This module aims to provide an integrated background in parasitology. The module will familiarize students with the life cycles of parasitic protozoans, helminths, and arthropods of major importance in Africa. At the end of this course, students must be able to explain the biology, and morphological adaptations of parasites, and understand the economic and medical importance of parasites.
This module will cover topics related to Descriptive (measure of central tendency and measure of dispersion) and inferential (confidence interval and Hypothesis Testing) statistical analysis methods with the commonly used types of Epidemiological Research Designs. The main aim of the course is to introduce and able students to apply different methods of statistical data analysis on biological related data and different study designs on health-related research.
Upon completion of the module, students should be able to apply the correct statistical method of data analysis according to the data types, and correctly interpret the results. They should also be able to choose an appropriate study design and methods of data collection for a given research question.
Students of this module will be able to explain how enzymes work and their application to biotechnology, and understand and describe aspects of the physiology and biochemistry of microorganisms. This module focuses on the nutrition, growth and metabolism of microorganisms, and the parameters that modulate these processes. In addition to these aspects, various specific aspects of enzyme engineering will be covered, such as enzyme kinetics and activity, enzyme fixation and immobilization, enzyme production and application. Moreover, the students will take part in a practical course. In small groups (e.g. 3-5 students) practical experience will be gathered by using methods and techniques that are common in microbial physiology and enzyme engineering. This module also provides the opportunity for the development of analytical and team working skills.
This course consists descriptive statistical analysis methods , Application of different probability distributions, Inferential statistical Analysis methods(Confidence Interval, Hypothesis Testing, simple linear regression and correlation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)), Introduction to Research methodology, Research Designs Census and Survey, Designing questionnaire and methods of data collection.
The module aims to provide to the students the fundamental and practical insights to exploit enzymes and microbes for the manufacturing of products which have a huge industrial significance. It uniquely blends the science and engineering with various biochemical processes to obtain products of diverse fields such as chemicals, food, bioenergy, etc. The module introduces bioreactors, its types, operation methods and provides an experimental demonstration of the same. Strategies to obtain higher yields, design of the bioreactors and production of goods for industry, including chemicals, plastics, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and energy carriers. The module majorly focuses on the applications and allows students to gain practical knowledge rather than mere theory. Thus, the graduates will be able to enter industry with an appropriate level of understanding of the need for both the science and business aspects to be achievable to make a viable product.
In this module, students will be introduced to historical background of eco-physiology and the destruction of tropical forests. This module will provide a more understanding on different types of tropical forests, their physiognomy and functional structure. Furthermore, it will provide more understanding of environment factors in tropical forests (temperature, light, water, mineral nutrients). It will mainly focus on eco-physiological responses to temperature, light and to drought.
The aim of the Tropical Ecology module is to provide students with a strong foundational skills in Tropical Ecology. The tropics harbour the richest ecosystems in plants and animals diversity, but also the most diverse genomes, clades of higher taxa (e.g. Willig et al., 2003; Lomolino et al., 2010). Learnig will mainly focus on tropical ecosystems diversity, structure and functionning. Ecosystems of interest include Forests, coral reefs, mangroves and costal zones, montaine ecosystems, wetlands and peatbogs, inselbergs, savannahs and deserts. Ecological processes that explain the biodiversity distribution and adaptation as well as human factors are key to understand the current biodiversity pattern on earth. Students will particularly be able to develop an clear appreciation and understanding of the ecology and conservation of the ecosystems studied.
The module provides opportunities for students to develop the ability to weigh the claims made by scientists against the evidence. This will be a writing-intensive course. Students will have ample opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the topic, and their fluency in expressing themselves through writing, throughout the module.
The goal is to cover the fundamentals of tropical ecology, including key habitat features, biodiversity, ecological processes and biotic interactions; to provide first-hand experience of ecological research in the tropics, through group exercises and short independent projects and to evaluate the anthropogenic impacts on tropical ecosystems and consider the current conservation and forest management practices.
To be more specific the Students will:
- Understand the main patterns of tropical vegetation and how this
drives animal distribution
- Have an insight in the processes that generate and maintain
biodiversity in the tropics
- Understand the role of climate change and climate variability of vegetation and animal population dynamic and associated possible changes in relation with global warming under the tropics
- Understand the role of humans in historical and future changes in
tropical forest ecosystems
- Have an understanding of theoretical ecology in explaining community
composition in tropical forests
This course covers fundamentals of protein structure, conformation and structure-function relationships using myoglobin, hemoglobin, insulin, lactate dehydrogenases, and ribonuclease. The protein studies include also engineering, purification, and analysis techniques. Enzymology studies include enzyme properties, classification, catalysis, kinetics, regulation of enzyme activity and applications.
This module is designed to introduce students to specialized topics in biomedical research, to relate biochemical event at the cellular level to physiological processes occurring in the body to cite examples of disease processes where genetic and biochemical bases have been well established.
