Minimum curriculum requirements for Magister Programmes
in BIOLOGY

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Magister programmes in Biology last 5 years (10 semesters). The total course load should be ca. 3600 hours, including 1365 hours covered by the minimum curriculum requirements. The minimum curriculum requirements comprise only general, basic and major courses which are common to all specialist options within biology programmes.

2. PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE

The graduate should:

• be competent in basic biological disciplines, drawing on a broad basis of the sciences;
• have a good knowledge within his/her specialist option area as required for scientific work;
• possess skills required for teaching in primary and secondary school (following a relevant teacher training course undertaken either during or after his/her magister studies).

3. COURSE GROUPS AND COURSE LOAD

GENERAL COURSES	240 hours
BASIC AND MAJOR COURSES	1125 hours
Total:	1365 hours

4. COURSES BY GROUP AND COURSE LOAD

GENERAL COURSES	240 hours
Humanities (Ethics, Philosophy, other courses to be chosen by the student)	60
Foreign Language	120
Physical Education	60
BASIC AND MAJOR COURSES	1125
Mathematics and Statistics	60
Physics with elements of biophysics	45
Basic Computer Applications	30
Chemistry (inorganic, organic and physical)	180
Biochemistry	90
Cell Biology	90
Botany	90
Zoology	90
Human Anatomy	15
Microbiology	60
Ecology	45
Plant Physiology	90
Animal Physiology	90
Genetics	60
Immunology	30
Evolutionism	30
Environmental protection	30

5. CURRICULUM CONTENTS FOR BASIC AND MAJOR COURSES

MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

60

Basic principles of mathematical analysis. Elementary statistics. Probability calculus. Basic distributions occurring in nature. Testing hypotheses, variance analysis, trend analysis and correlation.

PHYSICS WITH ELEMENTS OF BIOPHYSICS

45

Basic interactions in nature. Structure of matter. Wave-particle duality. Electromagnetic radiation, spectroscopy and spectrophotometric research methods. Fluorescence and fluorometry. Elements of optics. Optical and electron microscopy. Hydrodynamics, viscosity. Heat exchange, direct and indirect calorimetry. Basic concepts and principles of thermodynamics (these topics may alternatively be included in the curriculum for Physical Chemistry). Elements of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Thermodynamic coupling, including examples of their occurrence in living organisms. Electricity. Methods of measurement of electric values, with application to living organisms. Ionizing radiation and its interactions with matter.

BASIC COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

30

Basic information about DOS and Windows systems. Using a word processor (currently e.g. Word 6.0). Basic functions of spreadsheets (currently e.g. Excel 5.0) INTERNET, information retrieval in the Internet. Using e-mail.

Note: Students who demonstrate the skills listed above may be exempted from taking this course.

CHEMISTRY

180

Inorganic chemistry. Structure of electronic shells in atoms. Chemical bonds: covalent, ionic and hydrogen. Ionization potential, electronegativity, electron affinity. Chemical elements of the main groups and their basic compounds. General characteristics of transition elements with particular regard to biologically active elements. Qualitative analysis: characteristic reactions of selected cations and anions. Selected methods of qualitative analysis: acid-base titration, redoximetry, complexometry, spectrophotometry.

Physical chemistry: chemical thermodynamics: 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics (may alternatively be included in the curriculum for Physics), thermodynamic functions and their role; entropy, enthalpy, free enthalpy, chemical potential. Thermodynamic description of diffusion, osmosis and phase transformations. Electrolytic dissociation, theories of acid, ionic product of water, pH, solubility product, buffer solutions, electrokinetic phenomena, electrophoresis, isoionic point, isoelectric point. Oxidation-reduction reactions and their role in biological processes. Catalysis: mechanisms of catalysis, including elements of enzymatic catalysis.

Organic chemistry. Composition, classification, nomenclature and reactivity of organic compounds belonging to the main groups. Homologous series. Functional groups. Structure of organic compounds, isometry and stereoisometry. Concept of configuration and conformation. Reaction mechanisms: electrophilic and nucleophilic substitution, addition and elimination. Aliphatic compounds; single and multiple bonds, dienes, polyenes. Natural and synthetic polymers. Aromatic compounds. Heterocyclic compounds. Lipids – fats, waxes, soaps. Carbohydrates: composition, classification and nomenclature. Amino acids, peptides and polypeptides. Purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides, polynucleotides. Alkaloids. Biologically active amines.

