#1
Ciliates
Eric S. and Kyle T.
Southern
Abstract
The purpose of the lab was to observe protozoa specifically ciliates. The lab is meant to illustrate three objectives. First, to observe the ciliates in there natural environments. Second, to become aware of their abilities to swim very fast. Third, to learn about other protozoa and prepare a scientific method lab.
Problem: Do Ciliates live in fresh water ponds?
Background:
Protozoa is the smallest of any animal. Most protozoa can only be seen under a microscope. Some may be able to cause serious diseases. Ciliata, or Ciliophora has about 7,000 known species of the some are the most complex singled celled organisms. They get their name from the Latin word eyelash, which describes the ciliates very well. Some are covered by hair like structures called cilia, which allow it to propel itself through water and draw food to itself. Some reach two millimeters in length. They are found in almost every environment with liquid water; ocean waters, marine sediments, lakes, ponds and rivers and even soils. Because individual ciliates species vary greatly in their tolerance of pollution, the ciliates found in a body of water can be used to determine the degree of pollution quickly.
Hypothesis: If the samples contain ciliates, then the freshwater pond will have contained ciliates.
Procedure:
Material:
Compound Light Microscope
Pond Water
Slide
Cover Slip
Eyedropper
(4) Pipettes
Video
Computer
Paper
Pencil
References
Steps:
1. Prepare the pond water, by putting it in the slide and cover slip
2. Get a sample of pond water using the pipette and place it on slide.
3. Place the cover slip on the slide at an angle to prevent air bubbles on the slide
4. Place the slide under the microscope so that the objective lens.
5. Start by observing and focusing on a field with low objective lens and then increase the power and adjusting the focus as necessary.
6. Look through the microscope and count the ciliates, these are protozoa that can move very quickly because of the little hairs around them.
7. Observe and record all data that is seen by creating a table on a piece of paper. The table should have rows that represent each slide sample with the number of the slide and the columns should represent the number of ciliates.
8. Clean slide and prepare another slide.
9. Observe and record all data from each slide. Repeat step 7 and 8 until the stopping point.
10. Clean and dry all materials by the end of the class period.
Results:
Out of five sample slides 21 ciliates were found. 17 ciliates were found on the first slide and on the second, third and forth slide 0 ciliates were found. On the fifth slide 4 were found (see Graph). The ciliates were very fast due to the hairs on their bodies. They were difficult to see because of their speed and their color, which was clear and transparent. The size varied between ciliates.
Conclusion:
Do Ciliates live in fresh water ponds? If the samples contain ciliates, then the freshwater pond will have contained ciliates. The hypothesis was supported. An improvement on the lab would have been to have more samples for observation. Could ciliates find ciliates be found in soil?
References
Ciliates
Appearances. Retrieved
Introduction to
the Ciliata, (2005). Retrieved
Miller, Kenneth
R. and Levine, Joseph S. (2005). Biology.
Lynn, D. (2005). Ciliata: systematic.
Retrieved
#2
Crustaceans in Pond Water Lab
Katie B. and Hamzah K.
Southern
Abstract
The purpose of this lab is to find out if pond water is a suitable habitat for crustaceans. Three objectives for this lab are to find crustaceans in the pond water, to observe how the crustaceans act in the environment (if the crustaceans are present), and to make people aware of the amount of small organisms in ordinary pond water.
Problem:
Are there crustaceans in pond water?
Background:
Protozoa are the most abundant animals in the world in terms of numbers and biomass. Protozoa are single-celled organisms and consume bacteria. This means that protozoa control the numbers and biomass of bacteria. Protozoa are also parasites on other animals (Protozoa, 2005).
Crustaceans are one type of Protozoa. Crustaceans are found in almost every type of habitat except for the really dry terrestrial ones. Crustaceans range in size from less than .02 centimeters in length to more than 4 meters, such as the Japanese Crab (Crustacea, 2005). Many crustaceans serve as fish food in the wild. Crustaceans are also kept and bred by aquarists to use as a live food source (Naturalaquariums.com, 2005).
Hypothesis:
If the sample of pond water contains crustaceans, then there are crustaceans in pond water.
Procedure:
Materials:
Pond water
Compound light microscope
Slides
Cover slips
Computer
Pipette
Pencil
Paper
References
Steps:
1. Gather all necessary materials needed to conduct the lab appropriately.
2. Use the eyedropper to place a sample of the pond water on the slides (3-4 drops). If possible, get a sample of water with vegetation on the slide.
3. Place the slide cover on the slide by placing one side down, and then the other end, thus removing bubbles.
4. Put the slide on the stage of the microscope and observe for crustaceans.
5. Record the number of crustaceans seen on the paper. The crustaceans will have joints and appendages, and they are larger than the other protozoa.