Content
Water and life on earth. Water molecule. Molecular structure, Keq, Kw, and pH, Acids & bases, pKa, Relation between pH and pKa, Buffers. Blood buffering, Ampholytes, polyampholytes, pI and Zwitterion, Role of kidney in acid- base balance.
Biological thermodynamics: Definition and The four laws of thermodynamics
- Zeroth law, first law, second law and third law of thermodynamics (Gibbs law), Standard state in biological reactions. G, G°, G°’, High energy compounds
Photosynthesis/ Energy harvest by producers: (Just a reminder), Definition. Photosynthesis apparatus, The electromagnetic spectrum, nature of light, The structure of chloroplast and photosynthetic membrane, Chlorophyll and accessory pigment, Chlorophyll a (structure).Other types of chlorophyll, The thylakoid membrane and photosystems, Chemiosmosis in chloroplasts, Light and dark reactions, C3 and C4 plants, Photosynthesis versus aerobic respiration.
Organs & tissue/ Cell communication: Introduction, Types, stage of cell signaling. Signal receptors, Second messengers. cAMP, Calcium ions, inositol triphoshate, Lipid mediators. Metabolic pathway of arachidonic acid.
Intermediate metabolic pathways: Digestion, from mouth to intestine, Overview of carbohydrate metabolic, Glycolysis (anaerobic degradation of glucose), Reactions in the matochodrion matrix/ Krebs cycle. Respiratory chain reactions, Redox complex and Electron transfer in respiratory chain, Net yield in ATP (complete degradation of one molecule of glucose), Pentose phosphate shunt, Definition and its importance, Reactions involved , Fermentation process, Definition and its importance, Fermentation of glucose
Fatty acid degradation: Definition and its importance, Mobilization of fat stores, Activation and transfer of fatty acid, Reactions sequence in β-oxidation, Alternative oxidation pathway and regulation of fatty acid metabolism
Gluconeogenesis: Definition and its importance, Glycolysis versus gluconeogenesis, Coli cycl e and glucogenic amino acids
Urea cycle: Fate of amino acids degradation / Transamination and oxidative deamination, Urea formation (Citrulline and ornithine involvement),
Mechanism of Diseases:
Urea cycle defects, Atherosclerosis and Heart Diseases, Definition of Atherosclerosis, Overview of blood lipids, Heart attack and Stroke, Obesity and its causes, Cancer and Malignancy, Types of Cancer, Cancer treatment
The module aims at providing to students knowledge about basic quantitative and population genetic concepts, quantitative traits, quantitative traits and normal distribution, methods of selection and crossing for the improvement of animal and crops production, the Hardy-Weinberg Principle, the calculation of allelic frequencies in a given population, and genetic counselling and Eugenics.
Welcome to this course of Parasitology
The aim of this module is to provide the student a general background in parasitology, the study of organisms (parasites) that live on or in other organisms (the host). The module will familiarize students with the life cycles of protozoans and parasitic helminths of major importance in Africa; it will also include their physiology and morphological adaptations, and will help understand their economic and medical importance.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the module, students will be able to;
1.Understand fundamental concepts and principles of parasitism, classification, ecology, morphology, lifecycle, transmission, diagnosis, prophylaxis, treatment of parasites.
2. Identify the people who are infected and types of infesting parasites based on observed symptoms
3. Prepare a protocol of parasitological study and isolate some types of parasites in
infected blood or faecal samples in laboratory
4. Apply knowledge of parasitology on one’s life and learn more with the experience of parasites known in the surrounding
The module aims at providing to students knowledge about basic quantitative and population genetic concepts, quantitative traits, quantitative traits and normal distribution, methods of selection and crossing for the improvement of animal and crops production, the Hardy-Weinberg Principle, the calculation of allelic frequencies in a given population, and genetic counselling and Eugenics.
This module will provide students with an understanding of basic plant morphology and its importance for the functioning of plants. Students will relate the internal structure of plants to their external morphology and the functions of the different plant organs. Students will also obtain an understanding of the development of plant structure, major morphological and eco-physiological adaptive innovations, and important plant groups over evolutionary time scales.
Having successfully completed this module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
1. Describe the vegetative and reproductive morphology of plants
2. Describe the functions of various plant organs and their modification for adaptation
3. Prepare and collect specimens for herbarium by using morphological characters
4. Identify the main plant organs used in identification, classification and description of plants
5. Demonstrate how modifications of existing plant structures can lead to better environmental adaptations
6. Predict the life history strategies of plants based on their morphology
7. Evaluate the limitations and advantages of certain plant traits for survival in specific environments
8. Assess how environmental change can provide advantages as well as disadvantages for certain plant groups due to their morphology
9. understand the protocols for managing and maintaining herbaria and other methods of conserving plant collections
10. use the software Microsoft Excel to manage and maintain herbaria collections and other types of plant collections