Animal Behavior Lab

Abstract:

In order to determine how test how terrestrial isopods (pill bugs) respond to different environments and to see which ones they preferred, we tested different factors such as moisture, color, and scent. In each experiment, we used circular behavior chambers lined with filter paper adding water for the first test, blue/green rocks for the second test, and ammonia for the third test.  Ten pill bugs were then added to the chambers, and ever thirty seconds for seven minutes, we recorded the number of bugs in each section of the behavior chamber.  The first test, with one dry side and one wet side, showed that pill bugs prefer to be in dry conditions. The second test, with one side covered in blue rocks and one side covered in green rocks, showed the pill bugs shows no significant preference on color. The final test, with one dry side and one side covered in ammonia, showed that the pill bugs prefer unscented environment.

Background:

Behavior is the way in which something moves, reacts, or acts on its own and towards others. The study of animal behavior is called ethology, and requires the use of proximate and ultimate questions about behavior. Proximate questions ask for an explanation of immediate causes and factors, whereas ultimate questions ask for more of a long-term “bigger-picture” cause. In regard to pill bugs, an example of an proximate question would be, “Which area do the bugs prefer – wet or dry?” An example of an ultimate question would be, “Why does the pill bug prefer the dry conditions?” Fixed action patterns are the innate, instinctive behaviors and actions that animals are stimulated to complete, but have never been taught. An example of a fixed action pattern is the Greylag Goose’s action of egg rolling. When one of the goose’s eggs rolls out of the nest (stimulus), the goose instinctively rolls it back into the nest (response). Though these behaviors are not taught, many animal behaviors are learned. When an animal learns as response to a certain stimulus at a young age it is then “imprinted” with that response to a stimulus of the same characteristic.  Young geese will imprint based on the characteristics of the species around which it is raised, which means they can be imprinted on humans or any other species different than its own. A proximate cause for this could be that young geese just need something to follow and imitate so they look to and learn from whoever is closest. An ultimate cause could be that geese would not know how to survive or respond to certain stimuli and need someone to teach them in order to survive.  This specific response to a stimulus is called taxis, while kinesis is a random, undirected movement in response to a specific stimulus.  In our lab, the pill bugs were just randomly moving around until they found a condition they found acceptable, which is an example of kinesis. They were not specifically running away or towards the stimulus, so it was not an example of taxis. Responses to stimuli can further be categorized into classical conditions and operant conditioning. The difference between them is that classical conditioning requires a connection between an involuntary response and a stimulus, while operant conditions requires a connection between a voluntary action as the stimulus and the resulting consequence. For example, when we salivate while waiting for food to be served (an involuntary response to a stimulus) that is classical conditioning. When a dog fetches a toy in order to get a treat from his owner (a voluntary response for a resulting consequence), than is an example of operant conditioning.

Hypothesis:

Test 1: With the choice between dry and wet environments, pill bugs will choose the wet area because pill bugs are normally found in moist areas.

Test 2: With the choice between blue and green rock environments, pill bugs will show no clear choice, because pill bugs have minimal vision and cannot distinguish between the colors.

Test 3: With the choice between dry and ammonia covered environments, pill bugs will choose the dry environment because pill bugs’ normal conditions do not include the scent of ammonia.

Materials:

Part 1:

- 10 pill bugs

- 1 behavior chamber

- 2 pieces filter paper

- brushes

- 5 mL water

- clock/timer

Part 2:

- 10 pill bugs

- 1 behavior chamber

- 2 pieces filter paper

- brushes

- small cup blue rocks

- small cup green rocks

- clock/timer

Part 3:

- 10 pill bugs

- 1 behavior chamber

- 2 pieces filter paper

- brushes

- 5 mL ammonia

- clock/timer

Procedure:

Part 1:

Place a piece of filter paper in each side of the behavior chamber. On one side, wet the filter paper with water completely. Leave the other side dry. Using the brushes, move the pill bugs into the center of the chamber. Cover the chamber and start the timer. Uncover the chamber every thirty seconds and record how many bugs are on each side of the container. Repeat for 7 minutes.

