BIOL 413: PARASITOLOGY
Course Description
Fall 2007
Updated August 17, 2007

Dr. Stan Eisen, Director
Preprofessional Health Programs
Christian Brothers University

650 East Parkway South
Memphis, TN  38104

901-321-3447
e-mail:  seisen@cbu.edu

To the lecture notes for the course:  http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ParasitesOnParade.htm

Details about the lecture
Details about the lab
Supplemental reading list
Lecture schedule
Lab schedule

Dr. Stan Eisen
Office S203B
Tel. Ext.: 3447
e-mail: seisen@cbu.edu

Office Hours:        T: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
                             Th:  2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
                             F: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

·                                 For both lecture and lab, you will need the following:       
          Schmidt, G., & Roberts, L. 2005. Foundations of Parasitology, edition 7.
         Zimmer, C.  2003.  Parasite Rex.  Arrow Books Ltd; New Ed edition (September 4, 2003), ISBN-10: 0099457997, ISBN-13: 978-0099457992
          Eisen, S. (2007). Parasites On Parade. Available from Print Shop.

·                                  

In this course, we will be concentrating on the biology of those parasitic organisms which are of medical or veterinary importance. The emphasis of the course will be on natural history, so you will be responsible for the following information pertaining to each parasitic organism covered in class: 1)Binomial nomenclature; 2)Phylogenetic relationship; 3)Life cycle; 4) Preferred definitive host(s); 5)Intermediate and/or vector host(s); 6)Geographical locations where the parasite is found and is endemic; 7)Organs affected; 8)Symptoms associated with infection; and 9)Drugs used in treatment.

DETAILS ABOUT THE LECTURE

Your lecture grade will be based on the following:

1.     FOUR MIDSEMESTER EXAMS: Each of these exams will consist of essay and identification/practical questions. Each of these exams will be comprehensive and count 1/6 towards your final grade;

2.     A FINAL EXAM SCHEDULED DURING FINALS WEEK: This exam will consist of essay question and identification/practical. It will count 1/3 points towards your final grade.

DETAILS ABOUT THE LAB

You will be learning techniques which are pertinent to the study of parasitology. These include and will not be limited to the following:

1.     Preparation of permanent slides of stained helminths;

2.     Preparation of wet mount of fecal smears;

3.     Removal of parasitic organisms from dissected host animals;

4.     Concentration of ova by fecal flotation

5.     Preparation of a smear of parasitic protozoa from earthworms.

These techniques will, in turn, be integrated into 3 experiments.

1.     Survey of parasites collected from freshwater fish collected locally;

2.     Conditions required for the excystation of Posthodiplostomum minimum metacercariae;

3.     Life history and control of mosquitos

Generally, you will NOT be exposed to human pathogens. Nonetheless, you will be required to follow rigorous safety procedures.

Your final grade will be based on the following:

1.     Weekly quizzes of short answer and identification questions, covering the previous lab’s specimens.  Collectively, these quizzes will count 1/7 towards your final grade;

2.     Two typewritten (word processed) laboratory reports from the experiments described above.  The papers are to be written in the same format for articles appearing in the Transactions of the Tennessee Academy of Science and will be due two weeks after the completion of data collection. Grading of the laboratory reports will be on the basis of spelling, grammar, clarity, and content. Each lab report will count 1/7 towards your final grade;

3.     An essay describing techniques in parasite surveillance and treatment, following a rotation through a veterinary clinic.  You will be asked to sign up for a 1-afternoon rotation through a veterinary clinic in the Memphis area to observe techniques used in parasite surveillance and treatment.  These rotations will be scheduled during a 3-week period, starting with Fall Break and the following 2 weeks.  Upon completion of the rotation you are to write a short report, not exceeding 3 double-spaced typewritten pages on the types of animals examined and the parasites which were found. Participation in the rotation and submission of the report will count 1/7 points towards your final grade;

4.     Submission of a prepared slide collection, including one parasite from each of the major groups we will be studying during this semester. Grading of the collection will be based on accuracy of identification, completeness of the collection, and aesthetics of the prepared slides. This collection will count 1/7 towards your final grade.

5.     A final exam consisting of short answer and identification questions.  This final exam will count 2/7 towards your final grade.

