Content of lectures: 1. Classification, evolution and biology of parasitic chelicerates orders Parasitiformes and Acariformes. 2. Parasitic Crustacea. Phthiraptera, Heteroptera (main characteristics, evolutionary trends). 3. Diptera-Nematocera (main characteristics of the order Diptera, biology of hematofagous groups). Diptera-Brachycera (evolutionary trends and the origin of haematophagous and endoparasitic groups; main bionomical features). Siphonaptera. 4. Origin and life strategies of hematophagous arthropods. Morphological, anatomical, and physiological adaptations (mouthparts, gut anatomy). 5. Physiology and metabolism of haematophagous insects (peritrophic membrane, salivary glands vs. hemostasis, blood digestion, water balance, hormonal control, digestion and oogenesis, significance of bacterial symbionts). 6. Vector body as an enviroment for pathogenic microorganisms (anatomical and physiological factors, barriers, development of microorganisms in vector tissues, patogenity of infectious agents in vector, transstadial and transovarial transmission, interference between pathogens in vector body). The recognition and defence systems in arthropods, susceptibility and resistance. Examples of pathogen life cycles within vector body. 7. Host defence mechanisms behavioral and physiological defence. Evasion of the host hemostatic mechanisms (significance of salivary glands). Adaptations of tissue and gut parasites (invasion, evasion of the host immunity, enzymes, control of population growth). Coevolution of host and parasite. 8. Bionomical and ecological features determining the significance of arthropods as vectors (epidemiology, zoonoses, antropozoonoses, synantropy). Molecular taxonomy, complexes of species a significance in epidemiology). 9. Population biology of vectors and its significance in transmission of pathogens. 10. Overview of the most important arthropod born diseases (vectors, causative agents, life cycles, distribution). Content of practices: 1-8 Morphology and classification of parasitic arthropods. 9-10 Anatomy of hematophagous insects dissections. 11-12 Histology and ultrastructure of hematophagous arthropods. 13 Determination of parasitic arthropods.
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