Relay Race Trivia: Biology & Lab Basics

1. Relay Race Trivia:Biology & Lab Basics ETEAMS 2014 By: Kelly Correia & Kaitlyn Schroeder-Spain

2. Introduction • Discuss topics and information relevant to ecotoxicology project and basic/general biology • Expect this material to show-up in the trivia section of the relay race!! • Topics include: • Common glassware & use • Laboratory equipment & use • Anatomy: Male vs. Female Blue Crabs • Basic Biology Review

3. Volumetric Flask • Aka a measuring flask • Usually pear shaped • Used to obtain a precise & accurate volume of a solution • Mixing: insert cap, secure with parafilm, and invert • Range of sizes, commonly 25 mL – 2 L

4. Petri Dish • Also called a cell culture dish. Consists of a plate + lid • Commonly used in microbiology laboratories and courses • Microbiological cultures can be grown in petri dishes of differing sizes • Often have a thin layer of growth medium, ex: agar

5. Beakers • Commonly used in laboratoriesfor stirring, mixing and heating liquids • Not used to measure precise volumes • Large range of sizes: milliliters to liters

6. Graduated Cylinder  20 mL • Used to measure solution volume • More accurate and precise method of measurement than beakers • Less accurate and precise than volumetric glassware or volumetric pipettes • Meniscus: the curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube. Bottom of Meniscus is used for measurements; should sit directly on the mark

7. Pipettes • Several types, but all used to measure relatively small amounts of solutions and samples. Some are disposable, others only partly. Disposable pipettes -similar to “droppers” -Plastic - Often used only once - For small samples & crude measurements Pasteur Pipette -Blubs may be reused, or not -Glass is disposable -Crude, small measurements Volumetric Pipette (+ bulb) -Blubs reusable -Glass disposable -marked like graduate cylinder

8. Micropipettes • Non-disposable; provide the highest degree of precision and accuracy • Can be single-channel or multi-channel • Pipette tips: • Are disposable • Can be sterile (usually boxed) or non-sterile (usually in a bag) • Come in a variety of sizes, depending on pipette & volume of sample Multichannel pipette

9. Micropipette Use: Basics • Each brand is slightly different, but also similar • Sample Volume: will determine the pipette and tip size used (Table 1) • Change volume: turn plunger OR a separate knob; often you’ll hear a clicking sound • Eject tips: push eject button • Pipetting session will provide actual training

10. Confirm range: labeled on plunger & often one side • Range will determine decimal places, do not rely on colors for determination • Note: knobs turn beyond their range, and can break How To Read a Micropipette

11. How To Read a Micropipette, Example # 2

12. Conversions (self study/Reference) • Expect to convert between different volumes of solutions • Practice and review will be covered during pipetting and graduated cylinder sessions

13. Stir Bar & Stir Plates • Both are used to mix a solution thoroughly • Help avoid and/or assist manual stirring • Stir bars are magnetic, plastic and reusable; come in a variety of sizes and shapes • Stir plate is also magnetic, to move stir bar • Stir bar is gently dropped into a solution and placed on stir plate; plates have several speeds • Use a Stir Bar Stick or Retriever to remove stir bar from solution (also magnetic) Stir bars (above) Stir Bar Stick/Retriever (right) Stir plates

14. Hot Plate & Stirrer/Hot Plate Combo • Hot Plate (alone) • Used to heat a solution, often to assist with mixing (increase solubility) • Turn dial to change heat level • Stirrer/Hot Plate (combo) • Used to mix AND heat a solutions, • Turn separate dials to change heat level and stirring speed

15. Centrifuges • Used to separate samples by weight, size • Can be “micro” (table top) or very large • As rotor spins heavier particles separate on bottom of centrifuge tube • Produces a supernatant & a pellet, which can be separated, re-suspended (pellet), and spun at higher speeds if necessary • Centrifuge speed varies with size of centrifuge rotor and can vary with overall size • Desired molecules, enzymes, etc. will determine speed necessary for separation

16. Seawater & Salinity • Salinity “units” • Oceanic World avg. 35.5 PSU • PSU = practical salinity scale • Estimate of ionic content • 1 PSU = 1 g/kg • Old method: expressed as %, or ppt (parts per trillion). Known as Knudsen salinities. • Laguna Madre = unique! Hypersaline Lagoon • Blue crab tanks are kept at 18-20 PSU • Measure salinity using the refractometer • What salinity is the image showing on the left?