Note: The contents of the Chemistry course may be taught as part of three courses (Inorganic chemistry, Physical chemistry and Organic Chemistry) or two courses (General chemistry and Organic Chemistry).

BIOCHEMISTRY

90

Proteins: structure, function and biosynthesis. Properties of amino acids, modifications of proteins. Mechanisms of conformational changes in proteins, allosteric changes. Relationship between the structure and functions of proteins. Methods of analysing proteins. Methods of localizing proteins in the cell. Enzymes and coenzymes, their links with vitamins. Mechanisms of enzyme activity. Fundamentals of kinetics and enzymatic reactions. Regulation and control of enzymatic reactions and enzymatic activity. RNA as non-protein enzymes. Structure and properties of various forms of RNA and DNA; their role in the functioning of the cell. Organisation of DNA from the nucleosome to the metaphase chromosome. Control of gene expression. Analysis, structure and cloning of DNA. Basic techniques of molecular biology. Structure and function of fats. Fatty acid metabolism. Structure and properties of biological membranes. Generation and storage of energy. Metabolism integration. Main stages in the regulation of basic metabolic pathways (glycolysis, Krebs cycle, pentose–phosphate cycle /WDH/, urea cycle). Hormonal regulation of metabolism.

CELL BIOLOGY

90

Methods used in cell biology. Structure and regulation of nucleic functions. Cytoskeleton. Cell membranes: structure, intracellular compartments, transport. Cytoplasmic organelles (endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, peroxisomes and glyoxisomes, centrioles, flagella and cilia): biological origin and function. Endo- and exocytosis. Cell surfaces and intercellular contacts. External cell walls. Membrane and cytoplasmic receptors. Mitochondria and plastids: scope of their genetic autonomy. Cell cycle. Mitosis. Meiosis. Ageing and death of the cell; apoptosis.

BOTANY

90

Specificity of the structure of the plant cell. Plant tissue diversification in evolution. Forms of plant body organization and their evolution: formation of organisms and tissues, morphological and anatomical structure of plant organs, polar diversification, growth localisation, modification and adaptation of organs. Plant development cycles. Evolution of generation transformations. Plant reproduction: vegetative, asexual and sexual and their biological role. Outline of plant evolution. Elements of paleobotany. Principles of plant systematics and a more detailed description of selected plant groups.

ZOOLOGY

90

Zoology as a part of biology: historical overview, areas. Principles of animal systematics and taxonomy. Methods of animal reproduction. Unicellular organisms, overview of types in the phylogenetic approach, life environments, origin, evolution. Multicellular organisms: ontogeny, functional morphology (tissues, organs, systems), body forms, symmetries, levels of two- and three-layer organisation, elements of embryology. Invertebrates: overview of types in the phylogenetic approach, origin and evolution, role in nature. Theories of chordates’ origin and main directions of evolution. Vertebrates: origin and main directions of evolution. Vertebrate phyla in the phylogenetic approach.

HUMAN ANATOMY

15

General characteristics of systems and organs of the human body. Human motor system, morphology and skeleton structure, topography of the muscle system. Anatomic structure of the respiratory, alimentary and urogenital systems.

MICROBIOLOGY

60

Place of microorganisms in the environment. Morphology and biochemical activity of microorganisms. Mutual interactions between microflora and other organisms. Effects of microorganisms’ activity in the circulation of biogenic elements. Primary environments of microorganisms – soil and water, and water as a secondary environment. Ecological consequences of environmental pollution caused by products of human activity. Use of microbiological processes for environment purification. Use of microorganisms in industrial production processes. Benefits and threats resulting from the use of modern biotechnology. Pathogenic microorganisms in the human environment. Infection, infectious diseases and prophylaxis.

ECOLOGY

45

Ecology as a natural science. Links with other sciences. Current trends in the development of ecology. Levels of organization of ecological systems. Organisms and the environment. Bioenergetics of organisms. Tolerance. Adaptation. Ecological niche. Populations, reproduction, mortality, migrations. Structure of population (age-based, sex-based, geographical, social). Life strategies. Types of interactions between various species. Relationships based on competition and exploitation. Biocenoses and ecosystems. Trophic structure. Biogeochemical cycles. Productivity. Ecological succession.

