User:Ariana Leonelli/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU

February 8 : Second Lab Entry - Identifying Algae and Protists (Lab 2 originally on January 22)

The main objectives of this lab were to understand how to use a dichotomos key and the characteristics of algae and protists. These two objectives were accomplished by completing the tow procedures described below.

Procedure 1: How to Use a Dichotomous Key - We needed to be able to look at two samples that we had made wetmounts of in and identify two different types of organisms on each wet mount. We were required to describe what each organism looked like, how big it was, and then identify what it could be by using a dichotomous key. Based on the many questions and images that are available on the dichotomous key, I felt fairly confident that my guesses were correct.

Wet Mount #1:

Organism 1: - long slim, blue-green color - size: 1500 µl - Stentor

Organism 2: - large, creeps using pseudopodia, many small nuclei - size: 150 µl - Pelomyxa

Wet Mount #2:

Organism 1: - long slim, pinkish-rose color - size: 2500 µl - Blepharisma

Organism 2: - oval shaped, contracting w/ lots of nuclei, barely moving - size: 50 µl - Gonium

Procedure 2: Hay Infusion Culture Observations - In this section of the lab me and my transect group needed to observe the transect that we made the previous lab and record what we saw and then observe wet mounts taken from the Hay Infusion to see what organisms were present. We needed to observe three different organisms from each wet mount (we made two). We decided to make a wet mount of the bottom of the Hay Culture, and then a second wet mount from the top of the Hay Culture. Below is what we observed / found.

Appearance of Hay Culture: - smells moldy (kind of like a seafood smell) - top is thick with some kind of algae maybe? - sprout of green growth / green shoot on top part of culture - the water is a brownish color - nothing really floating in the middle of the culture - sedement on bottom - white type of filmy liquid is right under the water surface

Top Sample Wet Mount:

Organism 1: - no color, oval shaped, has many leg looking things moving it - size: 62.5 µl - Euplotes

Organism 2: - circular shape, green, many cells inside - size: 25 µl - Gonium

Organism 3: - colorless, oval shaped, small - size: 25 µl - Amoeba

Bottom Sample Wet Mount:

Organism 1: - reddish, long and slim - size: 800 µl - Blepharisma File:Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 12.

Organism 2: - colorless, oval shaped, small - size: 20 µl - Amoeba File:Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 12.

Organism 3: - brown looking, small, not moving - size: 12.5 µl - Arcella File:Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 12.

2/6/14, lab 1 notes

Great work! Some notes: -Make sure you include pics before Sunday -In the future, weave the answers to the questions into the introduction or discussion section. Do not write question and respond with answer. -Start working on building a map of your transect to detail your land and where your samples are taken from. We will talk about this more Wednesday

Great job!! AP

January 29: First Lab Entry - Biological Life at AU (Lab 1 originally on January 15)

The main objectives of this lab were to understand natural selection and to understand the abiotic and biotic characteristics of a niche. These objectives were accomplished with the two procedures described below.

Procedure 1: The Volvocine Line - We needed to identify the different members of the valvocine line for this procedure and specify the number of cells, colony size, and its reproductive specialization for each of the different members. I predicted that the more advanced along the valvocine line we moved, the more complex what I saw would become. I looked at each of the three options on wet mounts under a microscope using the 4x, 10x, or 40x objective lens in order to figure out the information asked of me. Based on the data collected I was correct in assuming that the genera would become more complex over time. I was able to address the question posed in the beginning of this procedure.

Chlamydomonas: Unicellular, colony size was 7.5µl, isogamy.

Gonium: Eight cells, colony size was 60µl, isogamy.

Volvox: Too many cells to count, all appear to be in a bulb shape, colony size was 125µl, oogamy.

-What is the significance of cell specialization across these three genera? Natural selection is shown through the changes in complexity of these three genera over time.

-Does evolution always move towards increased complexity? Provide an example. No I dont think it necessarily does. People originally have tails which are considered vestigial traits that go away the more they develop in the womb. The lack of tail makes us less complex than if we were to be born with tails.

Procedure 2: Defining a Niche at AU - We were put into groups of three and were sent to observe a transect here at AU. We also were given a 50ml conical tube to collect a soil/surface plant sample to bring back to class to use for the next few labs. In this lab we were asked to record our observations in a notebook to explain what our transect looked like. Once we returned to the lab we needed to make our Hay Infusion Culture by adding 500ml of water and .1g of dried milk to 10-12g of our sample and then close and leave it for next class.

Observations of Transect: (Located in front of Kogod)

Abiotic: Small rocks, larger rocks, big boulders, water, sun, soil

Biotic: Moss, cat tails, grass, weeds, red bark shrub, algae, bacteria, fungi, protists

Also noticed dead bark and leaves. Water runs downhill through transect.

ATL

January 22 Successfully entered text ATL