17. Part II:Basic Biology & Information Relevant to Ecotoxicology Project

18. Crab Sex Identification • Abdominal apron, or flap, is shaped differently for ♀ & ♂ • ♀: upside down “U” = mature; upside down “v” immature • ♂: pillar shape, & slender entire life cycle • Claws different colors • Immature ♀,♂: claws appear greenish/white, with hot pink dots • Mature ♀: claws are bright orange / red • Immature ♂: claws are blue, sometimes greenish-blue

19. Female Blue Crabs (FYI) • Abdominal apron, or flap, is used to carry eggs

20. Plant VS Animal Cell (Major Differences) • Animal cells: no cell wall; can have flagella, cilia & lysosomes • Plants: cell wall, chloroplasts

21. DNA Structure • Genetic information for all living things • Humans have 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs • 1 pair sex chromosomes • 22 pairs = autosomes • Meiosis • 24,000 genes ( = 2% of entire DNA) • 95 % identical to chimpanzee • ~ 50 % identical to bananas

22. RNA Structure

23. 5 Kingdoms of all living things • Monera (includes Eubacteria and Archeobacteria) • Protista • Fungi • Plantae • Animalia

24. Stages of Mitosis (IPMAT) *Be able to put images of Mitosis in order for relay race

25. Structure of a water molecule Be able to draw or create a water molecule, including charges and bonds Water = 2 Hydrogen atoms covalently bonded with Oxygen Water is bipolar because: • electronegativity of Oxygen + electropositivity of 2 Hydrogen atoms Bonds between water molecules = hydrogen bonds

26. Key Scientists:People & Works to Know • Carl Linnaeus • Charles Darwin • Louis Pasteur • Gregor Mendel • Watson and Crick (+Franklin) • Rachel Carson

27. Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778) • “father of biological systematics and nomenclature” • He invented the modern classification system of living organisms • Binomial nomenclature • e.g., blue crabs = Callinectes sapidus

28. Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) • Naturalist and Geologist • Voyage of the Beagle (1831 – 1836) • Origin of Species (1859) • Theory of Evolution • all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors

29. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) • Chemists and microbiologist • Created first vaccinations for rabies and anthrax • Primary founder of microbiology (along with Cohn & Koch) • Proved that most infectious diseases are caused by micro-organisms • Known as the germ theory of disease • Developed pasteurization process • Prevent milk and wine from becoming contaminated with bacteria

30. Gregor Mendel (1822 – 1884) • Most known for his famous hereditary experiments with pea plants (1856-1853) • Mendelian Laws of Inheritance, work with peas and flowers; studied phenotypes of several generations • Discovered the basics of Genetics by crossing/mating peas with different physical traits

31. James Watson (1928 - ) and Francis Crick(1916-2004) + Rosalind Franklin (1920 -1958) • Watson (left) & Crick (Right) worked at Cambridge University • Discovered & published DNA structure (1953) • Attended Franklin’s lecture • Rosalind, with others (Wilkins), worked at King’s College • She studied x-ray diffraction of DNA, helped ID phosphate “bone” and helix structure • 1962: Watson, Crick, and Wilkins won the Nobel Prize for physiology/medicine • Franklin died in 1958; no posthumous prizes

32. Rachel Carson (1907-1964) • Author, Silent Spring(1963) and several other books • Focused on effects of DDT and other pesticides • One of the most influential people of the 20th century • Famous for advancing the global environmental movement