Part 2:

Place a piece of filter paper in each side of the behavior chamber. On one side, cover the filter paper completely with blue rocks. On the other side, cover the filter paper completely with green rocks. Using the brushes, move the pill bugs into the center of the chamber. Cover the chamber and start the timer. Uncover the chamber every thirty seconds and record how many bugs are on each side of the container. Repeat for 7 minutes.

Part 3:

Place a piece of filter paper in each side of the behavior chamber. On one side, wet the filter paper with ammonia completely. Leave the other side dry.  Using the brushes, move the pill bugs into the center of the chamber. Cover the chamber and start the timer. Uncover the chamber every thirty seconds and record how many bugs are on each side of the container. Repeat for 7 minutes.

Results:

Part 1:

Most of the bugs either didn’t move at all or stayed on the dry side, showing that the pill bugs likely prefer wet to dry environments.

Time (min)	# in dry chamber	# in wet chamber
0	0	10
0.5	1	9
1.0	0	10
1.5	0	10
2.0	0	10
2.5	0	10
3.0	0	10
3.5	0	10
4.0	0	10
4.5	0	10
5.0	0	10
5.5	0	10
6.0	0	10
6.5	0	10
7.0	0	10

Part 2:

Hardly any changes took place, so pill bugs do not show a strong preference to a certain colored environment.

Time (min)	# in blue chamber	# in green chamber
0	5	5
0.5	6	4
1.0	6	4
1.5	6	4
2.0	6	4
2.5	6	4
3.0	6	4
3.5	6	4
4.0	6	4
4.5	6	4
5.0	6	4
5.5	6	4
6.0	6	4
6.5	7	3
7.0	7	3

Part 3:

Though the results varied, many of the bugs in the ammonia chamber moved into the dry chamber, showing that pill bugs preferred the dry environment.

Time (min)	# in dry chamber	# in ammonia chamber
0	0	10
0.5	4	6
1.0	6	6
1.5	5	5
2.0	5	5
2.5	3	7
3.0	5	5
3.5	5	5
4.0	5	5
4.5	6	4
5.0	6	4
5.5	3	7
6.0	4	6
6.5	5	5
7.0	5	5

Conclusion:

In this lab, our results for the three different environments showed that pill bugs prefer dry, unscented conditions and do not have a preference towards color.  The first test between dry and wet conditions gave surprising results since pill bugs are usually found in moist areas. The second test between green and blue colored environments coincided with our hypothesis as pill bugs’ poor eyesight causes them to not have a preference on the color of their environment. The third test between dry and ammonia-soaked conditions also supported our hypothesis, because the pill bugs did not prefer the strongly scented environment which contrasts to their normal living conditions.  Source of error could have come from the many pill bugs that landed on their backs and were struggling to make it right-side up and our own difficulty in making sure each side of the chamber was fully covered in whichever factor we were testing.

Analysis Questions:

1. What conclusions do you draw from your data? Explain physiological reasons for the behavior observed in this activity?

From our data, we can conclude the pill bugs prefer dry, unscented conditions but don’t have a preference on the color of their surroundings. Reasons for this are discussed in my hypotheses and conclusion.

2. How do isopods locate appropriate environments?

They move around until they find conditions that they consider suitable.

3. If you suddenly turn a rock over and found isopods under it, what would you expect them to be doing? If you watch the isopods for a few minutes, how would you expect to see their behavior change.

When the rock is first uncovered, I would expect the isopods just to be still and not doing anything.  After watching for a few minutes, the isopods would likely start moving around to search for conditions they find more suitable.

4. Is the isopod’s response to moisture best classified as kinesis, or taxis? Explain your response.

Their response is best classified as kinesis, as they did not directly move to the dry side but rather moved around randomly until they found it.

5. Identify the control(s), independent variable, and dependent variable in this experiment and explain why you have identified the factor you chose as each.

Since nothing was changed about the dry chamber, that was the control. The independent variables were the factors that were tested in each. For example, in part 1, the independent variable was moisture. The dependent variable was the number of pill bugs that we recorded every thirty seconds. This was the dependent variable because it was being altered by the independent variable.

