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 takes the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ). Examples of questions are covered during the theoretical course. There are 30 questions, each with 6 possible answers, only one of which is correct. Students have a total of 90 minutes. Three scoring scales are applied: 8 questions on the +6 / 0 scale; 14 on the +4 / 0 scale; 8 on the +2 / 0 scale. There are no negative marks.
Practical work is assessed continuously throughout the year using various methods explained by the teaching assistants during the first session (e.g. entry test, exit test, report, scientific drawings, etc.). The final practical exam is an oral examination. The student is presented with situations encountered during the year (dissection, microscopic section, organism identification). The final practical mark is the weighted average of continuous assessment (30%) and the oral exam (70%). The final practical mark accounts for 35% of the overall course grade.
A student who scores below 8/20 on either exam (theoretical or practical) will receive at most that score as their final course grade. If they score 8/20 or above on both exams, the weighted average (35% for practicals and 65% for theory) will be their final course grade.
A student who passed either the theoretical or the practical exam in the first session but failed overall may be exempt from the passed component only between the two sessions of the same academic year. However, the continuous assessment mark will remain that of the first session. No partial exemption from the theoretical course or practicals will be granted from one year to the next (e.g. a student who has an overall course grade below 10/20 but scored 10/20 on the theoretical exam must retake both the theoretical and the practical exam).
Please note that attendance at all practical sessions is strictly mandatory. If a student misses one or more practical sessions, they will have the opportunity to attend one or more make-up sessions. If all sessions have not been completed, the student will be denied access to the practical oral exam. They will then receive a mark of 0 (zero) for absence, which will be factored into the final grade for this course (regardless of the mark obtained on the MCQ).
- 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 | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Biology | 1 | 5 | Yes |