- ABSTRACT - Snakes (Serpentes) are a group of squamate reptiles (Squamata) that represents more than one third of the total reptile species diversity. Snake karyotype is generally conserved with the most common chromosome number of 36 (16 macro- and 20 microchromosomes) in diploid state. It is believed that this karyotype was also present in the common ancestor of all snakes. The majority of snake species belong to the group Caenophidia and share homologous ZW sex chromosomes. Snakes from the groups "Scolecophidia" and "Henophidia" have mostly poorly differentiated, homomorphic sex chromosomes, which made them impossible to distinguish from the autosomes in the past. These snakes were for many years assumed to have ZW sex chromosomes as well. However, recent studies demonstrated not only ZW but also two non- homologous XY sex chromosome systems in non-caenophidian snakes and thus the sex determination systems in snakes are much more variable than previously thought. In this thesis, eight species of henophidian snakes (representatives from the genera Eryx, Cylidrophis, Python and Tropidophis) and one caenophidian species (Ophiophagus hannah) were examined using conventional and molecular cytogenetic methods. However, sex chromosomes were not detected in the henophidian species, only in Ophiophagus hannah,...

Genome size or nuclear DNA content is a a trait which varies greatly among living organisms, with no apparent relashionship between genome size and organismal complexity. It is usually described using the C-value as either a number of base pairs or picograms of DNA. Unresolved questions regarding mechanisms influencing genome size and relationships between genome size and other organismal traits are together known as the C-value enigma. Genome size is known to positively correlate with cell size and negatively with developmental and cell division rate. A maximum constraint of 2 pg has also been proposed for haploid genome sizes of holometabolous insects. Despite the fact that there are about one million described insect species, genome sizes are only known in a fraction of them. This thesis thus aims to extend the dataset of known insect genome sizes by as many species of cockroaches (Blattodea) as possible. Another aim is to compare results with known phylogeny and also to compare difference in genome size between sexes. Flow cytometry was used for genome size estimations, which is a rapid, simple and effective method, also suitable for study of ploidy levels and other cellular charasteristics.

This work is part of a broader effort to revitalize the Hrdlička Museum of Man and to research it from a historical perspective. Starting from the view that the popularization of science by museums in general is problematic and a viable topic for the social sciences, the work attempts to focus on the way the exhibition at the Hrdlička Museum of Man was constructed by its creators. This topic is analyzed from three main perspectives: 1st the scientific standpoints and personal worldviews of the creators, 2nd relations between the museum and the public, and 3rd relations between the museum and the nation state; also, the influence of the building process itself is taken into account. The intention of the work is to look at the origin of the Hrdlička Museum of Man within its cultural, social and political context rather than focus purely on a historical description. It is an attempt to bring to light all the "unscientific" phenomena that shaped the exhibition's scientific, objective and authoritative message to the public. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

It is well-known that the large diversity of protein functions and structures derives from the broad spectrum of physicochemical properties of the 20 canonical amino acids that constitute modern proteins. According to the generally accepted coevolution theory of the genetic code, evolution of protein structures and functions was continuously associated with enrichment of the genetic code, with aromatic amino acids being considered the latest addition to the genetic code to increase structural stability of proteins and diversification of their catalytic functions. The main objective of this master thesis was to test whether enzymatic catalysis could precede the appearance of aromatic amino acids in the standard genetic code. For that purpose, the effect of amino acid alphabet reduction on structure and function of dephosphocoenzyme A kinase (DPCK) was studied. Dephosphocoenzyme A kinase catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of coenzyme A, a very conserved cofactor. Two aromatic amino acid-lacking mutants of DPCK from a thermophilic bacterium, Aquifex aeolicus, were designed by substituting aromatic amino acid residues by (i) leucines and (ii) various non-aromatic amino acids to best preserve the structural stability of the protein. Wild type protein and the two mutants were cloned and...

Orb-weavers (Araneidae) are a diversified spider family comprising more than 3,100 species in more than 170 genera. Together with 13 other families, they con- stitute to superfamily Araneoidea. The presented thesis focuses on karyotype evo- lution of Araneidae, including its comparison with a related family Tetragnathidae. The results obtained from 19 araneid and four tetragnathid species confirm previ- ously postulated hypothesis that the ancestral karyotype of Araneoidea (including Araneidae) consists of 24 acrocentric chromosomes in males, including two acro- centric X chromosomes of system X1X20. However, there is a tendency of 2n decrease in some araneids due to centric fusions. In these cases, centric fusions affected most autosomes (and sometimes gonosomes as well); number of chromosome pairs de- creased from 11 to six. Three independent reduction events were detected in this thesis. Furthermore, pattern of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) was studied in this thesis using fluorescent in situ hybridization, since data on evolution of this marker are scarce in spiders. Striking variability in NORs number was discovered, ranging from one to 13 loci. Remarkably, multiple centric fusions were always ac- companied by considerable increase of NORs number. In araneids and tetragnathids possessing...

