Vertebrate Anatomy and Histology

The course builds on a basic knowledge about human anatomy and physiology and aims at broadening this knowledge to include all vertebrate classes. The histological aspect is general in nature (basic tissue types) and will be focusing on mammals (observing different organ systems and their histological caracteristcs). The anatomy of the vertebrate organ systems are being described and the comparative aspect is discussed in phylogenetical and physiological terms. The selected text will give the student the basic introduction in vertebrate anatomy and histology needed to understand the functional organization of organ systems.

Based on this course the student should be able to recognize comparative anatomy and histology as areas of research and to describe the vertebrate phylogeny (evolutionary change). In anatomical and histological terms beeing able to describe vertebrate organ systems and their functional organization (integument, sirculation, respiration, skeletal, digestion, endocrine, urogenital, nervous, sensory, muscular). The students are encouraged to reflect on functional organization of vertebrate organ systems by the descriptive tools of anatomy and histology and the evolutionary model of vertebrate phylogeny.

The course is based on lectures and a laboratory course. Each lecture contains practicals including studying preparations of fresh tissue and light microscopy. Specially made videos are available online. The laboratory course is divided in anatomy- and histology labs. The students will be practizing light microscopy, dissection of selected vertebrate classes and studying various preparations and models of anatomy.

Compulsory assignments
The laboratory course is compulsory and the report must be approved before the final exam.