Description

The course gives an introduction to the biology of parasitism, and the interactions between parasites and their hosts. Focus is on fundamental concepts in parasitology, for example the definition of parasitism as a life form, adaptations to parasitism, host exploitation strategies, and fitness effects of parasitism on host individuals and populations. Those concepts will be supported by “hands-on” experimental work on host-parasite models in the laboratory in combination with research-based lectures. In addition, examples of the distribution and importance of parasites in wildlife populations will be provided, and the potential commercial applications of using parasite models will be explored and discussed.

 

The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad introduction to animal parasites and how they interact with their hosts. Students will gain practical experience working with experimental host-parasite models in the laboratory.

 

Knowledge

• Define parasitism and describe adaptations to a parasitic lifestyle.
• Describe the general biology of major groups of animal parasites.
• Understand fundamental concepts related to the transmission and host exploitation strategies of parasites.
• Understand the consequences of parasitism to animal populations.
• Evaluate the potential use of parasite models in industrial applications.

 

Skills

Students will obtain basic skills in working with experimental host-parasite models. They will learn to quantify and identify parasites from different systematic groups by use of dissection and molecular tools. Students will gain practical experience in obtaining their own data set, hypothesis testing, and data presentation and interpretation. 

 

Competences

Students will obtain knowledge on important concepts of parasitism and how to apply those to: 1) explain the distribution of parasites and the following implications for host populations, 2) understand the transmission of parasites under natural conditions, and 3) examine novel ways to implement host-parasite models in industrial research.

Recommended qualifications

Fundamental qualifications within the area of zoology is recommended.



Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.