User:Caitlin G Denison/Notebook/Biology 210 at AU

2-6-14 Lab 2 Identifying algae and protists

Description of hay infusion culture:

The culture has a thick, light brown film on the top. On top of the film lie some black mold spots. There is lots of darkly colored, slimy debris at the bottom of the jar. The culture is foul smelling; it smells a little like mold.

-Organisms might differ depending on whether they are near to plant matter or not, because some organisms have evolved to live in areas with lots of plant matter. These organisms may use plants for shelter or food. Other organisms have evolved to live away from plant matter; perhaps they need to live at the surface to get more sunlight.

-Organisms observed in culture:

Area 1: Surface:

1. Peranema, mobile, protist, not photosynthesizing, 50um 2. Euglena, mobile, protist, can photosynthesize, 40um 3. Actinoshpaerium, mobile, protist, not photosynthesizing, 75um

Area 2: Middle of jar

1. Peranema, mobile, protist, not photosynthesizing, 50um 2. Colpidium, mobile, protist, not photosynthesizing, 60um 3. Actinoshpaerium, mobile, protist, not photosynthesizing 75um

Note: We were unable to find 6 different species in our sample. Many of the organisms that were living at the surface, were the same species as the ones living at the surface.

How Paranema meets all the needs of life:

1. Energy-Paranema is heterotrophic and therefore must consume other living things to survive. Paranema capture prey such as bacteria to provide energy.

2. Cells- Paranema is made of a single cell.

3. Information-Paranema is able to take in information from the environment and adapt to it. One example of paranemas’ ability to process information is its ability to sense and respond to changes in light.

4. Replication-Paranema is able to reproduce through binary fission.

5. Evolution- like all living creature, paranema is subject to the pressures of natural selection. This pressure and the ability to mutate, allow the organism to evolve.

-If the hay infusion culture were to be observed in another month, I suspect there would be less visible plant matter, because the leaves etc., would have begun to decompose. I also suspect that if the nutrients in the jar have not started to run out, there would be more mold on the top of the culture, and there would be more protists. If the nutrients in the jar have started to run low at this point, then I suspect there would be fewer protists and only the strongest, healthiest protists would still be living.

-The selective pressures that affected our sample were: temperature constraints, limited nutrients, predation by other organisms, and limited living space. The organisms had to compete to gain access to these resources, and the ones that were best able to adapt to their environment survived.

Sketch of organisms: Sketch of serial Dilution:

1-28-14 Lab 1 Lab 1 Diversity of Life at AU

Characteristics of Transect:

The transect is located on the south side of campus, near Beegly Building. The area consists of six wooden planting boxes, with dirt separating the boxes and a chicken wire fence surrounding the plot of land. The ground is flat and the soil is dark, with many bits of mulch and leaves mixed in.

Abiotic features:

1. Planting boxes 2. Dirt 3. mulch 4. rocks 5. chicken wire

Biotic features:

1. leafy, green plant 2. grey colored bush 3. leaves 4. weeds 5. small, green bush-like weeds CDFile:Sketch