Fifth Week

My aquarium hasn't changed much from last week. Although, I didn't see some organisms like the lachrymaria. And there is either a new rotifer or on old one that has changed appearance.

Amoeba
I was able to see the amoeba again. I saw it once on the second week and hadn't seen it again since then. It doesn't seem to have grown larger.

Rotifer
I saw the usual rotifer, and a new one that looked just like it except it had longs spikes all over its back. The spikes were roughly the length of its body, and were curved. My instructor said he had never seen one like it before. It moves in the same manner as the one I've seen before without the spikes.

Vorticella
I only saw one of these again. I tapped on the slide again and it retracted like before. It has cilia in a ring around what I assume to be the mouth, that appear to spin. It was stationary, and appeared to be attached to a plant.

Euglenoid
There were many of them in my aquarium. They looked green in color. They are always moving which makes it hard to keep up with them. They are found all over the aquarium. They are green and contain chlorophyll.

Fourth Week

difflugia

scene of more difflugia

rotifer

Vorticella

I saw two or three vortecella in my aquarium. It is interesting how they hold onto a plant with a long, thin stalk. When I tap on the aquarium with a pen, it snaps down to the plant. Then it slowly uncoils the stalk to return to its original position.

Lacrymaria.

This is a fasinating organism. It has one cell in the center of its body, but its neck is so long that when it extends it, the neck is longer than the body. It is always moving around. It is found in the middle of my aquarium. The neck is several times longer than the body. It moves by extending its neck, and then contracting it so its body is pulled along.

Diatoms

These are still the most numerous organism in my aquarium. There are so many that sometimes I forget them simply because they are always there. It is suprising that I thought diatoms could not move, but then I saw one move and my instructor told me that they can move. Sometimes they are by themselves but most of the time they are in large groups. Sometimes they stick together in clumps.

Third Week

Diatoms (Bacillariphyta)
These are still the most numerous organism in the aquarium.
These are a major group of Eukaryotes.
They belong to a group of heterokonts including autotrophs and heterotrophs.
The lack flagella.
They have chlorophyll a and c, and carotenoids. This gives them their yellow and brown colors.

Classification of Diatoms
Domain = Eukaryotes
Kingdom = Chromalveolata
Phylum = Heterokontophyta
Class = Bacillariophycaea

Amoeba

These are Eukaryotes.
Amoeba are single celled organisms with no fixed shape.
It moves by changing its shape, by extending and contracting its cell wall in areas known as pseudopods.
Amoeba are clear, and lack chlorophyll.
Amoeba are large, and even visible without a microscope.
My amoeba is larger than any other organism in my aquarium.

This was in the middle and close to the bottom of the aquarium.
I only saw one.

Classification
Domain = Eukaryota
Kingdom = Amoebozoa
Phylum = Tubulinea
Order = Tubulinida
Family = Amoebidae
Genus = Amoeba


Citations
Cook, Rebecca et al. “Unit 5: Respiration.” General Botany 111 Laboratory Manual. Page 110.
Wikipedia. "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoeba".
Wikipedia. "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatom".