Biology & Ecology (e-books)

E-publication
Michal Goga-Marko S. Sabovljević-Martin Bačkor-Dajana Kecsey-Deepti Routray
A comprehensive guide that introduces you to the fascinating diversity and systematics of lower plants. These practical lessons are designed to provide hands-on training, allowing students to engage directly with the interesting study of Cryptogams by observation, analysis, and identification and experimentation. Beginning with the overall idea of cryptogam in a field trip near by the vicinity of Botanical garden then followed by the basics of microscopy in, will help to gain essential skills in understanding the components and proper usage of a microscope, a fundamental tool in botanical studies.
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E-publication

Beáta Valkay ed.
Ivana Slepáková-Lenka Maliničová a kol.

The publication EFFUSE – Educational Materials for the Public was developed within the EFFUSE project and focuses on current environmental issues of river landscapes. It emphasizes the importance of water as an irreplaceable resource and the need to protect it. Special attention is given to bioindicators – organisms whose presence or absence reflects the state of the environment. Monitoring bioindicators makes it possible to detect ecosystem changes before serious damage occurs. The publication highlights that biodiversity is essential for ecosystem stability and health. As such, it serves as a valuable educational resource for the public, raising environmental awareness and encouraging active involvement in nature conservation.

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E-publication

Beáta Valkay ed.
Ivana Slepáková-Andrej Mock a kol.

The publication EFFUSE – River Landscape, Volume 2: Guidelines for Experts, developed within the EFFUSE project, is intended for professionals in the field of environmental sciences. It provides recommendations for research in river landscapes and highlights their importance for understanding ecological processes. The text presents bioindicators as a key tool for assessing landscape health and biodiversity conservation. A dedicated section explains why studying river landscapes as natural laboratories is essential. The publication also includes a practical manual for the Olympus DSX-1000 High End Model microscope, expanding opportunities in scientific education and research. In this way, it combines theoretical guidelines with modern technologies that enhance environmental knowledge.

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E-publication
Beáta Valkay ed.
Ivana Slepáková-Andrej Mock a kol.

The textbook EFFUSE – River Landscape, Volume 1: Scientific Education for Everybody, developed within the EFFUSE project, explores the importance of water for living organisms and the specific features of water in the Transcarpathian region. It addresses the issue of water pollution and presents bioindication as an effective method of environmental research. The publication explains how the ecological status of rivers and water quality can be assessed using aquatic plants, insects, fish, and amphibians. It also raises awareness about the microbial composition of water and offers guidance on protecting oneself from waterborne infections. Finally, it highlights the significance of environmental education and awareness in strengthening the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

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E-publication

Beáta Valkay ed.
Ivana Slepáková-Monika Balogová a kol.

EFFUSE - Scientific Education for Advanced is an educational material designed for university students interested in ecological sciences, biology and environmental protection. The publication was developed as part of the EFFUSE project and focuses on the scientific investigation of living organisms in the river ecosystem, with an emphasis on their ecological role and importance as bioindicators. The river ecosystem is a dynamic environment where a wide range of organisms can be studied, from algae and phytoplankton to aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles. This publication presents a detailed study of their adaptations, life cycles, reproductive strategies and their importance for ecological balance. Particular attention is paid to fish and amphibians, whose environmental demands and sensitivity to pollution make them important indicators of water quality and environmental status. The publication also provides guidance on how to integrate their study into university education in the form of practical research. It also includes a chapter on science education in the context of sustainable development, which is often absent from university curricula in Slovakia and Ukraine. This material promotes the link between theory and practice and develops students' scientific thinking in order to prepare them to meet the environmental challenges of the future.

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E-publication

Beáta Valkayed.
Ivana Slepáková-Lenka Maliničová a kol.

The EFFUSE Teacher's Guide is a practical educational material for primary and secondary school teachers who want to develop environmental awareness with their pupils through field-based learning. It is based on the concept of the EFFUSE project (‘Environment for the future by science education’), which aims to link science, research and education with environmental protection. The manual provides teachers with methodological support for planning and implementing outdoor activities aimed at observing and documenting organisms around the Laborec River and the Uh River. It contains instructions for working with real samples, basic biomonitoring procedures and offers the opportunity to participate in the creation of a virtual laboratory that mirrors the state of the local aquatic ecosystem. Through these activities, pupils will learn to understand the links between human activity and the state of the environment, while learning the basics of how scientists work in the fields of biology and ecology. The guide also motivates teachers to become agents of positive change, inspire the younger generation to be active and engage the community in conservation. It is a challenge and an opportunity to create a space for meaningful learning in line with current trends in environmental and digital education.

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E-publication

Beáta Valkay ed.
Ivana Slepáková-Lenka Maliničová a kol.