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

90

Tasks of plant physiology and basic research methods. Water balance of the cell and the plant. Uptake and transport of water and mineral salts. Mineral nutrition. Essential elements and their role. Photosynthesis. C-3 and C-4 plants, acidic plants (CAM). Photorespiration. Respiration. Glycolysis. Krebs cycle. Alternative respiratory pathways. Nitrogen metabolism of plants. Biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Plant nitrogen nutrition. Growth: regulation by light and phytohormones. Plant development. Plant developmental cycle. Seed germination. Vegetative growth. Phytochrome and photomorphogenesis. Control of blooming. Photoperiodism. Vernalization. Plant movement. Autonomous and stimulated movement. Plant reactions to stress-generating factors.

ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY

90

Functional integration of the animal organism. Evolutionary development of the hierarchic system of organism regulation. Basic principles and differences in the functioning of the nervous system and hormonal system. Central nervous system. Structure and function of the cerebral cortex. Unconditioned and conditioned reflexes. Nervous and hormonal mechanism of stress. Receptors (senses). Receptors: principles of functioning. Mechanisms transforming information in the receptors into a nerve signal. Effectors (muscles). Skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles. Comparison of the dependence between the action potential and the contraction in particular types of muscles. Nutrition. Carbohydrate, lipid and protein digestion. Nervous and hormonal regulation of digestion and absorption. Functions of liver and pancreas. Respiration as an exchange of gases in gills, lungs and tracheae. Body fluids. Circulation. Role of blood in the organism. Principles of hemodynamics. Nervous and hormonal regulation of circulation. Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport. Excretion. Water and mineral balance, regulatory functions of kidneys, homeostasis of the mineral composition of the body fluids. Thermogenesis and thermoregulation; warm-bloodedness and cold-bloodedness, regulatory centres.

GENETICS

60

Basic concepts of genetics, Mendelian segregation. Genes and traits, inheritance of quantitative characteristics. Localisation of genes in chromosomes, inheritance of sex-linked characteristics. Recombination in bacteria: the concept of the cistron. Transcription, translation, genetic code. Structure of the genome in eukaryotic organisms. Mutagenesis. Molecular mechanisms of mutations. Transposons and transposition mechanisms. Mutagenic factors. Reparation and recombination of DNA. Regulation of gene functions in bacteria and viruses. Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic organisms. Genetic basis of cell and tissue differentiation. Genetic basis of the development of multicellular organisms. Extranucleic inheritance. Genetic and cellular engineering. Fundamentals of population genetics. Human genetic diseases and possibilities of treatment. Causes of cancer.

IMMUNOLOGY

30

Non-specific immunity: non-specific mechanisms of humoral immunity (complement, lysozyme), non-specific mechanisms of cellular immunity (macro- and microphages). Specific immunity: structure of antibodies, anti-body generation mechanisms. Memory as a property of the immunological system.

EVOLUTIONISM

30

Origin of the theory of evolution. Hereditary and non-hereditary variations. Non-continuous and continuous variations. Hereditability. Recombination. Couplings. Supergenes. Factors distorting meiotic segregation. Basis of population genetics: Mendelian population, Hardy and Weinberg’s law. Genetic drift. Mutational pressure. Natural selection. Genetic polymorphism. Theory of neutrality and theory of selection. Role of sexual reproduction in evolution. Mating systems. Concept of a species. Reproductive isolation mechanisms. Types of speciation. Evolution above the species level. Limitations of evolution. Adaptive radiation. Selected rules of evolution: rate, irreversibility, extinction. Aromorphosis and idioadaptation. Evolution at the molecular level. Protein and nucleic acid homology. Molecular clock. Formation and evolution of genes in phylogenesis.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

30

Natural environment: basic elements and interactions in ecosystems. Man and the environment: effects of human activity. Environmental degeneration (global, regional, local). Contamination of soil, surface waters and underground waters and the atmosphere. State of environment in Poland: overview. Poland’s sustainable development strategy and ecological policy. Ecological ethics and ecological philosophy.

General note: The major courses listed above may be divided into parts and offered as separate or integrated. Some curriculum contents may be shifted between related courses.

6. RECOMMENDATION:

The study programme should include laboratory and field practical placements as appropriate for a given specialist option.