Life Sciences Commons^™

Electrical Response Of Frog Skin Epidermis To Sodium Ions, James H. Martin

Master's Theses

Presently, the theory is held that the total frog skin potential (P.D.) is generated within the epidermis at two borders, the "outer border" and the "inner border, " which are said to be specifically permeable to Na⁺ and K⁺, respec­tively. This thesis concerns itself only with the electrical response of the "outer border" to varying Na⁺ concentrations in the solutions at the epidermis, [Na⁺]_o. Contrary to expectation from the Nernst equation, the P.D. changes by only 17 to 35 mV, instead of theoretically 58 mV upon a 10 fold change in [Na …

Respiratory Activity Of Vibratory, Tail Epaxial And Midbody Expaxial Muscle In Crotalus Horridus, Aqkistrodon Contortrix, And Thamophis Sirtalis., James E. Forbes

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the muscles associated with tail vibration in snakes are physiologically specialized for vibration. Timber rattle­ snakes (Crotalus horridus) , copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) and garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) were used. The copperhead represented a species which vibrates its tail but has no vibratory apparatus comparable to that of the rattlesnake. The garter snake does not vibrate its tail. A comparison of respiratory activities was made between the vibratory and tail epaxial muscle and the mid­ body epaxial muscle within and between the three species. Oxygen consumption of teased muscle fibers and muscle …

A Balanced Salt Culture Medium For Halteria Grandinella, Yee Wan Mark

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The animals that the writer worked with liere the unicellular organisms called liaJ,tez:ia grandil.!iilJ.a• They belong to the Pl~lum Protozoa and are placed in the Class Ciliata and the Order Oligotrichia. llftltez'A gDJ}gini•U, like most protozoa, ll ve in waters but they seem to prefer qUiet pools, lakes, and ponds in which aqua i;;!c plants are growing and in which there is much organic matter.

Evaluation Of The Short Sternum As Diagnostic Evidence For Trisomy-E, Frank George Deeter

All Master's Theses

This study has demonstrated that a reliable technique for determining short sternums has been developed. Evidence for its reliability is given by two distinct and highly significant correlations.

Aspects Of The Life History And Distribution Of The Jemez Mountains Salamander, Plethodon Neomexicanus, Douglas P. Reagan

Biology ETDs

Plethodon neomexicanus, the Jemez Mountains Salamander, is endemic to the Jemez Mountains where it is restricted to talus slopes that are forested and shaded and that have suitable conditions of moisture and temperature. During the summer of 1966 four new localities were found, yielding information on the combination of factors which favor the presence of this salamander. Its habitat is at elevations of 7900-9200 ft within the upper montane forest of the Rocky Mountains. In the Jemez Mountains this forest exists at these elevations only on shaded north-facing slopes or in deep, shaded canyons. The presence of volcanic talus provides …

The Effects Of A Nerve Growth-Promoting Protein On The Integument Of Pet Mice, Craig Bauman Satterlee

Master's Theses

A factor which specifically stimulates the growth of sensory and sympathetic nerve cells has been under investigation for a number of years. This factor, originally isolated in 1951, from mouse sarcomas 37 and 180, was named the "nerve growth factor". Its action was first shown in vivo by inoculating the sarcoma into chick embryos and subsequently in vitro by culturing chick ganglia and mouse sarcoma together. In the years immediately following the initial discovery, much more potent sources of NGF were found in the salivary glands and salivary secretions of a variety of species. These include rattle snake venom, and …

Structure Of Two Cover Types Of Southern Oak Woodland In California, Henry A. Zuill

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The southern oak woodland of southern California was analysed relative to the local distribution of the trees, density per acre, relative density, relative dominance, percentage of trees growing in close association to boulders, percentage of trees forked below breast height, frequencies of tree diameter and percentage of cover. These characteristics, with the exception of cover, were derived from measurements made using the wandering quarter method. Cover was computed from measurements made on aerial photographs.

A test for homogeneity applied to the distance measurements divided the woodland into two groups relative to local distribution. Both woodlands are non-random with one (dense …

Nutritional Relationship Between The Copepod Parasite Charopinus Dentatus (Wilson) (Lernaeopodidae) And The Skate Host, Raja Binoculata Girard, Donald W. Rigby

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Of 1,798 parasitic copepods, Charopinus dentatus (Wilson), collected from the skate host, Raja, binoculata Girard, 1,615 (89.87.) were obtained from the mucosa lining the mouth and pharynx. None were collected from the gill filaments. Host tissue damage was not seen grossly or microscopically around the attached parasite nor did the gut contents of female parasites give evidence microscopically or chemically that they are blood feeders. Green material from the gut of female parasites was made up of cell-like structures occurring singly and in clumps. Spectrophotometrically this material demonstrated spectral maxima (670, 410 'FM) similar to maxima of degradative products of …

The Nitrogen Nutrition Of Emmonsia (Moniliales, Aleurismaceae), Gary L. Bradley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The questions posed in this research concerned both the comparison of the nitrogen nutrition between Emmonsia parva and Emmonsia crescens and the comparative nitrogen utilization within the species. This fungus is a parasite with a rather uncomplicated life-cycle. Thus it lends itself well to study of the host-parasite relationship at the molecular level. This research contributes toward that long-range goal.

