User:Sydney Murphy/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU
January 27, 2015
Volvocine Line and Transect Introduction: January 14, 2015
The purpose of this lab was to reintroduce us to microscopes and making wet mounts, as well as getting acquainted with our transects. By taking the first day to adjust to being back and introducing us to our transects it allows us to successfully transition into the class and get to know our partners better.
We began the lab by making wet mount slides of the three examples of the Volvocine line: Chlamydomonas, Gonium, and Volvox. We then observed the samples under a microscope, searching specifically for colony size, cell specialization and motility mechanisms. After, we walked around campus and were introduced to our transects, which we mapped, drew samples of and listed biotic and abiotic factors. When we returned we made a Hay Infusion Culture by combining 12 grams of our soil, 500 mLs of water, .1 grams of dried milk in a jar, they were mixed together and left to sit open for a week on the back table.
| Characteristic | Chlamydomonas | Gonium | Volvox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cells | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Colony Size | 10 | 17.5 | 200 |
| Specialization? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Motility Mechanisms | Flagella | None | Flagella |
| Iso or Oogamous? | Isogamous | Oogamous | Oogamous |
The side by side comparison of the Volvocine line shows the evolution over time, from a single-celled organism, to a colony, to an advance organism.
| Abiotic | Biotic |
| Snow | Brussel Sprouts |
| Rocks | Clover |
| Irrigation Tubes | Pine Needles |
| Plastic label | Bushes |
| Paint | Grass |
These are some of the prominent Abiotic and Biotic factors from our Transect. Transect four is found within the community garden near the soccer fields towards the back edge of campus. It is a fairly flat area with four raised plant beds on the one side and three bushes on the other side, closer to the fence and gate.
Overall, this experiment worked well; we were able to observe our transect and collect a variety of soil for our Hay Infusion Culture. Though, the ground was frozen and the protists we collected may end up reflecting this in their diversity, or lack thereof. Hopefully it will be warmer next time we collect from our transects, allowing us more variety in protists collected.
Sydney Murphy
January 22,2015
This is my test message for lab! Hope it works well!