Some of the experiments will require more time than a single four-hour block of time allows. You will be expected to collaborate in order to complete the work. Furthermore, participation in all fishing and field trips is mandatory.

The grading scale for the lecture and the lab will be the following:

A = 3.5 - 4.0
B = 2.75 - 3.49
C = 2.00 - 2.74
D = 1.00 - 1.99
F = <1

By the way, regarding laboratory reports:

 

 

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY

Every student is expected to attend classroom and laboratory periods regularly. A student who has been absent, even for a legitimate cause, is under obligation to make up the work. Any student who has missed a total of eight hours of class may be dropped from the course, with a mark of "F", at the discretion of the teacher.

Biol 413: Parasitology Lecture
Fall 2007
Lecture Schedule

Date

Day

Lecture Topic

Textbook Chapter(s) & Special Readings (SR)

Parasites on Parade Pages

8/20

M

Introduction: Types of interspecific interactions; Basic Principles in Ecology & Evolution

1-2

 

1-18

8/22

W

Parasite Video

 

 

8/24

F

Basic Principles in Immunology & Pathology
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/final/immun/immun.htm

Oddly enough, infection with parasitic worms may reduce the risk of asthma:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/TheWormHasTurned.htm 

3

 

8/27

M

Phylum Arthropoda: Form, Function and Classification

Insect development
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/tutorial/morphogenesis.html

33

157-162

8/29

W

Crustaceans

34

 

8/31

F

Mallophaga & Anoplura

36

178-185

9/3

M

Labor Day – No Class

 

 

9/5

W

Hemiptera: True bugs

37

169-171

9/7

F

Siphonoptera: The fleas

38

174-177

9/10

M

Diptera: Family Culicinae

38 + SR #1

162-165

9/12

W

LECTURE EXAM I

 

 

9/14

F

ROSH HASHANAH II – No classes

 

 

9/17

M

Diptera: Other flies

39

166-168, 172-173

9/19

W

Strepsiptera, Hymenoptera, and others

40

 

9/21

F

Parasitic Arachnids: Ticks

41

188-190

9/24

M

Parasitic Arachnids: Mites

41

191-193

9/26

W

Basic Principles of Epidemiology
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/AnIntroductionToEpidemiology_files/frame.htm

 

 

9/28

F

FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT – No classes

 

 

10/1

M

Parasitic Protistans: Form, Function and Classification
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ParasiticProtozoa_files/frame.htm

http://nsm1.utdallas.edu/bio/Gonzalez/Lecture/Parasite/protoza.htm

http://www.nhc.ed.ac.uk/index.php?page=24.25.366

http://www.modares.ac.ir/elearning/Dalimi/Proto/Lectures/week3.htm

 

http://biology.dbs.umt.edu/biol400/lecture3.htm

4

118-119

10/3

W

Order Kinetoplastida: The trypanosomes

5

32-49

10/5

F

FESTIVAL OF SIMCHAT TORAH – No classes

 

 

10/8

M

Order Kinetoplastida: The leishmanias

5

32-49

10/10

W

Other Flagellates (Chilomastix, Giardia, Trichomonas)

6

27-31

10/12

F

LECTURE EXAM II

 

 

10/15-10/21

M-Su

FALL BREAK

 

 

 

10/22

M

Subphylum Sarcodina: The Amebas (Entamoeba spp., Endolimax nana, Iodamoeba butschlii)

7

20-26

10/24

W

http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/BIOL413LcEx02IDAnswerKeyFa2005_files/frame.htm

Phylum Apicomplexa: Gregarines, Coccidia, and Related organisms. (Toxoplasma, Pneumocystis, Cryptosporidium)

 

8

60-65

10/26

F

Phylum Apicomplexa: Malaria Organisms and Piroplasms (Plasmodium spp.)

