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Cell structure and organisation; functions of cellular organelles; diversity,
characteristics and classification of living things, general
reproduction, interrelationship of organisms, heredity and evolution;
elements of ecology and types of habitat. Scope of biology,
differences between plants and animals. Variation and life cycles
of plants to include non-vascular plants like algae, fungi, bacteria,
viruses, bryophytes and petridophytes. Varieties and forms life
cycles and functions of flowering plants.
A generalized survey of the Animal kingdom based mainly on study of similarities and differences in external features; ecological adaptation of these forms. Structural, functional and evolutionary study of Protozoans, Coelentrates, Platyhelminthes, Nematodes, Annelids,
Athropods, Echinoderms and Molluscs. Evolutionary sequence in the form and functions of Protochordates and various classes of vertebrates. Introduction to ecology to include simple ecological facts in terrestrial and aquatic habitat and the relationships between an organism and its environment.
(Pre-requisite to BIO 401)
Hereditable and non-hereditable characteristics. Probability and tests of population genetics. Aspects of human genetics, pedigree analysis. Gene interaction. Further consideration of various deviations from basic principles.
(Pre-requisite to BIO 304)
Concepts and definitions of ecosystems. Biotic interactions, energy flow and nutrient Cycling, trophic structure and productivity.
(Pre-requisite to BIO 206 and BIO 306)
Physical and chemical processes in animal and plant physiology including homoestasis, movement of materials across cell membranes,
physiological principles of nutrition, food components such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins etc. Enzyme systems, nervous and hormonal communications.
Microscopy, preparation of microscope slides, photometry, colorimetry, chromatography, Condoctometry, experimental design, electrophoretic techniques, centrifugation. Techniques in detecting contaminants in stored commodities.
History and present trends in cell biology, cell organelles, such as Mitochondrion, chloroplast, ribosome, Golgi complex, lysosome etc.
Nucleic acids, Cell division, Cell reproduction, Cell differentiation and growth. Molecular basis of cell structure and development.
Carbohydrate, protein and lipid, metabolism. Photosynthesis, transport, food storage, growth, dormancy, germination and senescence, movement and flowering. Plant-water relations, growth and growth regulation. Physiological aspects of crop yield..
Detailed structure and function of muscles, plants tissue types, animal tissue types, organs and organ system. Techniques in histology and histochemistry.
Detailed systematic morphology, life cycle and economic importance of protozoans, cnidarians, ctenophorans, platyhelminthes, nematodes, and molluscs. Principal characteristics of nematodes, morphology, position and outlines of classification of nematodes.
Morphology and biology of important plant parasitic nematodes and their economic importance, Nematological techniques. General principles and methods of controlling nematodes.
Morphology and reproduction of examples of algae in their phylae.g. chlorophyta, Cyanophyta Euglenophyta, Chrysophyta, Phaeophyta etc. Economic importance of algae. Morphology and
reproduction of Thallophytes, Bryophytes and Pteridophytes. Alternation of generations. Fossils and their formation patterns.
Sampling techniques in local habitats. Assessment by report.
Light, phase-contrast, dark-field and electron microscopy, autoradiography, fluorescence,cell cycle, introductory cytogenetics.
The ecosystem approach to the study of ecology. Dynamics of populations and communities in ecosystem. Man and the environment, ecological consequences of urbanization and industrialization conservation of natural resources, pollution, the future of man and the environment.
Biogenesis of microtubules, microfilaments, golgi and mitochondria. Membrane-membrane Interactions. Introduction to bioenergetics and thermo-dynamics.
A general and comparative study of nutrition, osmoregulation, excretion,m transport, and homoeostasis in animal, nervous and hormonal control or coordination.
Current concepts in evolution. Geological periods and epochs. Genetic variation and separation. Evolution of selected organisms.
Evolution and systematic of insects. Insect structure and functionwith particular emphasis on the insects integument, antennae, mouthparts and legs including functional modifications of these
parts. Life history, moulting. Methods of locomotion in insects. Feeding, digestive, excretory, and reproductive system in insects. mInsects of economic importance. The success of insects. Insect
pests and control methods. Insect collection methods, identification and preservation techniques.
Types of micro organism – viruses, bacteria, slime moulds, yeasts, algae, moulds etc. Microbial growth – synchronous and normal. Factors affecting growth.
Control of microbial growth – heat, chemical, filtration, bio control. Methods of measuring growth. Artificial culture of microbes. Micro organisms of Stored Products.
Animal associations, the nature of parasitism, the host-parasite relation, concept and the evolution of the parasite mode of life. Advantages and disadvantages of parasitism. Host specificity and susceptibility Epidemiology and control of common tropical parasitic infections. Transmission of parasites from host to host and the role of vectors in the transmission of parasitic diseases.
General characteristics similarities and differences between the Gymnosperms and the Angiosperms. The various groups and orders [living and extinct] of gymnosperms. Studies of examples in each group of the living forms [morphology and reproduction inclusive].
General features of the angiosperms, root types, stem types and functions. Morphology of leaves, flower parts and functions. Fruit formation. Taxonomy of some related plants.
Methods of detecting the presence of microbes in foods. Intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of foods that affect microbial growth. Effects of microbial growth on foods – fermentation, spoilage, deteriorationmand food borne diseases. Microorganisms of industrial importance.
Culture techniques and maintenance of selected cultures. Control of Stored Products microorganisms.
Composition of hides and skins. Curing systems such as drying, salt curing and brine curing. Use of short-term preservation as a major means of commercial handling. Wood chemical composition
and cell-wall ultra-structure. Air and Kiln seasoning of wood. Dry schedules, defects and methods of prevention. Unconventional methods of preserving wood structures by design. Vacuum pressure and their methods of wood treatment with preservatives.