This dissertation deals with the notion of centration in the work of Teilhard de Chardin, the notion being examined with regard to two related aims: 1) to illustrate the logical structure of Teilhard's Christian theory of evolution, and 2) to explain the relation between centration carried out by created beings and centration assigned to God as the focal point of evolution. In other words: to explore the connection between fundamental freedom attributed by Teilhard to created beings and culminating in human beings according to him, and God's freedom demonstrating itself in controlling the universe and directing it to a goal being the fullness of being (pleroma). The first part presents Teilhard's life and the contexts of his work. The second part explains the main notions of Teilhard's theory and metaphysics, such as "consciousness", "spirit", "energy", "centro-complexity", and "matter", and relates them to the notion of centration. Centration is presented here as an activity of the consciousness consisting in the unifying formation of multitude by its interconnection with different types of relations around one centre. In such unification, the main law of evolution manifests itself - the Law of Differentiating Unity. This means that parts unified in such way start differentiating again. What is...

Extensively migrating population of neural crest cells, which contributes to many tissues and builds up most of craniofacial vertebrate structures, has a crucial role in embryonic development of vertebrate body. The migratory pathways of neural crest cells are thought to be very conserved throughout the vertebrates and cranial neural crest migration is defined by progression of three migratory streams: trigeminal, hyoid and a common branchial stream. In this diploma thesis, migration of cranial neural crest was analysed using embryos of the Senegal bichir (Polypterus senegalus) and of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), which represent two basal-most lineages of extant ray-finned fishes. A combination of several techniques was used in both species in order to study cranial neural crest cells from their sites of origin to post- migratory stages and the pattern of migration was compared and discussed in revealed embryonic context. In the Senegal bichir the hyoid neural crest stream was shown to migrate first and it is also the most abundant; this heterochrony shift is apparently related to formation of external gills, which in bichir are situated on the hyoid arch only. In sterlet, neural crest cells migrate in a classic pattern of three progressive streams but their dynamics and patterning is influenced by...

Cytogenetics of spiders of the infraorder Mygalomorphae is largely unknown. My thesis is focused on the karyotype evolution of spiders of families Hexathelidae Dipluridae, which are basal groups of the superfamily Avicularioidea. In this thesis the evolution of diploid chromosome number, chromosome morfology, and also sex chromosomes are studied. The karyotypes of the mygalomorphs are quite interesting for their diversity. Many members of the family Hexathelidae exhibit extreme systems of a chromosomal sex determination which are composed by many gonosomes X. The meiotic division of males is analyzed. Some species exhibit modifications of this division such as achiazmatic meiosis. Selected markers have been detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Keywords: evolution, fluorescent in situ hybridization, karyotype, nucleolus organizer region, sex chromosomes, spider

To create a good scientific reconstruction is important artistic skills and knowledge of history painting of prehistoric animals, and also knowlages in the anatomy, zoology, palaeontology, palaeoecology and also biomechanics. Reconstruction It stands on the borderline between art and science. Our view on the fossil marine Amniotes change over time with advancing skeletal findings, and also changed a scientific reconstruction. Although the actual outputs, such as reconstruction and in particular 3D models can explain a number of new or unexplained informations about this group. A reconstruction expert can not only beautify their actions, but also enthance scientific knowledge, or even to outline a new direction for further research. Keywords: Scientific reconstruction, fossil marine amniotes, adaptation, anatomy, evolution, palaeoecology, biomechanice, 3D models, trends.

The aim of the thesis is the mathematical and computer modelling of thin films of martensitic materials. We derive a thermodynamic thin-film model on the meso-scale that is capable of capturing the evolutionary process of the shape-memory effect through a two-step procedure. First, we apply dimension reduction techniques in a microscopic bulk model, then enlarge gauge by neglecting microscopic interfacial effects. Computer modelling of thin films is conducted for the static case that accounts for a modified Hadamard jump condition which allows for austenite--martensite interfaces that do not exist in the bulk. Further, we characterize $L^p$-Young measures generated by invertible matrices, that have possibly positive determinant as well. The gradient case is covered for mappings the gradients and inverted gradients of which belong to $L^\infty$, a non-trivial problem is the manipulation with boundary conditions on generating sequences, as standard cut-off methods are inapplicable due to the determinant constraint. Lastly, we present new results concerning weak lower semicontinuity of integral functionals along (asymptotically) $\mathcal{A}$-free sequences that are possibly negative and non-coercive. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)