Course detail

General Biology and Ecology

FCH-BC_BIOAcad. year: 2025/2026

Characteristics of living systems. The chemical building blocks of life, bioelements and biomolecules. Biology of the cell, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure, energetics, catabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, citric acid cycle, oxidative respiration, genes and how they work, membrane transport, cell communication, cell cycle and differentiation. Reproduction and heredity, Mendel's laws, gene linkage, sex linkage, polygene genetics, population genetics, gene technology and biotechnology. Evolution, the origin of living systems, mechanisms of living systems evolution, the origin of species. Three life domains on the Earth, phylogenetic tree, classification of living things. Ecology, organisms and environment, populations, societies, ekosystems.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

Ing. Iva Buchtíková, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology (ÚCHPBT)

Entry knowledge

Basic knowledge of secondary school biology and chemistry.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The exam is written. It is examined the understanding of the explained concepts, their relations and selected figures as well as theories.
None.

Aims

The aim of the subject is to inform students about chemical building of living systems, molecular principles of life, genetics and evolution, basic classification of organisms and basics of ecology.
The students should have understood some life processes on the molecular or cell level. Besides, they should have understood the evolution of the living systems, to learn their basic classification and ecology. Recquired knowledges are defined more detailed by annotation, curriculum and basic literature.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Hrstka, M. Biologie. FCH VUT v Brně (CS)

Type of course unit

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Iva Buchtíková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Introduction. Characteristics of living systems. Chemical building block of life.
Chemical building block of life - biopolymers. Prokaryotic cell structure.
Eukaryotic cell structure. Bioenergetics.
Catabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Citric acid cycle and oxidative respiration.
Photosynthesis. Genes and how they work.
Translation, regulation of gene expression.
Membrane transport. Transport and distribution of substances inside the cells. Cell communication.
Cell communication. Cell cycle and differentiation.
Basic genetics concepts. Mendel´s laws, gene linkage, sex linkage, epigenetic heredity.
Polygene genetics, population genetics, gene technology and biotechnology.
The origin of life, evolution of living systems.
Three life domains on the Earth, phylogenetic tree, basic classification of living things.
Ecology, organisms and environment, populations, societies, ekosystems.