Immune System QUIZ

Here's the question for our Immune System Quiz:

An important defense against disease in vertebrate animals is the ability to eliminate, inactivate, or destroy foreign substances and organisms. Explain how the immune system achieves all the following.
1) Provides an immediate nonspecific immune response
2) Activates T and B cells in response to an infection
3) Responds to a later exposure to the same infectious agent
4) Distinguishes self from nonself

__________________________________________________________

1) First, our bodies have physical barriers, such as skin and clots, to protect us against pathogens. Saliva, mucous, vomiting, and diarrhea help to partially get rid of anything harmful that has entered our bodies. Chemical barriers such as salts and acids also help to breakdown harmful, foreign substances. Inflammatory responses (the dilation of blood vessels) help stimulate fever and changing body temperature to increasing clotting and white blood cells production. Cell interferons from infected cells provide stimulation for production of chemicals for inhibition of viral reproduction.

2) White blood cells begin to "eat" the pathogens and display the antigens on the body of the macrophages, signaling for T and B cells. The antigen activates and helper T cells. The antigen binds to B cells and activates B cells. The helper T cells then activates the B cell and/or cytotoxic T cells. It is Interleukin 1 from the macrophages that activate helper T cells and Interleukin 2 and cytokines from helper T cells activate B cells or cytotoxic T cells. T cells either become memory T cells or killer T cells. Memory T cells take note of the pathogen and store that in the blood so that if the same pathogen entered the body again, the body will be able to recognize it.  The killer T cells are the ones that go and destroy the pathogen.  The B cells can either become memory B cells, which function like memory T cells, or they can become plasma B cells that that produce antibodies that can attach on to and weaken the antigens of a pathogen.

3) As discussing in number 2, memory T and B cells stored information for recognition of pathogens in the blood stream.  Each memory cell is specific to the same previously encountered antigen.  Since the body has previously had to fight against the recognized antigen, the memory cells have greater power against the antigen and and are able to respond faster and to a greater extent.  Therefore, secondary immune response is stronger due to increased strength and concentration of memory cells and due to complex cytokines.

4) Each cell has a unique marker such as specific proteins, cytokines, glycoproteins, etc. In bone marrow and in the thymus, antigen receptors are tested and the binding stimulates an immune response. There self-antigen receptors are eliminated or inactivated.

Unit8 Mindmap 2

The second of my mind maps for Unit 8 combines information from Unit 8 will topics from several previous units. This map also especially helps review the muscular system relates to homeostasis, which is something we just learned about and to review how all the other systems are in someway involved. (Again, sorry for my small handwriting)

Unit8 Mind Map 1

The first of my mind maps for Unit 8 is one incorporating Calcium/Homeostasis and also two review areas for protein synthesis and Glucose. The part on Calcium helps organize the new information on Calcium that was taught this chapter. The two review areas help remind me of past topics and connections. All of this also helps me review information discussed in the next mind map I will post which combines all of Unit 8 information along with topics discussed in many previous units. (Sorry for my bad/small handwriting!)

Epinephrine

     Epinephrine, which is also commonly known as adrenaline, is a hormone and neurotransmitter that is produced in the in inner part of the adrenal gland, called the medulla.  Epinephrine is a positive feedback loop, meaning that it increases system output in contrast to a negative feedback loop, which would decrease it.  Any hormone produced by the adrenal gland is called a catecholamine.  Epinephrine is derived from tyrosine, an amino acid.  Epinephrine is a hydrophilic, water-soluble hormone that can diffuse through the plasma of blood but not through plasma membranes of cells.  Instead, they attach to receptor proteins on the cell surface and activate secondary messengers.

     Our bodies use epinephrine in our “fight or flight response.” Fight or flight response occurs when a person is subjected to threat. This prompts a signaling process that causes our bodies to react to the danger. When a threat is received, a signal is sent to the brain, and the brain then sends impulses to the adrenal glands in the kidneys.  Once this signal reaches the adrenal glands, the medulla releases epinephrine into the bloodstream.  Carried around to various cells in the body, epinephrine initiates several responses, but the collective purpose is to provide energy so that our major body muscles can respond to the perceived threat.  The four main areas epinephrine affects are the liver, lungs, skin, and heart. In the liver, epinephrine, along with the hormone glucagon, breaks down glycogen and thus releases stored energy.  In the lungs, epinephrine causes smooth muscles and thus the bronchioles to relax, enabling intensified respiration. In the skin, epinephrine bonds to alpha-adrenergic receptors inhibiting blood supply to the skin and also contracts smooth muscle cells in skin to raise hairs on the skin’s surface. Finally, in the heart, epinephrine binds to beta-epinephrine receptors on heart muscle cells, increasing heart contraction rate and thus leading to increased blood supply to body tissues.

