Introduction: The ultimate goal of this laboratory experiment was to have a better understanding of phagocytosis and how certain factors may affect the rate of phagocytosis. The first part of the experiment was to test the effects of both concentrations of India ink, and feeding status on the rate of phagocytosis. Through this testing one can identify the conditions necessary to obtain the highest rate of phagocytosis. The second part of this lab was taking the variables that maximize the rate of phagocytosis (which we found in the first part of this experiment), and adding different chemical and environmental factors to see their effect on phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is an extremely important apparatus used by many organisms. Protozoans use
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Tetrahymenas are freshwater ciliated protozoan and are the ideal candidates for the study of cells for students (Bozzone 1). Another benefit of using tetrahymena is that they can be easily grown in a lab. These eukaryotes are found in fresh water ponds, streams, and lakes (Ciliate Genomic Consortium). Phagocytosis carried out by only a few organisms that are specialized for the uptake of large particles from the environment (Karp 315). The tertrahymena feeds by undertaking phagocytosis. The oral groove has specialized cilia that can manipulate food into the oral groove and create a food vacuole (Gray). Phagocytosis starts when segments of the plasma membrane invaginate to form cytoplasmic vesicles that are transported into the cell interior (Karp 303). The vesicle then pinches off inwardly from the plasma membrane (Karp 315). Microfilaments in the plasma membrane (such as actin) extend into the cytosol to help aid the process of phagocytosis (Reaven). The phagosome will then fuse with a lysosome to form the phagolysosome. The lysosomes are the cell’s digestive organelles (Karp 303). The lysosome contains at least 50 different hydrolytic enzymes (hydrolytic enzymes are produced in the endoplasmic reticulum, and are transported to the lysosome) and lysosmal enzymes (Karp 303). These two enzymes together can break almost all macromolecules (Karp 303). In this mechanism the particle that was ingested is degraded (Gray). The …show more content…
Before doing any steps, a chart was made to tell us what to do at a certain time. This is because every part of this experiment had to be completed within our lab time. After the chart was made the first step was put the cultures in mircrocentrufuge tubes. The 0.2mL of well-fed tetrahymena were placed into the first three microcentrifuges and then the last three microcentrifugewere filled with 0.2mL of starved tetrahymena. Then we started adding the ink. The first ink that was added was 0.2mL of 1% India ink to the well-fed mircocentrifuge tube. After adding the ink we waited two minutes before we put ink in the next microcentrifuge, and this carried out for the entire experiment. The next well fed mircrocentrufuge tube got 0.2mL of 5% India ink. The last mircrocentrufuge tube of well-fed tetrahymena received 0.2mL of 10% of India ink. Then 1% of India ink was placed in the fourth microcentrifuge, which contained starved tetrahymena. After the fifth microcentrifuge got 5% of India ink. Lastly the sixth microcentrifuge got 10% of India ink. Every 2,5,10,20,30 minutes after the ink was placed in the microcentrifuge a slide was made for that sample. To make the slides we took 20 microliters out of the
Tetrahymenas are freshwater ciliated protozoan and are the ideal candidates for the study of cells for students (Bozzone 1). Another benefit of using tetrahymena is that they can be easily grown in a lab. These eukaryotes are found in fresh water ponds, streams, and lakes (Ciliate Genomic Consortium). Phagocytosis carried out by only a few organisms that are specialized for the uptake of large particles from the environment (Karp 315). The tertrahymena feeds by undertaking phagocytosis. The oral groove has specialized cilia that can manipulate food into the oral groove and create a food vacuole (Gray). Phagocytosis starts when segments of the plasma membrane invaginate to form cytoplasmic vesicles that are transported into the cell interior (Karp 303). The vesicle then pinches off inwardly from the plasma membrane (Karp 315). Microfilaments in the plasma membrane (such as actin) extend into the cytosol to help aid the process of phagocytosis (Reaven). The phagosome will then fuse with a lysosome to form the phagolysosome. The lysosomes are the cell’s digestive organelles (Karp 303). The lysosome contains at least 50 different hydrolytic enzymes (hydrolytic enzymes are produced in the endoplasmic reticulum, and are transported to the lysosome) and lysosmal enzymes (Karp 303). These two enzymes together can break almost all macromolecules (Karp 303). In this mechanism the particle that was ingested is degraded (Gray). The …show more content…
Before doing any steps, a chart was made to tell us what to do at a certain time. This is because every part of this experiment had to be completed within our lab time. After the chart was made the first step was put the cultures in mircrocentrufuge tubes. The 0.2mL of well-fed tetrahymena were placed into the first three microcentrifuges and then the last three microcentrifugewere filled with 0.2mL of starved tetrahymena. Then we started adding the ink. The first ink that was added was 0.2mL of 1% India ink to the well-fed mircocentrifuge tube. After adding the ink we waited two minutes before we put ink in the next microcentrifuge, and this carried out for the entire experiment. The next well fed mircrocentrufuge tube got 0.2mL of 5% India ink. The last mircrocentrufuge tube of well-fed tetrahymena received 0.2mL of 10% of India ink. Then 1% of India ink was placed in the fourth microcentrifuge, which contained starved tetrahymena. After the fifth microcentrifuge got 5% of India ink. Lastly the sixth microcentrifuge got 10% of India ink. Every 2,5,10,20,30 minutes after the ink was placed in the microcentrifuge a slide was made for that sample. To make the slides we took 20 microliters out of the