Introduction to the course and description of frontal and laboratory teaching activities.
Origin and history of life. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, origin of
pluricellularity: the metazoans. Evolutionary theories, systematic linnean and modern systematic. The contribution of molecular biology to animal systematics. There
species, the origin of new species, adaptation. Morphological characteristics and
phylogeny of the main metazoan phyla: Protozoa, Porifera, Cnidarians, Ctenophores,
Platyhelmintes , the Pseudocelomates (Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Rotifera and Acantocephala). The protostomes: Molluscs, Anellids and Arthropods. Deuterostomes: Echinoderms and
Chordates.