User:Adam Katzenberg/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU

'Lab 3 02/21/2014

Identifying and Studying Bacteria

Yes, I think archaea species will have grown on the agar plates. This is because of their extremophilic nature, meaning they can live in extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents near methane gas, and in environments with high concentrations of saline. Therefore, they should be able to grow on our lab agar plates.

I noticed that the smell of our hay infusion culture decreased in potency. This could be due to the increased life that has grown inside of the jar eating the spoiled milk that initially made the hay infusion smell. Another reason could be that the smell from all of the hay infusion cultures overtook the smell of the room so it seems that there was no smell apparent.

Yes, there was a clear difference in the colony types between the plates with vs. without antibiotic. The plates with the antibiotic contained only white, yellow, and orange colonies, whereas the plate without the antibiotic had white, yellow, and purple colonies. This indicates that purple bacteria colonies are not antibiotic resistant, and white, orange, and yellow bacteria colonies are antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, orange colonies needed the antibiotic in order to grow. The effect of tetracycline on the total number of bacteria lowers the amount of colonies on the agar plates, this is because the bacteria have to be antibiotic resistant. For example, on the dilution plate 10^-3 with agar nutrient there was an uncountable amount of bacteria colonies growing, in comparison on the 10^-3 with agar nutrients and tetracycline, there were around 48 X 10^3 per ml. Although there were still a lot on the tetracycline plate it did not match the amount of on the non tetracycline plate. We did not have any fungi growing on our plates so I am not sure how the tetracycline affected fungi. I found that three species are unaffected by tetracycline, orange, white, and yellow. This is because they appeared on the agar plates with tetracycline.

File:Figure1:AgarPlates.jpg

Tetracycline inhibit enzyme reactions needed for bacterial cells. It works by binding to 30S ribosome of bacteria, and then stops the attachment of the aminoacyl tRNA to the RNA-ribosome complex. The types of bacteria that are sensitive to this antibiotic are E. coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

File:Table 2:ColonyInfo.jpg

File:Figure2:Colonypicture.jpg

AK

Lab 2 02/09/2014

Procedure II

When we first created the Hay Infusion Cultures Jars the water was clear, the plants were alive, and the smell was clean. After a week, when the observed the jars there was a stark transformation. The water was murky and dirty, the smell of the jar had a strong spoiled milk smell. A thin sludge film covered the top of the water in the jar, and a thick sediment of sludge settled at the bottom of the jar. The plants were no longer vibrant greens, they turned brown and dead with the water.

The organisms near vs away from the plant will be different because on a microscopic scale they are two different habitats therefore the species inhabiting the area will be different. For example, the species closer to the plant might be using the plant as a food source, whereas the species away from the plant may eat the denser sediment on the bottom of the jar.

We obtained our samples from the top film layer and from the bottom sediment sludge of the hay infusion cultures.

3 Organisms from Bottom Niche- Gunk on Bottom 1. Pandorina- 250 micrometers, green algae, pandorina genus, mobile using flagella. 2. Paramecium Aurelia-140 micrometers, paramecium genus, mobile using cilia. 3. Paramecium Bursaria- 90 micrometers, protozoan, paramecium genus, mobile mobile.

3 Organisms from Top Niche-top film layer of water 1. Arcella- 60 micrometers, Arcella genus, mobile 2. Chlamydomonas- 12 micrometers, green algae, Chlamydomonas genus, mobile with flagella 3. Chilomonas - 32 micrometers, chryptophyte, protozoa, chilomonas genus, mobile with flagella

Paramecium Bursaria Freemen describes five things essential to life; energy, cells, information, replication, evolution. The paramecium bursaria meets all of the criteria. It is a protozoa, meaning it is motile and is unicellular. Within the cell there is a nucleus that contains its DNA or information. Because it is a paramecium it replicates asexually through binary fission. It consumes algae for energy therefore it is heterotrophic.

If the hay infusion culture had been observed for another two months I would predict that the water would be darker in color because of the constant replication of the organisms already there the water will become denser with algae and protozoans. The smell would be harsher because of the build up of algae. I would also predict that mold will start to develop on the top layer of the water, because it is a habitat conducive for mold; wet, warm, and plenty of food for it to consume.

Selected pressures that affected the composition of the culture would include size of the environment. Relative to the size of the organisms, if it is considered a big environment for smaller organisms there is more space for different habitats such as near the plants, top of the water, or bottom of the water, however if the organisms are bigger there is a higher competition for food sources and habitats therefore the fittest organisms would survive. Another selected pressure would be reproduction for the organisms. If there is not a lot of room for bigger organisms as they reproduce there is more competition for food and space therefore not many of them would survive at a given time.

Procedure III

-AK

Introduction Bio 2010 01/31/2014

Characteristics of the transect: The transect is located at the Washington Seminary at American University. The transect is a circular plot of plant growth with trees growing out from it. Under the plant growth was rich damp soil which would be perfect conditions to support life, however a weed type growth of plants suffocate the area. Within the growth there were fallen leaves from the trees, sticks, and roots entangling the plants. A tennis ball lay on the outskirts of the circular plot, and a ball of aluminum foil was found in the center of the plot. Surrounding the transect is a grassy hill, the road, and stone park benches.

List of Abiotic and Biotic life:

Abiotic: Soil, Tennis Ball, Aluminum Foil, Park Benches

Biotic: Weed type growth, Trees, Roots, Grass

Table 1 Evolutionary Specialization of Members of the Volvocine Line

Characteristic: Number of Cells, Colony Size, Special Function, Reproduction Specialization

Chlamydomonas: 2, 6, Motile, Isogamy

Gonium:3, 5, Still, Oogamy

Volvox:1, 1, Still, Oogamy

-AK