CORE 021: Introduction to Zoology
Syllabus

The topic list for this project is: animal cells, animal tissues, anatomy, physiology, animal genetics, animal development and growth, behavior, invertebrates, and vertebrates.

Prerequisite: CORE 012 or the equivalent.

Instructor: George E. Hrabovsky, george@madscitech.org, 608-276-6832.

Task #1: Start and keep a notebook for your study. This should be bound and have at least 300 sheets. You may need more than one notebook of this size. Smaller notebooks than 300-sheets can be used, but the total number of sheets should be at least 300. Each set of 300 pages started and completed is worth a point towards your final total of 4. To begin your notebook you will need a list of topics. The one listed below is only one possible choice. This choice is the default. Any choice other than this one must be approved by your instructor.

Procedure for the Course

If a topic from the list below is underscored that means there is some resource material for it. If there is no resource material for it then you must develop that for yourself.

It is expected that you will develop one or more questions for each topic. Questions can be of the form who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Once you have written down a set of questions for a topic, you either answer each of these qurestions or you explain how you attempted to answer the question and failed. Don't be alarmed; even some elementary questions resist answering. You can learn a lot just by making the effort.

The next step is to ask a set of new questions based on your previous attempts at answering your first set of questions (this can include those questions you were unable to answer before). Answer each of those questions as best you can and create another set of questions for each answer. Answer each of those to the best of your ability and ask another set of questios for each, but do not answer them right away. If you are really interested in one or more of these questions attempt to answer them in a, "topic of personal interest," session; or you may answer them in a personal research project.

Wherever possible give at least three examples of any definition, principle, or procedure.

This course will require a little more than one and a quarter pages of notes for each topic to fill a 300 page notebook.

  1. The nature of zoology
  2. Field zoology
  3. Experimental zoology
  4. Theoretical zoology
  5. Computational zoology
  6. Biological molecules of importance
  7. Animal cells
  8. Animal tissues
  9. Animal cells in Mathematica
  10. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to the chemical origin of life, cell organization, cell metabolism)
  11. Topic of Personal Interest.
  12. Topic of Personal Interest.
  13. Review of topics to date
  14. Animal architecture
  15. Skeletal system
  16. Muscular system
  17. Circulatory system
  18. Respiratory system
  19. Immune system
  20. Digestive system
  21. Nervous system
  22. Endocrine system
  23. Reproductive system
  24. Animal anatomy in Mathematica
  25. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to complexity, body organization, sensory organs, reproductive cells)
  26. Topic of Personal Interest.
  27. Topic of Personal Interest.
  28. Review of topics 14-27
  29. Review of topics to date
  30. Animal movement
  31. Biological fluid dynamics
  32. Circulation
  33. Respiration
  34. Homeostasis
  35. Nutrition
  36. Hormones
  37. Reproduction
  38. Immune response
  39. Animal physiology in Mathematica
  40. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to muscle action, osmotic regulation, excretion, digestion)
  41. Topic of Personal Interest.
  42. Topic of Personal Interest.
  43. Review of topics 30-42
  44. Review of topics to date
  45. Genetic basis for evolution
  46. Evolution of diversity
  47. Animal genetics in Mathematica
  48. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to mendelian genetics, genes, cancer, natural selection, microevolution)
  49. Topic of Personal Interest.
  50. Topic of Personal Interest.
  51. Review of topics 45-50
  52. Review of topics to date
  53. Animal development
  54. Cell differentiation
  55. Cell interactions in animal development
  56. Animal growth
  57. Cancer
  58. Animal development and growth in Mathematica
  59. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, pattern formation, sex determination)
  60. Topic of Personal Interest.
  61. Topic of Personal Interest.
  62. Review of topics 53-61
  63. Review of topics to date
  64. Animal behavior
  65. Animal behavior in Mathematica
  66. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to ethology, social behavior, instinct, learning, animal communication)
  67. Topic of Personal Interest.
  68. Topic of Personal Interest.
  69. Review of topics 64-68
  70. Review of topics to date
  71. Animal classification
  72. Phylogeny
  73. Protozoa
  74. Sponges
  75. Radiate animals
  76. Acoelomate animals
  77. Pseudocoelomate animals
  78. Molluscs
  79. Segmented worms
  80. Arthropods
  81. Lesser protostomes and lophophorates
  82. Echinoderms and lesser deuterostomes
  83. Invertebrates in Mathematica
  84. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to sarcomastigophora, apilocomplexa, ciliophora, cnidaria, ctenophora, platyhelminthes, nemertea, gnashostomulida, rotifera, gastrotricha, kinorhyncha, loricifera, nematoda, nematomorpha, acanthocephala, entoprocta)
  85. Topic of Personal Interest.
  86. Topic of Personal Interest.
  87. Review of topics 71-86
  88. Review of topics to date
  89. Chardates
  90. Fish
  91. Amphibians
  92. Reptiles
  93. Birds
  94. Mammals
  95. Vertebrates in Mathematica
  96. Topic of Personal Interest (including, but not limited to evolution of vertebrates, adaptation, populations)
  97. Topic of Personal Interest.
  98. Topic of Personal Interest.
  99. Review of topics 89-98
  100. Review of topics to date

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