Week 5: Observations

In this photo the Colurella uncinata sp. has attached itself to the Actinosphaerium sp.

This picture shows an Actinosphaerium sp. in the Micro Aquarium
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Week 5: Observations

On November 14, 2012 towards the bottom of my Micro Aquarium there were multiple strands of cyanobacteria, Actinosphaerium sp., and diatoms. The Actinosphaerium sp. is shown to the left that shows the them in the division process (Patterson). The diatoms appear to be a yellow-brown color and are shaped in the form of gold bars attached to each other and some are just a single bar. At approximately 100x magnification there are 30 clusters per 50 square micrometers (Rainis and Russell) In addition, the midge that was observed during my first week of observations had grown nearly double in size and has acquired hairs on the tail sections of the body. The midge lives in the depths of the soil layer by convulsing its body to bury it self.

Week 4: Observations

On October 7, 2012 my micro aquarium was full of tiny organisms swimming around feeding on ever morsel available. One particular organism as the one shown above is a Rotifer called Colurella uncinata sp. these organisms have no blood circulatory system. The mouth is accompanied by cilia that help guide the food into the mouth. Towards the bottom of the organism there is a horn like structure where there would be a tail. At the tip of the tail it attaches to the food source or any structure and the organism stays stationary to feed on its desired meal (Donner). 

Week 3: Observations

I observed my MicroAquarium on October 30, 2012 there was thousands of organisms swimming around eating morsels of the plant material. After closely examining on of the organisms I could see flagella on both ends of the organism which lead me to confirm that this organism is a Tachysoma sp. they use them to swim around in the water and if you look very closely in the upper mid left section of the organism there is a circular organelle. This is a vacuole and it is expanded and contracted to burst out material that helps it move at a rapid pace (Patterson). 

Bibliography

Thorp JH, Covich AP. 2010. Ecology and Classification of North America. 3rd ed. Elsevier. Fig. 16.158

McFarland K, Cook R. 2013. General Botany 111 Laboratory Manual. 14th ed. 167 p.

Evert RF, Eichhorn SE. 2013. Raven Biology Of Plants. 8^th ed. New York (NY): W. H. Freeman and Company Publishers. 727 p.  

Patterson DJ. 1996. Free Living Freshwater Protozoa. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 223p.

Donner J. 1966. Rotifers. London, England: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd. 180p.

Rainis KG, Russel BJ. 1996. Guide to Microlife. Danbury, Connecticut: A Division of Grolier Publishing. 200p.

Week 2: Observations

On october 23, 2012 I observed a new organism that looked like a worm but with segmented body sections. After closely examining the multi-cellular organism, it moves around by convulsing its entire body and it moves so fast that it looks like it is a continuous figure eight shape. Then when it stops its straight as shown in the picture above and you can see the segments of the body. The organism is a Diptera sp. Midge which is an insect larva (Thorp and Covich). Towards the tail end of the body there is a section that juts out of the body those are the formation of legs for the insect (Thorp and Covich).

Week 1: Observations

After placing the natural spring water and approximately 2 centimeters of mud along the bottom of the aquarium from Carter Mill Park, I then placed the Amblestegium moss and Utricularia gibba L. flowering carnivous plant into the aquarium apparatus. As I examined the aquarium under the microscope there were multiple multicellular organisms swimming around. All the organisms were swimming around franticly in the mud and from leaf to leaf on both of the plants that I was unable to acquire a close look to be able to identify this type of multicellular organism. The next time I observe my Micro Aquarium the organisms should have calmed down and settled into their new environment for me to get a close look to verify what type of organisms they are (Evert and Eichhorn) (McFarland and Cook).