Nematode Collection lab
The nematode collection lab dealt with what nematodes are, where we can find them, and the use of basic lab materials. In the first day of the lab, we looked at a collection of nematodes known as C. Ellegans. These nematodes were raised in a lab and were breed with E-Coli strains. We also researched various things like the lifespans of these nematodes, the sex of the nematodes, and how big they grow to be. Some observations I got by looking at these lab raised nematodes is that they were not strong enough to break through small air bubbles and that the bodies of the nematodes are transparent, therefore allowing you to see any eggs they may have on the inside of them. Next, with a partner(Gillian Hooper) we went outside of our own school on a nematode hunt. We found nematodes from two places and put them inside a petri dish. Here are pictures of the places we found the samples and our petri dish along with explanations/descriptions of the places we found the samples:
Sample 1(Left side): Was collected from small irrigation holes at the front of the school. The specific hole that I got the sample from was directly facing the middle school from the pickup circle. The hole itself seemed quite damp, so I thought "Hey! This has to be a good place for a sample." Sadly it was not
Sample 2(Right Side): Was collected from muddy dirt on the back left corner of the village if facing the front doors of the middle school. This was located to the back left side of the lunch tables about a foot from a large rock. This was very damp and we thought that nematodes may reside here due to their fondness of chilly places. Below you can see our petri dish(the one on the top is from Sample 2, the one of the bottom is from Sample 1).
Sample 2(Right Side): Was collected from muddy dirt on the back left corner of the village if facing the front doors of the middle school. This was located to the back left side of the lunch tables about a foot from a large rock. This was very damp and we thought that nematodes may reside here due to their fondness of chilly places. Below you can see our petri dish(the one on the top is from Sample 2, the one of the bottom is from Sample 1).
In Sample 2, we found one large nematode! This nematode was uncovered by looking at the sample under a microscope. I conclude that the nematode was in this area because it is cold and damp, as well as the fact that a large amount of bacteria probably resided there. These nematodes can be quick moving in some cases , which may make it hard to make a lot of observations about them. This nematode looked very similar to the one we saw that was raised in a lab. It is very interesting to look at all of the weird things that we overlook or ignore every single day.