BTBio-122 Biodiversity Course

• BTBio-122 (Biodiversity) is a course offered in the Spring Semester of 2025.
• Lectures are scheduled for Sundays from 8-11 a.m., with labs on Saturdays from 2-4 p.m.
• The course is part of the Biotechnology Department.
• The course is led by Prof. Ahmad K. Hegazy, a professor of Environmental Sciences & Environmental Biotechnology at Cairo University.

Ahmad K. Hegazy's Academic Background & Positions

• Holds a Bachelor's and Master's of Science from Cairo University.
• Earned a Master's and Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Alberta, Canada.
• Formerly a lecturer in Environmental Science at the University of Alberta, Canada.
• A fellow of the International Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• Professor of Applied Environmental Science and Environmental Biotechnology at Cairo University's Faculty of Science.
• Visiting professor at foreign universities in Canada, England, and China.

Committee and Advisory Roles

• Head of the National Committee for Nature Conservation and Natural Resources at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.
• Member of the National Committee for Man and the Biosphere at UNESCO.
• Secretary of the Scientific Committee for the Promotion of Professors and Assistant Professors in Egyptian Universities.
• Member of the Higher Technical Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment.
• Member of the Investment Committee in Natural Protectorates in the Ministry of Environment.
• Former Deputy Chairman of the Environmental Research Council at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.
• Former Member of the Environmental Committee in the Supreme Council of Universities.
• Biodiversity consultant, international arbitrator, and member of the jury for the Food Organization, Italy.
• Consultant and expert in environmental policies, strategies, and sciences for international organizations.
• Former Undersecretary of the Syndicate of Scientific Professions.
• Former Head of the Central Administration for Environmental Impact Assessment at the Ministry of Environment.

Awards

• Award for the Development of Innovation and Invention in the Field of Environmental Protection.
• State Incentive Award in Biological Sciences.
• Cairo University Award for Excellence.
• Silver Medal of Excellence from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
• Award for Excellence in Scientific Editing from Springer Publishing House.

Disclaimer Regarding Course Material

• The lecture and laboratory teaching material of BTBio 122-Biodiversity is not for use in any other course or for any other purpose
• Use must be approved by Prof. Ahmad K. Hegazy of the Botany & Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University

What is Biodiversity?

• Biological diversity (BD) is a renewable resource referring to the variety and variability among living organisms (quantity & quality) and the ecological complexes.
• It encompasses native environments (land, sea), agricultural, and man-made surroundings.
• BD is defined as the number of different characters organized at many levels, from molecular & chemical structures to the ecosystem level.
• It encompasses ecosystems, habitats, landscapes, species, genes, and their relative abundance in a particular region.
• Different forms of life and life-sustaining processes support the survival of living organisms on Earth.

Four Types of Biodiversity

• Genetic diversity (gene diversity): Deals with different levels of genetic integration, including molecular and population genetics.
• Species diversity (Taxonomic or organismal): Deals with taxonomic scales of organization.
• Ecosystem diversity (ecological or habitat): Deals with different landscapes and habitat types.
• Functional diversity (gene-controlled functions): Deals with different levels of genetic integration, including biochemical and structural attributes.

Biodiversity Variation

• Biodiversity is the ensemble and interactions of genetic, species, and ecological diversity.
• Broadens definition includes chemical/biochemical and structural attributes of species or their organs.

Levels of Organization

• These include all of the biological portions of an interactive organism-environment system.
• The levels of organization include:
• Individuals: The fundamental functional units.
• Populations: Members of the same species co-occurring in space and time, sharing resources.
• Guilds: Groups of populations of different species exploiting the same resources.
• Communities: Populations of organisms living together in the same environment.
• Ecosystems: Dynamic systems of organisms interacting with their environment.
• Biomes: Regional ecosystem types with similar communities.

Facts about Numbers

• Estimated 10 million species of plants, animals, and eukaryotic microorganisms.
• Only about 1.4 million have been characterized and named by scientists.
• Most of the 40,000 vertebrate animals are known, along with most of the 300,000 vascular plant species.
• Over a million species each of fungi and nematodes likely exist, with only 70,000 and 13,000 respectively named.
• Possibly far more than a million different insect species.
• Prokaryotes have about 5000 bacteria and viruses named individually, with a potential total exceeding one million.
• Micro-organisms' and viruses' biodiversity depends on the biodiversity of their hosts.
• Every plant species may support about 35 other biodiversity species.

Evolution and Common Chemistry

• The biodiversity is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution.
• Mutation and selection led to the development of all living organisms from a single-cell micro-organism.
• The origin of the first living being 3.5 billion years ago remains speculative.
• This unitary origin explains why all organisms share the same basic chemistry.
• DNA is the storage molecule of genetic information, and protein biosynthesis is virtually the same in all organisms.
• Metabolic pathways are similar across organisms.
• Reactions generate energy, and fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids are created.
• Separate species (speciation) arise when mutations prevent interbreeding, potentially due to geographic or reproductive separation.

Diverse Groups & Systematics

• About 5% of all organisms that ever lived on earth exist today.
• New organisms are still being found and identified.
• A taxon is a category into which related organisms are placed.
• A hierarchy of groups (taxa) exists from broadest to most specific.
• The levels presented are: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and species.

Systematics

• Species: Organisms sharing biological traits and reproducing only their exact kind. Species are the fundamental unit in taxonomy
• Strains: Organisms within a species varying in a given quality.
• Types/biotypes: Organisms within a species varying in biological functions.
• Genus: Closely related species.
• Family: Closely related genera.
• Order: Closely related families.
• Class: Closely related order.
• Phylum: Closely related classes.
• Nutritional patterns, structural aspects, and biochemical properties provide guidelines for the classification of microorganisms.

Modern Biodiversity Grouping

• Classification (grouping of biodiversity) is based on evolutionary relationships among living organisms.
• Homologous structures maintain the same structure but have different function-functional diversity.
• Embryo development shows similarities.
• Molecular similarity is found in DNA, RNA, or amino acid sequences of Proteins.

Domains

• Broadest and most inclusive taxon.
• Three domains:
  • (1) & (2) Archaea and Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotes (no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles).
  • (3) Eukarya are more complex and have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

(1) Archaea

• Kingdom is Archaebacteria.
• Likely the first cells to evolve.
• Live in harsh/stress environments.
• Found in Sewage Treatment Plants (Methanogens), Thermal or Volcanic Vents (Thermophiles), or Hot Springs/Geysers that are acidic.

(2) Bacteria

• Kingdom is Eubacteria.
• Some may cause disease.
• Found in all habitats except harsh ones.
• Are important decomposers in ecosystems.
• Commercially importsant in making food products, e.g., cottage cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.

(3) Eukarya Kingdoms

• Eukarya is divided into four Kingdoms:
• Protista (protozoans, algae, etc.)
• Fungi (mushrooms, yeasts, etc.)
• Plantae (multicellular plants)
• Animalia (multicellular animals)

Protista

• Most are unicellular.
• Some are multicellular.
• Some are autotrophic, while others are heterotrophic.
• Are aquatic.

Fungi

• Most are multicellular, except yeast.
• Absorptive heterotrophs (digest food outside their body and then absorb it).
• Cell walls are made of chitin.

Plant Cladogram

• Relationships among the various groups of plants are:
• Mosses (nonvascular plants)- Bryophytes (15,600 species)
• Ferns (vascular & seedless plants)- Pterophytes (11,000 species)
• Gymnosperms (vascular & naked seeds)- Cone-bearing Plants (760 species)
• Angiosperms (vascular & covered seeds)- Flowering Plants (245,000 species)