EFFUSE - A Guide for Students is an interactive educational resource for primary and secondary school students to help them better understand how their daily activities affect the environment. The handbook was developed within the EFFUSE project (‘Environment for the future by science education’) and motivates young people to take a greater interest in the nature around them. It focuses on practical field activities during which they will explore the ecosystem of the Laborec and Uh rivers, observe and document organisms and work with real samples from nature. At the same time, they will learn about the work of scientists - botanists, zoologists and microbiologists - and learn basic biomonitoring methods. The manual will also guide them through the process of creating a virtual laboratory to display the results of their investigations of an aquatic ecosystem. It will help them understand the importance of sustainable development and encourage them to behave responsibly towards nature. It is their opportunity to learn about their surroundings in a new way, to learn to think scientifically and to become active creators of positive change for their community and future generations.

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E-publication

Terézia Hudáková-Ján Šalagovič-Jozef Židzik

The Textbook of Medical Biology and Genetics for Bachelor's Study Programs is a comprehensive academic resource tailored to the curriculum of undergraduate courses at the Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice. Each of the 15 chapters begins with a concise theoretical overview, followed by a carefully selected set of practical exercises and model examples designed to promote active learning and critical thinking. This publication aims to serve as an essential companion for students, supporting their understanding of key concepts and enhancing their preparation for coursework and examinations in designated bachelor's programs.

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E-publication

Michal Goga-Marko S. Sabovljević-Martin Bačkor-Dajana Kecsey-Deepti Routray

A comprehensive guide that introduces you to the fascinating diversity and systematics of lower plants. These practical lessons are designed to provide hands-on training, allowing students to engage directly with the interesting study of Cryptogams by observation, analysis, and identification and experimentation. Beginning with the overall idea of cryptogam in a field trip near by the vicinity of Botanical garden then followed by the basics of microscopy in, will help to gain essential skills in understanding the components and proper usage of a microscope, a fundamental tool in botanical studies.

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E-publication

Eva Slabá-Helena Mičková-Jozef Židzik-Lucia Klimčáková-Janka Vašková

Teaching texts „Practical Lessons in Medical biology“ provide the theoretical foundations of microscopy, various microscopic techniques and preparation of microscopic slides in an understandable form. The chapters of the teaching texts contain model questions and tasks from cytology, molecular biology and genetics enabling students to acquire new knowledge from individual thematic areas and provide instructions for the implementation of tasks during laboratory lessons in medical biology. Teaching texts are primarily intended for the practical lessons in the subjects Biology 1 and Biology 2 for foreign students of the first year of General Medicine and the subjects Medical Biology and Genetics and Regenerative Medicine for foreign students of the first and second year of Dental Medicine at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice – Faculty of Medicine.

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E-publication

Eva Slabá-Helena Mičková- Terézia Hudáková-Janka Vašková

Teaching texts „Praktické cvičenia z lekárskej biológie“ provide the theoretical foundations of microscopy, various microscopic techniques and preparation of microscopic slides in an understandable form. The chapters of the teaching texts contain model questions and tasks from cytology, molecular biology and genetics enabling students to acquire new knowledge from individual thematic areas and provide instructions for the implementation of tasks during laboratory lessons in medical biology. Teaching texts are primarily intended for the practical lessons in the subjects Biológia 1 and Biológia 2 for Slovak students of the first year of General Medicine and the subjects Lekárska biológia and Genetika a regeneratívna medicína for Slovak students of the first and second year of Dental Medicine at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice – Faculty of Medicine.

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E-kniha

Pavol Mártonfi - Lenka Mártonfiová (eds.)

The book of abstracts from the conference with international participation contains 33 contributions authored by 71 researchers affiliated with botanical institutions from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. The publication offers an overview of current knowledge and research experience in the field of plant biodiversity in the context of climate change. In addition to botany and nature conservation, the abstracts also address topics such as plant physiology, the production of secondary metabolites, environmental studies, management of protected areas, botanical art, and other current research issues. The central paper is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the UPJŠ Botanical Garden, highlighting its history and present-day activities, and was prepared by the garden’s director. The volume is complemented by contributions from the garden’s staff, focusing on the current state of research and educational activities within the institution.

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E-book

Lenka Mártonfiová - Pavol Mártonfi (eds.)

Katalóg zbierkového fondu rastlín obsahuje súpis 4437 druhov, poddruhov a kultivarov rastlín rastúcich voľne alebo pestovaných v Botanickej záhrade Univerzity Pavla Jozefa Šafárika v Košiciach (Slovensko). Medzi nimi sa v botanickej záhrade pestuje 659 druhov chránených na základe Dohovoru o medzinárodnom obchode s ohrozenými druhmi voľne žijúcich živočíchov a rastlín (CITES) a 42 autochtónnych druhov je chránených legislatívou Slovenskej republiky.

