Biodiversity 1400-111RB

The course is intended to acquaint future biotechnologists with the diversity of organisms from which biotechnology currently derives, or may in future derive, inspiration and practical applications.

The course focuses on presenting biological diversity from a functional perspective. Students will examine morphological and anatomical similarities and differences that have evolved independently in various, often phylogenetically distant, groups of organisms. Selected model organisms commonly used in biotechnological research will also be discussed. Various aspects of organismal biology will be presented according to specific life functions rather than within a strictly taxonomic framework. Nevertheless, the tree of life will serve as a conceptual scaffold, with evolutionary relationships among the discussed organisms indicated throughout the course. This dual-perspective approach will enable the integration of knowledge of phylogenetic diversity with functional diversity.

During the 90 hours of practical classes, the following topics will be covered:
- Selected methods for investigating organismal diversity
- Diversity of life forms – an overview of unicellular organisms, colonial forms, thalloid organisms, and simple multicellular organisms, together with their placement on the tree of life; microscopic investigations.
- The nature and diversity of sexual processes and life cycles – comparative analysis of life cycles and reproductive structures in representatives of cyanobacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals; live observations and prepared microscopic slides.
- Locomotion – analysis of the diversity of locomotory and motile mechanisms in cyanobacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals in relation to their environments; live observations and microscopic preparations.
- Nutrition and transport – overview of strategies for nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis, including autotrophy, mixotrophy, and heterotrophy; simple laboratory experiments, microscopic investigations, and live observations of cyanobacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.
- Adaptations to environmental conditions – presentation of the diversity of ecological forms and life-history strategies of plants and animals; simple laboratory experiments and a field excursion to the greenhouse of the University of Warsaw Botanical Garden.
- Biotic interactions – overview of forms of symbiosis ranging from parasitism to mutualism, with emphasis on their evolutionary context and biotechnological applications; simple laboratory experiments and live observations.