9

50-59

10/29

M

Phylum Ciliophora: Ciliated Protistan Parasites (Ichthyophthirus multifiliis, Balantidium coli)

Phyla Myxozoa and Microspora: Protozoa with Polar Filaments

10

 

11

66

10/31

W

Introduction to the Phylum Platyhelminthes

Aspidobothrea

13

14

67-68

11/2

F

Trematoda: Form, Function, and Classification of Digeneans

Digeneans: Strigeiformes (The schistosomes)

http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/PMinimumSurveyDataFa2005_files/frame.htm

15 

16

77-84

11/5

M

Digeneans: Echinostomatiformes (Fasciola, Fasciolopsis)

17

71-74

11/7

W

Digeneans: Plagiochiformes and Opisthochiformes (Paragonimus, Clonorchis)

18

69-70, 75-76

11/9

F

LECTURE EXAM III

 

 

11/12

M

Monogenea

Cestoidea: Form, Function, and Classification of the Tapeworms

19

20

 

85

11/14

W

Tapeworms (Diphyllobothrium, Taeniarhynchus, Taenia)

21

86-102

11/16

F

Tapeworms cont'd. (Echinococcus, Hymenolepis, Vampirolepis, Dipylidium)

 

103-108

11/19

M

Phylum Nematoda
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Nematoda_files/frame.htm

Nematodes: Trichurida and Dioctophymatida (Trichuris, Trichinella)

22

23

109-110

111-112, 113-114

11/21

W

Nematodes: Rhabditida, Pioneering Parasites (Strongyloides)

Nematodes: Strongylida, Bursate Rhabditians (Ancylostoma spp., Necator)

24

25

115-122

11/23

F

Thanksgiving Holiday - No classes

 

 

11/26

M

Nematodes: Ascaridida, Intestinal Roundworms (Ascaris, Toxocara spp.)

Nematodes: Oxyurida, the Pinworms (Enterobius)

26

27

123-129

11/28

W

Nematodes: Spirurida, a Potpourri

Nematodes: (Filaroidea), including Wuchereria, Onchocerca and Dirofilaria

Maybe you shouldn't go here:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/mammaryeleph.jpg

Maybe you shouldn't go here either:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/eleph-fijiEN.gif

It’s a form of immortality…sort of….
http://www.collegehumor.com/pictures/100384/

Biology as art, or maybe it's art as biology:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/doorknocker.jpg 

Nematodes: Camallanina, the Guinea Worms & others (Dracunculus)

28

29

 

 

 

 

 



30

 

130-136

11/30

F

LECTURE EXAM IV

 

 

12/3

M

Phylum Acanthocephala

32

149-154

12/5

W

Phyla Mollusca, Annelida, Pentastomida

 

Parasitic Chordates (brood parasitism among birds, lamprey)

 

155-156, 141-148

194-200

12/7

F

Plants

 

“1”-“4”

12/10-12/14

M-F

FINAL EXAM WEEK - The final exam will be given during Final Exam Week

 

 

 Special Readings

1.      Finkel, M.  2007.  Bedlam in the Blood:  Malaria.  National Geographic July 2007:32-67.

Tentative Lab Schedule: Fall 2007

WEEK OF

EXERCISE

PAGE(S) in Lab book

Aug 20

Studies in mutualism:
1.  Intestinal flagellates of termites
2.  Algae in cells of green hydra

“8”-“14”

Aug 27

Phylum Arthropoda

Class Crustacea

Argulus sp. (fish louse)

adult, w.m.

 

Class Insecta

Order Anoplura

Pediculus humanus (body louse)

  • Nymph, w.m. (demo)
  • Adults and nits from an 8-year old girl, w.m. (demo)
  • Life cycle in plasticmount, w.m. (demo)
  • Adults, w.m.
  • Nits attached to hair, w.m.

Phthirus pubis (public louse)

  • Adults, w.m.

 

Order Siphonoptera

Pulex irritans (human flea)

  • Adults, w.m.

Ctenocephalides canis (dog flea)

  • Adults, w.m.

 

Order Hemiptera

Cimex lectularis (bedbug)

  • Adults, w.m.

 

 

 

 

178-185

 

 

 

 

 

 

174-177

 

 

169-171

Sept 3

Monday:  Labor Day Holiday – No lab

Thursday: 
Insects:
Order Diptera
Culex spp.

·        Ova

·        Larvae

·        Pupae

·        Adult males

·        Adult females

Glossina spp.

·        Adults

 

 

 

162-165; 166-168; 172-173

 

Sept 10

Monday:

Insects:
Order Diptera
Culex spp.

·        Ova

·        Larvae

·        Pupae

·        Adult males

·        Adult females

Glossina spp.

·        Adults

 

Thursday:  Jewish New Year – no labs

 

 

 

162-165; 166-168; 172-173

 

Sept 17

Arachnids:
Dermacentor andersoni

·        Adult females