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 laboratories for stirring,

mixing and heating liquids Not used to measure precise volumes Large range of sizes: milliliters to liters

6 Graduated Cylinder

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

20 mL

7Pipettes Several types, but all used to measure relatively small amounts of

solutions and samples. Some are disposable, others only partly.

Pasteur Pipette -Blubs may be reused, or not -Glass is disposable -Crude, small measurements

Disposable pipettes -similar to “droppers” -Plastic- Often used only once- For small samples & crude 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

9Each 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

Micropipette Use: Basics

Table 1. Example Pipette &Tip Sizes, Volumes

Pipette type

Volumes (μL) Tip color

P10 0.5 – 10 white

P20 2 – 20 yellow

P200 20 – 200 yellow

P1000 200 – 1000 blue

How To Read a

Micropipette

1. 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 P100

0Pane

l View

P1000

Values

P200Panel View

P200Values

P20Panel View

P20Value

s1 1000’

s2 100’s 2 10’s

0 100’s 0 10’s 0 1’s

0 10’s 0 1’s 0 decimal

= 1000 µL (1 mL)

= 200 µL (0.2 mL)

= 20 µL (0.020 mL)

11 How To Read a Micropipette, Example # 2

P1000

Panel

View

P1000

Values

P200Panel View

P200Values

P20Panel View

P20Value

s0 1000’

s1 100’s 1 10’s

5 100’s 8 10’s 5 1’s0 10’s 5 1’s 2 decim

al = ____ µL (0.5 mL)

= ____ µL (0.185 mL)

= ____ µL (0.0152 mL)

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

• 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

Centrifuges

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

18Crab 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

20Plant 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

1. Carl Linnaeus

2. Charles Darwin

3. Louis Pasteur

4. Gregor Mendel

5. Watson and Crick (+Franklin)

6. 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