Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Starting MicroAquarium

The water source I used to create an environment in my MicroAquarium was labeled as number 9. I then placed two different samples of plant life, Plant A and Plant B. Plant A appeared to be thicker like moss, while Plant B was long, thin, and stringy. Along the bottom of the aquarium, a thin layer of muck/mud was carefully placed...enough to provide some nutrients and shelter, but not enough to obstruct viewing and observation.

After completing the set up of the MicroAquarium, I then observed it under a light microscope at 4x and 10x magnification. A multitude of creatures were seen swimming about, and the following inadequate/uneducated descriptions will be an attempt to describe them:
-a linear, worm-like organism was observed flailing about along the edges of the plant material; it was slighty tan in color, but see-through. It seem to contort and contract it's body to move quickly about. There were two observed during class time.
- a large, round, bulbous organism moved very slowly along the outer edges of the plant life; it was densely packed with a multitude of smaller compartments or particles; it seemed to move with the help of radiating little fingers/cilia
- an oval, mid-sized individual moved quickly through the water with the help of a distinct tail; it was clearish with an obvious red nucleus (perhaps); could possibly have been a Rotifer
- several long, multi-celled, chain-like organisms were observed. movement was undetectable and some were filled with chlorophyll green; some floated free while others extended off of plant material

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