Another week has passed since I created my MicroAquarium. I saw some of the same types of organisms I observed in week 1, as well as some new discoveries. I noticed some changes to this little environment as a whole. Finally I added a food pellet before ending my observations.
I observed more of the small, dark, and round organisms I wrote about last week, as well as the tear-shaped organism.
Overall, there seemed to be less activity in the open water area. Many of the organisms seen moving around this open space in week 1, seem to have moved to the base of my aquarium. The "linear shaped creature, green in color" I observed in week 1, had moved below the sediment of my aquarium, and lined the bottom. I have done some research on this organism, and it turns out to be a type of algae. Therefore the green pigment I saw is evidence of chloroplasts, and photosynthetic behavior. I believe this particular type of organism is a "Desmid."
Soon after I found these Desmids, a much larger, faster organism passed under the microscope lens. It seemed to be a multi-cellular organism. I followed it around and watched it dive into the sediment of my aquarium. This was the largest organism observed thus far. Dr. McFarland helped me to identify this creature and said that it is called a "Cyclops."
Attached to Plant B were some pods or sacks with beautiful cell structures. Some appeared light green in color, and others appeared deep violet in color. Inside of them were very small, moving organisms. I learned that these were parts of this carnivorous plant, and that they actually trapped the organisms I observed, in order to take their nitrogen and provide it for the plant.
I observed couple clear organisms varying a little bit in shape. The first was lemon-shaped and had a tail-like physical trait. This may be a flagella. The second example was more free-formed in shape. It was longer than it was wide, and appeared to suck things up and spit them back out.
Finally, I caught a moving, green organism. It was moving fairly quickly and gracefully through my aquarium, in a spiraling motion. I have not been able to identify this organism yet, so for now it will remain my mystery organism.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Week 1
In Lab on Tuesday October 13, 2009, I set up my MicroAquarium. I used water from location 1. Tommy Schumpert Pond, Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, Kelly Lane , Knox Co. Tennessee. Partial shade exposure Sheet runoff around sink hole. N35 57.256 W83 41.503 947 ft 10/11/2009
Next, I placed plants labeled A and B into the MicroAquarium, one on the left and one to the right. Plant A is Amblystegium varium (Hedw.) Lindb. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/11/2009Plant B. Utricularia vulgaris L. Flowering
Plant B is a carnivous plant. Original material from south shore of Spain Lake (N 35o55 12.35" W088o20' 47.00), Camp Bella Air Rd. East of Sparta Tn. in White Co. and grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building. The University of Tennessee. Knox Co. Knoxville TN.
After the water and plants were inside my MicroAquarium, I was able to make a few observations with the microscope. The first thing I saw was a small, dark, and round organism moving through my MicroAquarium. At a magnification of 10x, I saw this organism spiraling in a S-shaped path. After this I continued to see many of these organisms throughout.
Next I saw a tear-shaped organism moving about the aquarium, until it came to a couple of unknown clusters. The clusters were dark and green. The tear shaped organism did not move from this spot, but every once in a while it would "jump" or "twitch." I only saw one other example of this organism. This second organism disappeared into the sediment at the base of the aquarium.
The third organism I observed was a linear shaped creature, green in color. I hypothesize that this organism contained chloroplast because of its color. It moved very slowly. Near the bottom of the aquarium there were many more of these organisms. Some were sticking in the sediment at the bottom of the aquarium, near plant A.
Next, I placed plants labeled A and B into the MicroAquarium, one on the left and one to the right. Plant A is Amblystegium varium (Hedw.) Lindb. Moss. Collection from: Natural spring. at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN. Partial shade exposure. N36 01.168 W83 42.832. 10/11/2009Plant B. Utricularia vulgaris L. Flowering
Plant B is a carnivous plant. Original material from south shore of Spain Lake (N 35o55 12.35" W088o20' 47.00), Camp Bella Air Rd. East of Sparta Tn. in White Co. and grown in water tanks outside of greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building. The University of Tennessee. Knox Co. Knoxville TN.
After the water and plants were inside my MicroAquarium, I was able to make a few observations with the microscope. The first thing I saw was a small, dark, and round organism moving through my MicroAquarium. At a magnification of 10x, I saw this organism spiraling in a S-shaped path. After this I continued to see many of these organisms throughout.
Next I saw a tear-shaped organism moving about the aquarium, until it came to a couple of unknown clusters. The clusters were dark and green. The tear shaped organism did not move from this spot, but every once in a while it would "jump" or "twitch." I only saw one other example of this organism. This second organism disappeared into the sediment at the base of the aquarium.
The third organism I observed was a linear shaped creature, green in color. I hypothesize that this organism contained chloroplast because of its color. It moved very slowly. Near the bottom of the aquarium there were many more of these organisms. Some were sticking in the sediment at the bottom of the aquarium, near plant A.
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