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E-book

Monika Balogová - Viktória Vargová - Kristián Gulyás - Natália Pipová - Dalibor Uhrovič -Marcel Uhrin

A peer-reviewed publication dealing with the biology and ecology of the European green toad, bringing new findings through scientific research on the roosting ecology, spatial activity and dispersal of this protected species in urban environments. The subject matter of this publication is highly topical, as amphibians represent the most threatened vertebrate group in the world. This work is suitable not only for university students interested in batrachology, amphibian ecology, and vertebrate zoology, but also for conservation workers, municipalities, and specialists directly involved in the reconstruction of urban areas with green toads. Last but not least, this publication is suitable for enthusiasts with an interest in nature and its conservation.

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E-book

Jozef Židzik - Terézia Hudáková - Martina Šemeláková - Ján Šalagovič

Methods in human genetics and molecular biology encompass various experimental, diagnostic and analytical techniques used to investigate the structure, function, expression, and regulation of genes, as well as general molecular processes in human cells. The university textbook Methods in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology provides a comprehensive overview of classical and modern experimental and analytical procedures. In fifteen chapters, it addresses methods such as PCR, RFLP, FISH, Western blot, DNA sequencing, DNA microarrays, molecular cloning, cytogenetic analysis, and forensic genetic analysis. The book is primarily intended as study material for the course of the same name taught in the 2nd year of study at the UPJŠ Faculty of Medicine, but it can also be used by all university students in the fields of biology, biotechnology, and related disciplines.

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E-book

Lenka Mártonfiová

Index The Index Seminum 2025 of the Botanical Garden of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University contains a list of 243 seed samples offered for the international exchange among botanical gardens on the world. It includes seeds collected from the wild plants in natural localities of Slovakia with a detailed description of the localities with coordinates and date of collection (66 samples) and seeds of plants grown in the Botanical Garden (46 samples) and seeds from Exposition of the Tatra Mountain Nature of the State Forests of Tatra National Park, Tatranská Lomnica (73 samples) as well as 58 seed samples from Hrádocké Arboretum of the Secondary Forestry School of Jozef Dekret Matejovie in Liptovský Hrádok. The index includes a desiderata table that can be used when ordering seeds.

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E-book

Vladimír Zeleňák (ed.)

Proceedings of Abstracts of the Student Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice

A characteristic feature of education at high-quality universities — among which the Faculty of Science at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (UPJŠ) in Košice proudly belongs — is the close connection between education and scientific research. Students gain knowledge in their field of study not only through theoretical coursework in individual disciplines, but also through active involvement in solving specific scientific tasks as part of research teams. This can occur during the development of final theses or through participation in the Student Research Assistant Program (ŠPVS), which was revitalized at the faculty in 2015.

The Student Scientific Conference (ŠVK) is one of the faculty’s traditional events, organized during the Faculty’s Science Days as part of Sciencefest. By its very nature, it fits seamlessly into the aforementioned framework of combining education with research, and it has long enjoyed great popularity and student interest. In 2016, the conference featured presentations by 125 students of the Faculty of Science at UPJŠ in Košice, across 16 thematic sections. This collection of abstracts provides an overview of the focus and goals of the student projects. We believe it will serve as inspiration for other potential participants of future conferences and will also be of interest to the broader public, offering additional insight into the faculty's activities.

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E-book

Vladimír Zeleňák(ed.)

The proceedings contain abstracts of contributions from participants of the Student Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, which took place on April 22, 2015.

The Student Scientific Conference (SSC) enjoys long-term popularity among the faculty's students and teachers, and we are pleased that this was no different this year, with 128 contributions submitted to the SSC.

The contributions were organized into 19 sections, additionally complemented by an open programming competition and the final of the IHRA contest. For many students, presenting at the SSC is one of the first opportunities to gain experience in presenting their results before a professional audience. Considering the number of submitted contributions, along with the members of the expert juries from the faculty's teaching staff and the audience who came to support their classmates' presentations, the SSC is an event where a large part of the student and academic community of the faculty meets at one place and time. Many abstracts presented in this proceedings were developed as part of students' work on partial tasks that are components of research projects at the departments of the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University.

The abstracts represent, in a way, an overview of research topics at the individual workplaces of the faculty. The SSC proceedings thus serve as a useful tool that students and faculty teachers can use to present the faculty externally to partners, employers, and potential collaborators. Partners from practice have shown interest in cooperating in organizing the SSC for a long time. Since 2005, the association of IT companies has awarded a Prize for the Most Original Work and a Prize for the Work with the Best Prospects for Practical Application.

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E-book

Miroslav Repčák - Martin Bačkor - Peter Paľove-Balang - Silvia Gajdošová

The establishment of the Plant Physiology Laboratory at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice in 1969 was associated with the name of Ing. Štefan Kocúrik, CSc. (1923–2006), who also prepared the first "Instructions for Exercises in Plant Physiology" (Košice 1972, 1976).

