Blog Entry 5

Today during my observation I found another rotifer.  I decided to look more in depth on what a rotifer is and this is what I discovered.  Rotifers are some of the more common microorganisms that are found in just about any source of fresh water.  According to Science Daily, they can be free swimming and truly planktonic, or move in an inchworm manner (Science Daily, 2013).  Also I wanted this to be kind of a wrap up for all of the blog posts.  I have here another picture of the flatworm and its development.




Here is another picture of the whole thing



And a close up of the moss and how much it has grown.



Science Daily [Internet] Rotifers [cited 11/18/2013]
Available at:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/r/rotifer.htm

Blog Entry Four

During this observation, things seemed largely unchanged after last weeks observation.  Although I think this is due to the Beta Food Pellet already taking its toll, there was sure to be some growth over the week.  During this weeks observation I observed what was know as diatom.  This organism did not move at all, but its insides seemed to move around quite a bit.  The one I observed was pen-like.  According to Microscopy UK, these are the more common diatoms found in freshwater. (Microscopy UK 1995).


Microscopy-UK [Internet] Diatoms [cited 11/18/2013]. Available at:  http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/diadr.html
 

Blog Entry Three

Today, when observing the microaquarium, I noticed what is identified as a paramecia.  These things kind of just moved around the whole thing, and didn't really stay in one spot.  Paramecia, according to the University of Massachusetts Ameherst, "are unicellular microorganisms belonging to the protoctist phylum Ciliophora. Members of this phylum (ciliates) are characterized by their external covering of continuously beating, hair-like cilia. Cilia are motility organelles homologous to the undulating tails of sperm cells and the epithelial cilia which line our respiratory tracts," (University of Massachusetts Ameherst, 1997).

Also, Prof. McFarland added a food pellet to the aquarium.  According to his blog, this is "Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%."(McFarland 2013).  

Blog Entry Two

Today, while observing my MicroAquarium, I found a roundworm.  Roundworms are also known as nematodes.  When they are found in freshwater, they are almost always less than a centimeter long.  The one I found was at the bottom of the aquarium, burrowing in some dirt.  It was hanging out in a tube, and was trying to move it around.  Its mouth was a sucker, and was consuming things it found in the dirt.  According to Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States, a roundworm's mouth is "characteristically surrounded by lips, each with a small papilla on its summits,"(Pennak, 1989).  Papilla, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "a small projecting body part similar to a nipple in form," (Merriam-Webster, 2013).

Here is the roundworm that I observed, just hanging out in a tube.

Blog Entry One

Set Up

To set up the MicroAquarium, there were already prepared materials.  These included a pre-made plexiglass slide, a base to stand it up, and a cap.  We started out by putting a coded set of stickers on the aquarium, so we could identify each of our own.

Water Source

The water source I used in my aquarium was from the Holston River.  This is along the John Sevier Highway, underneath the I40 Bridge. (McFarland, 2013)

Plants

I added two types of plants.  The first was Utricularia Gibba from Spain lake, Camp Bella.  The second was from the Holton River, and was called Fontinalis Sp.  (McFarland, 2013)

Organisms

There were two different organisms that I viewed.  The first one I couldn't identify.  It moved very quickly, and never slowed down enough for me to see it.  The second is what our instructor called a rotifer.  It was a semi-transparent organism, with one end being the mouth.  It was worm like in my opinion.  It hung out around the mosses.