6. Prepare another slide with a new sample of pond water.
7. Repeat steps 4-5 for as long as time allows.
8. Clean up your lab area.
Results:
In this lab, 7 slides were observed. Of the 7 slides, 6 had crustaceans present, so the ratio of slides with crustaceans to the slides with no crustaceans is 6:1. In total, 17 crustaceans were found.
In slide one, 4 crustaceans were found. By comparison to other, non-crustacean organisms around the crustaceans, the crustaceans were quite large. The crustaceans also had multiple appendages, were quite active (ie. constantly moving), and were green and brown in color. The specimens observed are believed to have been Clam Shrimp. In slide two, there were 3 crustaceans found. These crustaceans were very alike to the crustaceans observed in slide one. In the following slides, the number of crustaceans observed are as follows: slide three; 6 crustaceans, slide four; 1 crustacean, slide five; 1 crustacean, slide six; 0 crustaceans, slide seven; 2 crustaceans (see Graph).
Conclusion:
Are there crustaceans in pond water? The hypothesis was that if the sample of pond water contains crustaceans, then there are crustaceans in pond water. The hypothesis was supported. An improvement that could be made for future labs is to get samples of water from more than one pond. Are there crustaceans in river water?
References
Bliss, D. (2003). Crustacea,
in Encyclopedia Americana (Vol 8, page 269).
Clam
Shrimp. Retrieved
Protozoa. Retrieved
Small Crustaceans. Retrieved
#3
Pond Water Insects
Ashley A. and Chris S.
Southern
Problem: How many insects can be found in a drop of pond water?
Background:
Protozoa are eukaryotes that are not associated with members of the kingdoms Animalia, Fungi, or Plantae. Protozoa are in a group that may consist of more than 200,000 species. Most protozoa are single celled, however, some are not. Some protozoa contain hundreds or even thousands of cells but are still classified as protozoa. They are so similar to other protozoa that they are truly unicellular (Miller, Levine, 2005).
Many insects are semi or fully aquatic, so in every pond you will find larvae of insects. Most insect larvae are so transparent that you can see right through them. They have a well developed brain and nervous system, a heart and a blood circulatory system, and if you look closely, you can see blood flowing through the body. Not all insect larvae are flat enough for anatomical research (Egmond, 2005).
Mayfly
nymphs of the genus Baetis (family Baetidae) are a little less than 1 cm long and streamlined
for lessened resistance to the force of moving water, as they cling to rocks,
plants, or other substrates with sharp tarsal claws. Baetis has a row of
small gills lining the abdomen. Baetis feeds on diatoms and fine organic material. In very fast water, the blackfly
larva (Simuliidae) attaches itself to a rock or
branch with a circular row of hooks at the end of its abdomen. Blackflies achieve
impressive densities; often over 100 larvae in an area the size of your hand (
During development, insects undergo metamorphosis, a radical change from a juvenile body form to an adult body form. In insects with a complete metamorphosis, the immature stage, called a larva, is wormed-shaped. The larva hatches from an egg, grows by eating voraciously and shedding its exoskeleton several times, and then forms a non-feeding stage called pupa (T. Audesirk, G. Audesirk, and Byers, 2005).
Hypothesis: If insect larvae and/or body parts are found in a drop of pond water, then there are insects in the pond.
Procedure:
Materials:
Pond Water
Compound Light Scope
Eye Dropper
Pipette
Slide
Cover Slip
Paper
Pen/Pencil
Computer
Video Camera
References
Steps:
1. Gather all the necessary materials needed to conduct the lab appropriately.
2. Take the eyedropper and/or pipette and put a drop of pond water onto a slide.
3. Next, take a cover slip and, putting it on at an angle (to help prevent air bubbles), place it on the slide.
4. Take the slide and put it on top of the stage of a compound light microscope.
5. For the best resolution, set the objective lens to the lowest power setting and gradually turn the objective lens to a higher resolution.
6. Observe the slide for insects, insect larvae, such as baby insects, and/or insect body parts, such as legs, wings, antennas, and body segements.
7. Record any data about what was observed on the slide.
8. After observing the slide, remove the slide from the microscope and remove the cover slip from the slide.
9. Rinse and dry the slide and cover slip.
10. Repeat steps 2-9.
11. Once finished, rinse and dry the slide and cover slip. Return all materials to their proper place.
Results:
Out of nine samples of pond water taken, 2 samples or 22%, contained insect body parts (see Graph). The body parts found were legs of an insect. The legs were dark brown in color and small in size. There was a bend in the middle of them like a joint (i.e. an elbow or knee of a human).
