Biology 3920, Animal Physiology

1. Form a group of 1-3 people to work on a special project of your own design.
2. Design and carry out a physiological experiment to be due at the end of the quarter. Prepare a report (either as a group or as individuals) and turn it in.
3. I want you have the opportunity to design your own experiment.
4. The experiment should involve at least 6 hours of lab time.
5. I expect you to repeat the experiment a second time if it "does not work" the first time. If fails to work the second, so be it. That sometimes is the way of science (but you would still be expected to do a lab report of procedures and report what data was obtained, discuss how the experiment could be improved with infinite time and money, and do a literature research on similar experiments).
6. The report should include: A. Introduction, B. Methods and Procedures, C. Results and Data, D. Discussion, E. Conclusion, F. Bibliography (if appropriate).

Available animals:

Those that can be sacrificed:

minnows, chubs, gold fish

mice, gerbil, hamster

meadow vole (visioned and/or blind)

frog

African clawed frog tadpoles

meal worms

duck

brine shrimp

turtle

earth worms

gall fly larvae

insects

If there is assurance there is no harm done to the animal, we can also use:

snakes

finches

parakeets.

human

We could also possibly use animals at the experiment station such as:

cows

sheep

horse

pigs

I can order certain other animals as well

Available Equipment:

Serial Box transducers:

Pressure transducer for metabolism measurements.

Photocells

pH electrode

Heart Monitor

Motion detector

Oxygen electrode

Thermistors, thermometers

Strain gauge

Other

Time Lapse Equipment

Running wheels

Luminometer (sensitive light measurement)

LVDT linear transducer

Laser

Ideas:

You may get some ideas from the Scientific American reports you will hear. There are lab manuals available in the lab with some ideas. Here are a couple of ideas I have:

1. Circadian rhythms (on any animal listed above) (movement, temperature, drinking, oxygen uptake, weight change, ...)(we have a couple of neat gizmos that might help here including a time lapse video and motion detecting computer).
2. Phototaxis, chemotaxis, ... of blow fly larvae, brine shrimp, minnows, ....
3. Chromatophore movements in minnow and frog skins in response to chemicals, temperature, time of day, ...
4. Hormone tests on African clawed frogs.
5. Temperature changes in muscles as they react.
6. Heart rate relative to size in fish.
7. Organ size relative to body size in fish.
8. Is there circadian control of gall fly larvae emergence?
9. Respiration of fertile egg
10. Embryo search and chromosomal squash in mouse.

11. Regeneration in a freshwater worm.

12. Cardiovascular work on human and another animal.

13. Active transport in Insect Malpighian tubules.