Zoology 2nd Semester Midterm 2022

Zoology Overview

• Zoology combines "zoon" (animal) and "logy" (study), focused on understanding animal life, their properties, populations, habitats, and characteristics.

Structural Zoology

• Comprises the study of animal structures:
  • Morphology: Examines form and shape of organisms as a whole.
  • Anatomy: Investigates organism structures revealed through dissection.
  • Histology: Studies microstructures and functions of tissues.
  • Cytology: Explores structures and functions within cells.

Developmental Zoology

• Focuses on animal development:
  • Embryology: Studies growth within the fertilized egg; identifies homologous (same origin, different function) and analogous structures (different origin, same function).
  • Ontogeny: Examines individual development.
  • Genetics: Analyzes heredity and variation in organisms.

Functional Zoology

• Centers on animal functions:
  • Physiology: Studies living processes and functions in animals.
  • Animal Behavior: Investigates responses to environmental stimuli; includes irritability, taxis (directional movement), and tropism (plant equivalent).
  • Various types of taxis classified by stimuli:
    • Thigmotaxis: Response to touch.
    • Geotaxis: Response to gravity.
    • Thermotaxis: Response to temperature.
    • Rheotaxis: Response to currents.
    • Heliotaxis: Response to light.
    • Hydrotaxis: Response to water.
    • Phototaxis: Response to artificial light.
    • Chemotaxis: Response to chemicals.
    • Galvanotaxis: Response to electricity.
    • Chromotaxis: Response to color.

Systematic Zoology (Taxonomy)

• Classifies animals into sub-disciplines:
  • Protozoology: Study of one-celled organisms.
  • Ichthyology: Study of fishes.
  • Herpetology: Study of reptiles.
  • Entomology: Study of insects.
  • Ornithology: Study of birds.
  • Conchology: Study of shells.
  • Helminthology: Study of worms, especially parasitic.
  • Parasitology: Study of parasitic organisms.
  • Malacology: Study of mollusks.
  • Mammalogy: Study of mammals and their characteristics.

Distributional Zoology

• Studies the distribution of animals:
  • Zoogeography: Examines animal distribution across air, water, or land.
  • Ecology: Investigates relations between animals and their environment, including:
    • Convergence: Different groups develop similar forms due to environmental similarities (e.g., fish-like structures).
    • Divergence: Same groups assume different forms due to environmental differences (e.g., mammals adapting to water or air).

Historical Zoology

• Focuses on the history of animal life:
  • Paleontology: Studies fossils and their distribution over time.
  • Phylogeny: Investigates development of specific groups or races.
  • Evolution: Examines the origin and differentiation of animal life.

Economic Zoology

• Explores the economic value of animal species for human benefit.

Medical Zoology

• Investigates the medical relevance of animals:
  • Parasitology: Studies parasitic organisms.
  • Pathology: Analyzes nature, symptoms, and causes of diseases.

Life Definition

• Life is the totality of all bodily activities and functions of an organism.

Theories on the Origin of Life

• Discusses various theories, including Divine or Special Creation.