Since 1980, the manual by Associate Professor RNDr. Karol Erdelský, CSc., and Ing. Fridrich Frič, DrSc., titled "Practicum and Analytical Methods in Plant Physiology" (Bratislava 1980) has been used. With the increase in the number of students, it became relevant in 1991 to publish the "Instructions for Exercises in Plant Physiology" again to improve preparation and the efficient organization of practical work. Associate Professor RNDr. A. Košturiak, CSc., contributed significantly to the expansion of the introductory part of the instructions with his valuable advice, for which the authors are grateful. For the fourth edition, some tasks were updated and modernized, taking into account the possibilities of the renovated laboratory. The selection of tasks was adapted to the current scope of exercises for individual plant physiology subjects within the bachelor's and master's study programs in biology and ecology. These subjects include: Plant Physiology, Plant Metabolism, Mineral Nutrition of Plants, Plant Growth and Development, and Plant Ecology. Some tasks are also suitable for high school experiments.

The choice of topics was influenced by the research focus of our workplace on secondary metabolism, ecophysiology, and medicinal plants. The instructions generally adhere to the SI unit system, occasionally including other commonly used units.

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E-book

Tatiana Kimáková a kol.

Ethics, as the science of the proper realization of human potential in various areas of life, also extends into the environment. For understanding the ethical aspects in this field, a thorough knowledge of the individual components of the environment, as well as their impact not only on humans but on all living nature, is very important. Therefore, questions concerning the influence of the environment are increasingly at the forefront of interest from an ethical perspective, also in connection with existing legal norms.

The modern process of civilization is characterized by rapid development of science and technology. However, this development, while raising the standard of living on one hand, also brings negative side effects on the other. The result is the disruption of ecological, biological, and natural life conditions, especially in the areas of industrial centers. The development of individual branches of industry leads to the production of liquid, gaseous, and solid wastes, the emergence of harmful risk factors threatening various components of living nature, including humans. There may be increased bioaccumulation of hazardous chemical elements in organisms, which, through their effects, represent a potential risk also in terms of carcinogenesis and mutagenesis.

For this reason, an important role of society is to create conditions to prevent the release of emissions and to reduce their concentration to the lowest possible, socially and biologically acceptable level. The assessment of the biological effects of harmful substances is based on experimental and epidemiological studies. Knowledge of concentration and duration of exposure is crucial for applying dose-effect relationships and for determining the highest permissible concentrations of pollutants. The health of the population, as a universal value and a primary human right, represents a fundamental economic resource not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole.

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E-book

Dušan Barabas - Alena Labunová

These study materials aim to provide basic information about biogeographical issues from a geographical perspective, i.e., a perspective focused primarily on the aspect of spatial differentiation of the biosphere. The basis for the division of the biosphere is its historical development, during which individual taxa and communities were formed.

The historical development of the biosphere did not occur under stable, constant conditions, but rather in ever-changing conditions caused by the position of our planet within the solar system, the position of the Earth's axis relative to the ecliptic, and also the position of the solar system within the galaxy. All changes in the Earth's position, together with the movement of continents (drift) and climate changes, created the prerequisites for the spatial expansion of the biosphere. The historical development of the biosphere, various perspectives, the hierarchical level of differentiation, and the causes of differentiation are incorporated in this study material, whose aim is to outline the basic principles of this division.

The goal is also to highlight certain differences in the understanding of terminology, as well as to point out some fundamental relationships operating within the landscape system in the broadest sense of the word. The section devoted to the ecological principles of the functioning and formation of the landscape system, according to MIČIAN and ZATKALÍK (1984), outlines the issues of understanding the terms ecosystem and geosystem. For this reason, the presented text includes chapters that attempt to explain the understanding and approach to some basic concepts.

These study materials are intended for students of single-subject, interdisciplinary, and supplementary studies as basic teaching material. By expanding the knowledge from this study material with further information, which is elaborated in more detail in the literature listed in the bibliography of this text, graduates will gain a comprehensive view of biogeographical issues.

Authors

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E-book

Božena Velebná

The following material has been created during the two years of teaching English for Chemists at the Faculty of Science of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and is therefore designed to meet the needs of this course. The main motivation was the lack of appropriate materials, especially as the groups generally comprise students with a very diverse level of English. This diversity therefore became the main criterion determining both the form and the content of this text.

In the ten units that provide material for a one semester course, the emphasis is put on teaching the students vocabulary and terminology, which is introduced via authentic texts, depending on the topic of each unit. Students are encouraged to learn the meaning of new words in context. Grammar is included too, with the aim of demonstrating and explaining grammatical rules by means of examples taken directly from the texts. For the more advanced students, grammatical exercises in this material can serve for revision while the beginners might need more supplementary materials.

I hope that this material, the preparation of which has been a challenging as well as enjoyable experience will be useful for future teachers and the students of this course.

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