Syllabus
Lesson 1: Chemical ecology - definition; semiochemicals - pheromones, cairomones, defenses; classification, examples of types of structures, application of pheromones in practiceLesson 2: methods of sample preparation (isolation) in chemical ecology; methods for identifying and determining the structure of substances; methods for testing the biological activity of natural substancesLesson 3: Examples of social insect pheromones, colony organization; pheromones of the species Homo sapiens; examples of pheromone synthesisLesson 4: Natural Dyes (Part 1) - Carotenoids, Quinones, FlavonoidyLesson 5: natural dyes (part 2) - pyrrole dyes, pterins, melanins; pollination chemistry, flower colors and floral scent, nectar and pollen; host plant signals; food attractants (phagostimulants) and insect detectors, oviposition stimulantsLesson 6: Food preferences of vertebrates and humans; the chemical nature of the flavors (sweetness, hotness, bitterness); plant toxins (non-nitrogen) - function, classification according to structures, examplesLesson 7: alkaloids - classification by structure type, occurrence and biological effectsLesson 8: Induced Plant Defense - "SOS" Signals; allelopathy, plant and synthetic herbicides; phytoalexins and pathotoxins; plant and synthetic fungicidesLesson 9: herbal substances as a model for synthetic insecticides, repellents and chemosterilants; insect growth, development and propagation regulators, insect hormones; juvenoids, juvenogens, antijuvenoids, ecdysteroids; plant growth regulatorsLesson 10-11: Antibiotics - classification by mechanism of action, by structure, by spectrum of activity and method of application
Annotation
The subject provides general information on chemical ecology and natural substances produced by animals and plants and having ecological function and / or physiological effect. The subject brings knowledge about chemical communication substances of animals (semiochemicals) and about plant secondary metabolites including substances produced by microorganisms.
Emphasis is placed on explanation of ecological context and relationships between organisms. Students will gain an overview of research methods in chemical ecology, both chemical (sample acquisition, analytical methods, identification and structure determination of natural substances) and biological (biological tests, electrophysiological tests, demonstration of biological activity of natural substances).
It will also bring basic information about the ways in which natural substances are biosynthesized in living organisms.