INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Bruce P. Smith
| Center for Natural Sciences Office 166 Lab 171 (607) 274-3971 smithb@ithaca.edu Office Hours: Tues. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, or by
appointment |
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Limnoporus dissortis water strider parasitized by Neolimnochares new species water mites. |
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Text:
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Bush, A.O., Fernández, J.C., Esch, G.W., and Seed, J.R. 2001. [T] Parasitism: the diversity and ecology of animal parasites. 1st Edition. Cambridge Univ. Press. |
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Recommended CD:
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Sullivan, J.T. 2006. A Color Atlas of Parasitology. 7th
Edition. (Includes CD version 3.0). |
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Required reading:
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Desowitz, R.S. 1987 (paperback edit.). [D] New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers - Tales of Parasites and People. |
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readings & assignments |
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The field of Parasitology cuts across the widely accepted classification of Biology into cellular and molecular, within organism, and among organisms. This course covers the general biological principles of host/parasite interactions from the cellular level (e.g. immunology) through to the ecological (i.e. population and community) level. While intended as a general survey of parasitism through the animal kingdom, special attention will be given to parasites important in human and veterinary medicine. Classical aspects of Parasitology will be covered during this course, namely systematics, morphology, and life-cycles, but non-traditional topics would include coevolution of hosts and their parasites, the use of parasites and parasitoids as biological control agents of pest species, and the influence of parasites on hosts in regards to population biology and community structure.