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.
Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free(pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

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.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Andrej Mock

The structure of the animal body is extremely varied. Each species has its distinctive morphological features, which bears as a testimony to long-term development and belonging to the developmental lineage. At the same time, the body has been tested for a long time by natural conditions, resulting in unique adaptations to the environment and life strategy. Despite this admirable variety - which includes both recent and fossil animals and which we have far from mapped – a comparison of body parts brings knowledge we can generalize: the main building principles, and boundaries within which phenotypic diversity is realized.

Comparative animal morphology today uses the latest methodological material and knowledge from other disciplines, from genetics, molecular biology and experimental embryology, through progressive imaging methods (e.g. electron microscopy, computer micro-tomography) and the possibilities of subsequent software processing of image material (measurement, staining, etc.) to the view of physics, chemistry, statics and geometry on the structures (to nanostructures) of the living body. Detailed knowledge of historical and contemporary conditions on Earth is an important interpretative context in the study of animal morphology. Surprisingly, the knowledge accumulated after centuries of research is now rapidly supplemented by new knowledge, and often the traditional knowledge is subsequently reinterpreted. Finally, and no less important, in studying animal (and human) morphology, we learn surprising knowledge about ourselves.

The author of the presented textbook had the ambition in a simplified form to introduce the reader, especially the student of biological studies, into a dynamic and fascinating scientific discipline, as the current comparative animal morphology is.

Stiahnite si e-knihu zadarmo (pdf)

E-book

Gabriel Žoldák

The textbook is intended as background material for university students and for education in science, biotechnology, and medicine. During the textbook conception, the emphasis was on recent trends and development in the understanding of the physicochemical properties of immunoglobulins.

The textbook is divided into ten chapters and 294 pages dealing with the following topics: Immune system and immunoglobulins, General properties of immunoglobulins, Chemical and proteolytic cleavage of immunoglobulins, Structure of immunoglobulins I, Structure of immunoglobulins II, Detection of immunoglobulins, Post-purification and purification immunoglobulin modifications, Immunoglobulin stability and aggregation, Therapeutic immunoglobulins. In addition to the summary of the established knowledge about the properties of immunoglobulins, the textbook also contains new information collected from recent scientific publications.

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Terézia Kisková - Stanislav Matéffy - Františka Horváthová

The laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the most commonly used experimental animals. It serves as a model organism for analyzing numerous biological processes and pathological mechanisms, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders (e.g., lipid metabolism, diabetes mellitus), neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy, or Alzheimer's disease), neurobehavioral research, autoimmune diseases (e.g., arthritis), cancer, and renal diseases. It offers many unique advantages for modeling human diseases, testing drugs and natural substances, and studying responses to environmental factors. The size of the laboratory rat, compared to the mouse, creates ideal conditions for physiological manipulations. Additionally, rats are used in clinical toxicology to test chemical substances (Hedrich, 2000).

Download the e-book for free (pdf)

E-book

Katarína Cechlárová (ed.)

This year, the Student Scientific Conference was held on April 24, 2019, across 17 sections in disciplines such as biology and ecology, chemistry, physics, geography, mathematics, informatics, and their didactics. Bachelor’s and master’s students presented a total of 124 contributions. The most successful participants advanced to national or traditional Czech-Slovak student scientific showcases in fields like physics, chemistry, mathematics, informatics, and mathematics didactics.

In addition to faculty students, 10 high school students participated outside the competition. They were invited based on their achievements in subject-specific Olympiads or because they were already engaged with the faculty under the guidance of dedicated teachers in laboratory work as part of their preparation for future studies. The day also featured a programming competition with 23 participants, an IHRA contest involving 16 teams of high school students and 15 teams from elementary schools, and a new Puzzle section where 72 high school students from the region competed.

The abstracts from the Student Scientific Conference demonstrate that our faculty's students not only absorb theoretical knowledge delivered in lectures but also actively engage in solving partial scientific problems that align with research objectives at the institutes of PF UPJŠ. This collection serves as both a record of scientific activity at the faculty and a dignified presentation for the broader public.

Prof. RNDr. Katarína Cechlárová, DrSc.

Vice-Dean for Education

Doc. RNDr. Gabriel Semanišin, PhD.

Dean of the Faculty

Download the e-book for free  (pdf)

E-book

Marcel Uhrin - David Jandzik - Andrej Čerňanský - Michal Rindoš - Blanka Lehotská - Stanislav Danko - Ján Kautman - Peter Mikulíček - Peter Urban - Daniel Jablonski

Bibliographies provide basic scientific information, illustrate quality and intensity of research in a particular topic, area, or time, and thus help build a cultural-historical perspective of society’s appreciation of knowledge and education. Here we provide a bibliography of herpetological research in the region of Slovakia between the years 1791 and 2017. We collected 2,183 references authored by 1,453 different authors and covering all species of amphibians (18) and reptiles (13) occurring in Slovakia and, in addition, amphibian and reptile taxa occurring in 94 other countries.

Most of the contributions were published in popular magazines and non-indexed journals, while only about 12% of all references represent scientific articles from journals indexed in relevant scientific databases. The extensiveness of study on amphibians and reptiles has varied among different periods within the selected time frame. However, an obvious intensification in the field of herpetology can be observed, especially during the second half of the 20th century. While there have only been few professionals specialized in herpetology, an important role in promoting the research and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Slovakia has been played by non-governmental organizations and hobbyists. The most frequent type of herpetological data in the referenced literature comes from faunistic research, followed by conservation and general information on herpetofauna, with the majority of published articles in indexed journals coming from the fields of palaeontology, phylogeography, and population genetics.

The presented bibliography is the first step towards building a solid base for future systematic herpetological research in the country and Central Europe.

Download the e-book for free (pdf)