Conclusion:
The problem question was how many insects, insect larvae, and/or insect body parts can be observed in a drop of pond water? The hypothesis was if insect larvae and/or body parts are found in a drop of pond water, then there are insects in the pond. The hypothesis was supported. Some improvements to this lab could be more time for research and observation. Would the results be different if you used salt water instead of pond water?
References
Audesrik, G., Audesrik, J., Byers, B. (2005) Biology: Life on Earth; Seventh Edition.
Dudley, Tom. Retrieved
Web Site: http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_aquatic_insects.html
Egmond, W
(n.d.) Retrieved
http://www.microscopy-uk.org/uk/mag/wismall/insect.html
Miller, Levine (2005) Biology.
#4
Pond Water Lab
Mychal C., Brittany H., Alex K., and Josh L.
Southern
October 4, 2005
Abstract
The purpose for the pond-water lab, was to learn about and find diatoms in pond-water. The objectives for the lab were to understand where diatoms are found in the water. For example, are they attached to a leaf or along the bottom of the jar. The second objective was to determine what diatoms looked like. The third objective was to observe the lifestyle of diatoms.
Problem: Are diatoms found in pond water?
Background:
The kingdom Protista is a diverse group that may include more than 200,000 species. A protist is any organism that is not a plant, an animal, a fungus, or a prokaryote. Protists are eukaryotes that are not members of the kingdoms Plantae, Animalia, or Fungi. Although most protests are unicellular, quite a few are not. A few protests actually consist of hundreds or even thousands of cells but are still considered protests because they are so similar to other protests that are truly unicellular.
Protists are members of a kingdom whose formal name, Protista, comes from Greek words meaning “the very first.” The first eukaryotic organisms on Earth, which appeared nearly 1.5 billion years ago, were protist.
Members of the phylum Bacillariophyta, or diatoms, are among the most abundant and beautiful organisms on Earth. Diatoms produce thin, delicate cell walls rich in silicon- the main component of glass. These walls are shaped like the two sides of a petri dish or flat pillbox, with one side fitted snugly into the other. The cell walls have fine lines and patterns that almost seem to be etched into their glasslike brilliance (Miller and Levine, 2005).
Diatoms belong to a group of simple plantlike organisms called algae. Like green plants, diatoms can live and grow using only sunlight, water, carbon-dioxide, and certain minerals.
Diatom cells contain both green and yellow-orange pigments that enable them t trap the sun’s energy. This combination of pigments gives diatoms a golden-brown color. For this reason, they are sometimes called golden-brown algae.
Hypothesis: If diatoms are found on the slide, then they are in pond water.
Procedure:
Materials:
Pond water
Microscope
Eyedropper
Pipette
(4) Slides
(4) Slide Cover
Computer
Video cam
Paper
Pencil
Steps:
1. Gather all necessary materials need to conduct the lab appropriately.
2. Use the eyedropper to get the pond water from the side of the jar and put on the slide.
3. Place the slide cover at an angle on the slide to prevent air bubbles.
4. Put the slide under the microscope.
5. Examine the slide and look for diatoms.
6. Record the amount of diatoms you see, if any.
7. Remove the slide, take it to the sink and clean it.
8. Repeat steps one through seven as many times possible in the permitted time.
9. Clean and dry all materials used during the lab, and return them to where you found them.
Results:
In the first four slides no diatoms were found. In the fifth slide, there were three diatoms found and they were canoe shaped with a greenish color. In the sixth slide there were no diatoms found. In the seventh slide there was one diatom found and it was moving across the screen. It was similar in color to the other ones. In the eight and ninth slide there were no diatoms found. In the tenth slide there was one diatom found and it was moving sideways. In the eleventh slide there were four diatoms found in this slide the diatoms had more of a brownish color, opposed to the more frequently seen greenish colored diatoms. In the twelfth through fifteenth slides there was one diatom found in each one and they were all moving across the screen. In the sixteenth slide there were six diatoms found around a piece of algae. In the seventeenth and eighteenth slide there were no diatoms found. In the nineteenth slide there were thirteen diatoms found moving around a big piece of algae. In the twentieth slide there was only one diatom found. Out of all twenty slides examined, eleven or 60% of them had diatoms. The other nine slide, or 40% contained no diatoms (see Graph).
Conclusion: Are diatoms found in
pond-water? If diatoms are found on the slide, then they are in pond water. The
hypothesis was supported because diatoms were found in the slides. One
improvement that could have been made would be to practice more on finding
things in microscopes before doing the actual lab. Are diatoms found in the
References
Garrison, D. L.(2000). Diatom. In the World Book Encyclopedia
(Vol.6 pp. 185-186).
Miller, K. Levine, J. (2005). Biology.
1st
Van Egmond, Win.(1995). Diatoms and where they’re found. Retrieved from http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/nimsmell/smal1.html