Composition of hides and skins. Curing systems such as drying, salt curing and brine curing. Use of short-term preservation as a major means of commercial handling. Wood chemical composition
and cell-wall ultra-structure. Air and Kiln seasoning of wood. Dry schedules, defects and methods of prevention. Unconventional methods of preserving wood structures by design. Vacuum pressure
and their methods of wood treatment with preservatives.
History and philosophy of science with special reference to biological concepts.
Organisation and biology of the metazoan groups.
Systematic study of living vertebrates.
General account of important features, lifecycles, pathology and diagnostic techniques of parasitic protozoa causing diseases such mas ameobiasis, trypanosomiasis, trichomoniasis, taeniasis, fascioliasis, dicrocoeliasis etc. Nematodes causing diseases e.g. intestinal types – hookworm diseases, ascariasis, elephantiasis, guinea worm. Diseases etc. with special emphasis on vectors where applicable.
An introductory consideration of mathematics models for the analysis of gene frequencies and genetics variation in populations.
Industrial attachment in Industrial establishments, Storage Firms/ Corporations, Food Industries.
Aspects of cell and nuclear divisions. Morphology and behaviour of chromosomes. Chromosomal aberrations and polyploidy.
Power of storage machinery. Different types of conveyors and their mechanisms. Grain processing and grinding equipment. Grain cleaning and grading equipment. General principles of crop and
grain drying, storage and handling structures. Measuring instruments for crop drying processes. A guide to the mayor items of equipment used for the application of Pesticides. Field tests for equipment. Choice of equipment. Grain drier installation.
Invertebrates pests of stored fish, wild life products, meat, tuber root crops, vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, leather and timber, their detailed life cycles, identification of various stages, Behavioural patterns and structural adaptations enabling them to act as efficient pests. The effect of environmental conditions on the abundance of invertebrate pests. Vertebrate pests of stored products and the damage they cause. Micro organisms as pests factors which influence or inhibit their continued spread. The effect of stored structuren on the biology of pests.
Traditional and modern techniques used for the storage of diverse agricultural products with particular emphasis on dry and wet foods/foodstuffs. Principle and methods of preservation of fish, mwildlife products, leather and timber products. Quality of products of storage e.g. degree of ripening, physical, biological and chemical characteristics of major stored products. Pre and Post harvest storage techniques under different ecological and climatic conditions.
The microbiology of food preservation – heat processing, irradiation, low temperature storage, chemical preservatives, modification of atmosphere, control of water activity and compartmentalization.
Insect contaminants as spoilage organisms. Characteristics of packaging materials, migration of substances from packages into foods and their health implications. Packaging requirements for raw and processed foods for local and foreign markets.
Principles of store management, record keeping and store hygiene. Plant and equipment sanitation. Measures aimed at maintaining the quality of stored produce such as stacking techniques, controlled
ventilation, produce – tracking system, cost-effective loading system, sampling and inspection of commodities.
Basic principles of photography, camera operations, micrography, film development and printing, Research methodology and data interpretation.
Field trips including visits to warehouse, stores, feed mills, bakeries, canning factories, leather and wood processing factories as well as cooperative societies involved in controlling stored product pests.
Practicals on stored product protection and preservation including spraying, dusting, and fumigation and fogging. Formulation and application of insecticides and fungicides for controlling stored products pests and diseases. Practical survey, design and construction of storage facilities for tubers and not products, grains, fruits and vegetables.
A short research project involving an investigation on a selectedbiological problem. The project is to be written up in the form of a scientific report or paper.
Selected aspects of insect physiology. Responses and behavioural patterns of insects; simple experiments to illustrate these patters. Sense organs and sensory reception in insects. Insect hormones and the role they play in pests control and moulting processes etc. Insects of agricultural importance including ants, grasshoppers etc. Insects of medical importance. Life cycles, behaviour patterns and the role they play in the ecology of West Africa. Aquatic insects.
Estimation of insects’ populations of different habitats. Biology and economic importance of termites in West Africa. Types of insecticides and problems associated with their use.
Quality control tests in stored foods including proximate analysis, floatation techniques, objectives and subjective tests. Organoleptic properties of foods. Food enzymes, their classification, use, action
and factors affecting enzymes action. Chemistry of stored product pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides and residue analysis. Statistical methods of quality assurance.
Vectors and Pests of economic importance – problems they pose on crops in field and storage pest management concept the various control measures and their limitations.
Equipments used in vectors and pest control. The practical methods used in various research/storage institutions and agricultural development schemes for pest control. Practical demonstration of control of some invertebrate and vertebrate pests of economic importance on farmlands. Field Course.
Parasite nutrition – nature of interface between associating organisms. Cross- and cytopathology of parasites. Vertebrate defensive responses to parasites to include principles of serology and immunology in specific genera of parasites of economic importance. Counter measures to vertebrate defences. Immunization method against major parasitic diseases.
The objective is to give students some experience in preparing, reading and presenting original research papers and to be familiar with current researches in Biology. A talk on experience during industrial attachment to be presented in writing form. Also all students shall give seminars on selected topics and projects.
Physical and chemical nature of soil organisms. Cycling of minerals and nutrient pools. Nutritional adaptations by soil animals. Extraction procedures of soil organisms.
Importance and method of attack of cellulose products, wood and leather by fungi in store. The biology of organisms associated with decay. Conditions for decay. Types of degradation. Prevention of decay. Damage to plastics, paints, etc.
Methods of classification viz: Archetypical and hierarchical methods. History of nomenclature, Zoological/Botanical nomenclature.
Molecular and genetics of development. A detailed study of the, cellular and multicellular bases of development.
Types of aquatic habitat, ecological adaptation to aquatic life.
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