User:Philip S. Sumberaz/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU
- Philip S. Sumberaz:January 29, 2015
Purpose: The purpose of this lab period the actions taken in it were to observe the life that developed inside of the group's Hay Infusion Culture that originated from the transect that was assigned the week prior, which also happens to be the transect the first lab notebook entry concerns. Furthermore, multiple Petri dishes were prepared for the upcoming lab to study bacterial life that exists within the Hay Infusion and how they will develop and grow within two different environments.
Materials and Methods One of the main materials in this lab was the Hay Infusion Culture from the previous week. Materials used in the process of observing life inside of it were: transfer pipettes, observation slides, cover slips, proto-slow, microscopes, and Dichomotous Keys. The samples to be observed were taken from the surface of the Hay Infusion and the bottom of the Hay Infusion using the transfer pipettes. The samples taken from the culture were then placed on glass slides, and following the added drop of proto-slow, the cover slip was applied. The microscope was used to find organisms living inside the cultures, and the Dichomotous Keys were used to identify the organisms. After identifying a satisfactory number of organisms, the Hay Infusion was covered and shaken-up. Four test tubes containing sterile broth were gathered and labeled 10^-2, 10^-4, 10^-6, and 10^-8. Four Petri dishes with sterile augar were acquired and labelled 10^-3, 10^-5, 10^-7, and 10^-9; the same being done to four separate dishes with Tetracycline infused augar plates. (The tetracycline dishes were also labeled "TET"). Then, using a P-1000 micropippetor, 100 micro-liters of the mixed Hay Infusion Culture were added to the four tests tubes. Then 100 micro-liters was taken from the Infusion and added to the 10^-2 test tube. Another 100 micro-liters was taken from this test tube and added to the 10^-4 tube, and so on until 10^-8. Following that, another 100 micro-liter sample was taken from the 106-2 tube and added to the 10^-3 Petri dishes (both 100 micro liter samples, separately); intuitively, this is done for the remaining three sets of dishes. The broth is then spread using sterilized metal spreaders and left for a week to develop. (Biology 210 Spring 2015 Lab Manual)
Data and Observations The Hay Infusion had a faint marshy smell, and has some green shoots between the surface and the bottom layer. Furthermore, there was a white mold-like substance on the top of the culture. Samples were taken from the bottom and top of the culture, both around the edges of the beaker. The usefulness of taking samples from both "open" water and near plants is that the organisms vary. Those in more "open" space need to have a higher ability to retain resources, or create their own; while organisms found near plants most likely consume materials made by other organisms, such as the plant life. The organisms Panderina and Ameoba Proteus were found in the surface sample while the organism Colpidium was found the culture floor sample. The Panderina were about 30-35 micrometers in length, while the Ameoba Proteus was closer to 420 micrometers. The Colpidium were around 80 micrometers in length. Had this Hay Infusion been allowed to sit undisturbed for a longer period of time, the life inside of it would be come more developed so long as the amount of resources within the jar could support the growing population of life. This concept is known as the carrying capacity for an ecosystem. Overall, the samples would have more life in them, but the point is that life would not continue to grow forever, there would be a point fairly soon when the amount of resources within the ecosystem meets a balancing point with the amount of life it is trying to support. http://openwetware.org/images/7/78/Ameoba_Proteus.jpg
1.27.15
Good first lab book entry. Need to include some more detail eg. Hay Infusion set-up and organize into: Purpose, Materials, Observations and Conclusions.
SK
- Philip S. Sumberaz:January 25, 2015
I was assigned to Group Number 5 in Section 5 Biology 210 lab. Our group 5 goes to the quad outside the Hurst building, around the middle of the lawn. Our transect includes mostly manicured grass lawn, and has some mulched soil for gardened plants around the middle of the quadrangle center. Part of the cement wall from the center mural space comes into the transect from the west side. Some rose bushes, or at least thorny plants, grow in the soil; on top of some frilly bushes. The ground itself is fairly flat, and at the time, quite wet due to the recent precipitation. Abiotic factors in our transect include: Snow, the cement wall, dirt, woodchips, and water; Biotic factors include: Grass, Bushes, Leaves, Sticks, and Bugs.
