Upon first observation of my microaquarium it looked exactly the same, but under microscope there was plenty action taking place! First of all, I noticed a ton of small dots I identified as cyanobacteria and various smaller protists in the open areas between the plants. These small bacteria were only visible under the strongest magnification, so singular-celled bacteria was a given. I also noticed an amoeba which appeared to be a larger bag of black dots. Amoeba come in many shapes and forms, but are mostly identified by their clear body and prominent brown nuclei. They are heterotrophs that make their own food through a process known as phagocytosis. The amoeba was not moving, so I did not even think it was an organism, but under further examination I saw it was just slightly moving. One of the most interesting objects I saw was a Rotifer. Rotifers are micro-animals with wheel like system that pushes them through the water while also sucking in particles for food. This organism was the largest that I have seen in my ecosystem so far. It was enclosed in a clear gelatinous tube with swivels on the sides to help it move around. The last organism I identified to be a Vorticella, a protist that was barely moving but had a long clear flagella sticking out from beneath the plants. Vorticella is a type of protozoa that resembles an inverted bell shape with a long stalk. They are commonly found in freshwater environments, such as ponds and lakes. Most of the organisms in my microaqurium are single-celled protists, some with flagella and cilates.
Bibliography:
Rainis, KG. Russell, BJ. 1996. A Guide to Microlife. 1st ed. Franklin Watts Publishing Company.
No comments:
Post a Comment