User:Yvette T. Mbah/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU

I/22/2015 Identifying Unknown Organisms Using a Dichotomous Key

Purpose

The purpose of this lab experiment was to use a dichotomous key in order to identify unicellular eukaryotic organisms in the Hay Infusion Culture. There will be more organisms at the top of the Infusion than at the bottom. If you take a sample from the top of the infusion and view it under the microscope, you will realize that there are more organisms at the top than at the bottom.

Materials and Methods

• Made a wet mount from the Hay Infusion Culture.
• Observed wet mount under microscope and focus on one organism at a time.
• Used dichotomous key to identify Unknown organism
• Used diagrams from dichotomous key to confirm identification of organisms viewed under microscope

Data and Observations'

My hypothesis was not supported. I thought there will be more organisms at the top of the Hay Infusion Culture than at the top but that was not the case. There was not a diversity in organisms. The only organism observed was the Paramecium. The only difference between the top and bottom Paramecium was their size.

Conclusions and Future Directions

The only organism that I observed from my Hay Infusion Culture was the Paramecium. In the future, I will collect wet/cold soil sample from different locations because some organisms might be found in wet soil than warm soil.

YTM

01/15/2015 Natural Selection and Observing a Niche at AU

Purpose

The purpose of this lab was to study a specific niche at American University (AU) in order to understand the diversity of organisms ans natural selection.Organisms are more likely to be found in conditions favorable to them (natural habitat) than to be found in conditions foreign to them. If an organism prefers the cold, then you are not likely to find it in warm weather and the reverse is true.

Materials and Methods

• Observed a 20 by 20 meter area of transect # 2.
• Described characteristic of transect.
• Observed the different living and non-living life form.
• Collected soil sample from transect 2 and placed it in a 50 ml tube.
• Made a Hay Infusion Culture by placing 10-12 g of soil sample into plastic jar with 500 mls of deer park water.
• 0.1 gm of dried milk was added to jar and mixed for 10 s.
• labeled jar, removed lid and placed in a safe place in the lab.

Data and Observations

For transect 2, we needed to identify five biotic (living) and five abiotic (non-living) organisms. Biotic organisms observed included: leaves, plants,trees, moss and shrubs. Abiotic organisms included: stone, bench, info sign, and and dirt.

Conclusion and future directions

Transect 2 located by Hughes and McDowell Hall across from shuttle bus stop. i noticed that students were often cutting through the transect which could account for why there were not many organisms found there. In the future, i will collect soil samples from many different places. My hypothesis was supported because we mostly found only paramecium and not many other organisms.

YTM

01/21/2015

I hope OpenWetWare.org will get easier to navigate as the semester continues.

YTM