Forensics Quiz

The bullet entered on the lateral side and traveled through the frontal plane on a 45 degree angle. First, the bullet likely went past the 8th rib and fractured it. The bullet was misdirected from the impact and came out around the umbilical region. The bullet would've gone through the heart causing massive internal bleeding, which would've caused the death. This diagnosis is best as it provides a short route for the bullet and is most plausible in route.

Other possible diagnoses:

1) Death from obstructed breathing: this diagnosis is implausible because with the suggested path of the bullet based on the injuries, the bullet would have not passed through the lungs. 

2) As the exit wound shows signs of a fragmented bullet, one possible diagnosis is that the bullet split up and damaged a wide range of organs, causing massive organ failure and eventual death. This theory could be checked by thoroughly checking all organs for signs of bullet penetration.

3) It is possible that the bullet would've fractured multiple ribs and perhaps affected the pelvic bone or spinal cord, causing the man to fall to the ground and not be able to get to help before bleeding to death. This could be again be check by thorough checking all ribs, bones, and surrounding area.

Lab Report: Cell Respiration

Abstract: In this lab, we tested if/how temperature affects the rate of cell respiration.  We used yeast -adding sucrose, warm water, and salt to induce cell respiration - and testing 3 different vials, each at different temperatures. Attached to each vial was a syringe and tubing used to check how much carbon dioxide was released through cell respiration. Although several factors affected the results of our experiment, our results showed that an increase in temperature initially increased the rate of cell respiration.

Introduction: In cell respiration, chemical energy from glucose is transferred into ATP.
The glucose is converted to ATP through a series of three steps called Glycolysis, The Krebs Cycle, and the Electron Transport System.  The formula for cellular respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6H2O + 6CO2 + ATP. This lab is designed to measure the CO2 produced from this reaction in order to proportionately measure the rate of cellular respiration.

Hypothesis: Compared to the control test tube at room temperature, the heated test tube will produce more CO2 and thus have a higher respiration rate, because at a higher temperature there is higher molecular movement that would increased the reaction rate. Accordingly, the chilled test tube will produce less CO2 and have a slower respiration rate, because at lower temperature there is slower molecular movment.

Materials:  

1. 105 mL warm water
2. 3g yeast
3. 3g sucrose
4. 0.3g salt
5. Beaker
6. Hot plate
7. Ice bucket
8. Scale
9. Stopwatch
10. 3 vials
11. 3 syringes
12. Graduated cylinder

Procedure:

1. Pour 35mL of water into each of the 3 vials.
2. Add 1.0g sucrose into each vial.
3. Add 0.1g salt into each vial.
4. Cover, shake, and then uncover each vial. Let them sit for 5 minutes.
5. Plug each tube with the stoppers attached to the syringes. 
6. Pull up each syringe to the 2mL mark.
7. Place each vial in their respective temperature conditions and start the stopwatch.
8. Record the new volume of CO2 in the syringe after every minute. After every recording, lightly press the syringe down.
9. Graph data.

Results: 

Conclusion:

     

     Our experimental results supported our hypothesis completely. The yeast in the heated vial produced the most  CO2 and therefore had the highest respiration rate. Conversely, the yeast in the chilled vial produced the least CO2 and had the lowest respiration rate. Although these results were what was expected, several sources of error might have affected our experimental results. The most prominent error was that the heated vial exploded and overflowed in the early part of the experiment. Therefore the CO2 volume readings are inaccurate, but should be around the correct range. Another source of error came from difficulty using the syringes and getting them to come back up after pressing down after each reading. 

Works Cited:

 Quick, Kevin, Holly, Kiamanesh, Rosie Montague, Jennifer Blanchette, and Barbara Akre. The Webb Schools Honors Biology Textbook. Claremont; CK-12 Foundation, 2012. eBook.