything I say or do in lecture is fair game on an examination. If you miss a lecture GET the NOTES FROM SOMEONE. As this course is also intended to develop
your ability to think logically and critically, active discussion will be
encouraged, particularly in lab.
ABOUT ME: I’m a
parasitologist. One of the reasons I
was hired was to teach this course. I study tapeworms, ticks, and other
organisms that live in or on other organisms (their hosts), and depend on those
hosts to provide nutrients (there, a definition of a parasite). More specifically, I conduct research into
the evolutionary relationships of parasites and their hosts, and investigate
host-parasite ecology. If you have
problems, questions, or interests – come and see me; that’s what you pay me
for. I’m happy to arrange appointments outside my regular office hours. I’m
also looking for undergraduate and prospective graduate students interested in
conducting parasitological research in my lab.
Assessment
Lecture: Examinations: there
will be two midterm exams (75 points each) and a final (150 points). The final
will be comprehensive.
Critiques: During the course of the
semester you will be given 5 recent peer-reviewed papers from the
parasitological literature and asked to write an approximately 2 page (double
spaced) critical review of each paper.
Each of these reviews will be worth 20 points (100 points total).
Requirements for each review will be given in conjunction with each paper.
Internet assignment: Each of you
will choose a single parasite taxon (a single species, or genus, or family, or
conceivably a recognizable ecological assemblage) and use the World Wide Web to
gather information for an approximately 4 page (double spaced) summary of the
current state of knowledge regarding that taxon. Worth 50 points. Precise requirements will be circulated at
the time of the assignment. Your choice
of taxon must be pre-approved by me.
Laboratory: Examinations:
there will be 5 announced lab quizzes during the semester, of varying formats,
each worth 10 points. There will be a lab final, worth 100 points.
Lab notebook: You will be
required to keep a 3-ring binder as a lab notebook. This will be handed in at
the end of the semester, and should include: all lab handouts and protocols,
write ups of laboratory exercises, drawings, field observations, and random
thoughts and observations. Worth 50 points.
GRADING: I do not usually adjust grades to a
curve: you earn points and are graded accordingly. If you miss either midterm, you must take a make-up exam; you
must provide a written excuse for missing an examination. There is no make-up
for the final.
|
Exam |
Points |
Date |
Grade cutoffs |
|
Midterm 1 |
75 |
Fri 2 March |
A = > 90% |
|
Midterm 2 |
75 |
Fri 6 April |
B = 75 – 89% |
|
Final |
150 |
Mon
21 May, 8:45-10:45
|
C = 65 - 74.5% |
|
Critiques (5) |
100 |
Various – see schedule |
D = 55 - 64.5% |
|
Internet |
50 |
Set Mon 2 April, due
Fri 27 April |
F =
< 54.5% |
|
Lab quizzes (5) |
50 |
Various – see schedule |
|
|
Lab notebook |
50 |
Hand in Tue 15 May |
|
|
Lab final |
100 |
Tue 15 May |
|
|
Total |
650 |
|
|
Policies
MY POLICIES: If you are
going to come to class, please come on time. If you can’t make it till half way
through class, don’t come. It is
extremely disruptive to the learning of your fellow students to have a chain of
latecomers. After the first two weeks I
will not take roll: this is your education, so if you choose not to come to
class that is your choice. You may
drink (no spills) in lecture, but not eat (too noisy). In lab, no food or
drink – neither mix well with handling feces or other bodily effluvia. If you have electronic communication devices
including cell phones, beepers, pagers, Palm Pilots, computerized watches, or
whatever the next technological innovation is, TURN THEM OFF. If you need to bring a visitor to class,
please see me before the day of the class. Last – adds and drops. Please use the S.T.A.R. system to add or
drop this class. It is your
responsibility to deal with registration.
I will only conduct administrative adds between February 8th
to February 16th. For
further clarification, please see p. 12 of the current (Spring 2001) schedule
of courses.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES: I support wholeheartedly
the university’s policies, including, but not limited to, the following:
Students
with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the
instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive
reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information,
contact Services to Students with Disabilities (http://studentaffairs.csufresno.edu/ssd/)
in Madden Library Room 1049 (278-2811).
Cheating
and Plagiarism: "Cheating is the actual or
attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving
one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting
another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to
examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term
'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include
any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic
advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of
cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works
of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property)
so used as one's own work." Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range
from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to
expulsion from the university. For more information on the University’s policy
regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (Legal
Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism, p. 36) or the University Catalog (Policies
and Regulations)
Computers:
"At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications
links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and
research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer
or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a
printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended
standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major,
are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services
(http://www.csufresno.edu/ITS/) or
the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are
presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary
communication links to the University’s information resources."
Disruptive
Classroom Behavior: "The classroom is a special
environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and
growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the
rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the
instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. …
Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are
supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students
and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of
themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of
the community in which they live . . .
Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and
may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class." Also see current
schedule of courses, p. 37.