Five replicate floating cultures of each species were grown in 125 ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing a chemically defined basal medium plus one of the 29 nitrogen sources tested. Utilization of a particular source was determined by dry weight. The results …

Carbon Dioxide Fixation In Schistosoma Mansoni, Clint Earl Carter

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adults of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni were perfused from the hepatic portal system of CF1 female mice sixty to seventy days post infection. The worms were then incubated in Eagle’s minimal essential medium with glutamate and 0.03 mg/100 ml of nonlabelled aspartic acid. To this medium was added 10 μc of either NaH¹⁴0₃, glucose-UC¹⁴ or aspartate-4-C¹⁴. The worms were found to fix carbon from the NaH¹⁴0₃ and to incorporate the glucose and aspartate. The amount of activity recovered in five different chemical fractions after two hours incubation was determined …

The Effect Of Schistosoma Mansoni On Free Amino Acid Levels In Mice, Richard D. Tkachuck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Free amino acid levels in the blood plasma of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, were measured at 3, 6, and 9 weeks post-infection with an automatic amino acid analyzer. Significant differences between experimental and control animals occurred at all three time periods. At 3 weeks, asparagine, alanine, citrulline, proline, methionine, and threonine levels all were lower in the infected animals. At 6 weeks, four differences were noted. Alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, ornithine, lysine, and histidine all had lower values in infected animals. At 9 weeks there were 12 differences. Tyrosine, phenylalanine, threonine, serine, proline, citrulline, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, and …

Studies Of Sodium-22 Distribution During Hypothermia In Rattus Rattus, David N. Danforth Jr.

Biology ETDs

The response of regional circulation to reduced body temperature was studied in the white laboratory rat Rattus rattus, using injected ²²Na as a tracer. Observations made on equilibration of plasma and tissue radiosodium, in normo- and hypothermic animals, provided evidence as to possible mechanisms responsible for transport of sodium at this interface. Evidence is also presented as to disposition of sodium in tissues during the first biological half-life.

Circulation to the peritoneal cavity is reduced to 50%, and to skin and bone approximately 10% and 25% of normothermic values respectively at body temperatures of 16-18 C. The appearance of …

Trypanosomes Found In Four Species Of Peromyscus, Alonzo J. Drummond Jr.

Biology ETDs

Blood of 311 mice belonging to the genus Peromyscus was examined for the presence of trypanosomes. All four species, P. boylii, P. truei, P. leucopus, and P. maniculatus, were found to be infected with the hemoflagellate Trypanosoma peromysci. Mice of the species P. boylii and P. truei were found to have the highest percentage infection, 28.1% and 25.9%, respectively. The other two species, P. leucopus and P. maniculatus, demonstrated lower infection percentages, 7.9% and 11.4%, respectively.

Mice of the subadult and young adult age group were found to have a higher percentage of infection than did mice of the juvenile …

Studies Of Sodium-22 In Active And Hibernating Citellus Lateralis, Rex H. Howard

Biology ETDs

Interest in hibernation has risen in past years. With new techniques we are now better able to observe and evaluate some of hibernation's mysteries. Investigation of electrolyte metabolism and its regulatory systems at low temperatures may provide clues to the adaptive mechanism of hibernation. With sodium as the principal extracellular cation of the mammalian organism, information about the above might be gained from studies utilizing radiosodium (22Na) and isotope tracer techniques. Radiosodium studies were therefore initiated for several reasons: (i) an interest in hibernation, (ii) an interest in factors regulating electrolyte metabolism, (iii) an attempt to define the temperature dependent …

Aquatic Phycomycetes Of Lily Lake, Hugh Macmillan Rooney

Theses and Dissertations

Lily Lake, a subalpine lake in the Wasatch National Forest Tl5, R9E, S31, of the Uinta Mountain Region, Utah, is located about one-half mile west of Trial Lake at an elevation of 10,000 feet. This Lake, which is one of the acidic, cold, lentic bogs characteristic of this area, has been selected for a taxonomic and seasonal distribution study of acquatic phycomycetes. This study is a beginning to our knowledge of the role of the fungi in the hydrobiology of Lily Lake and will supply the first information on record of the water molds of this area. The study identifies …

The Ecology Of The Black-Bellied Tree Duck In Southern Texas, Eric George Bolen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The black-bellied tree duck (Dendracygna autumnalis) is one of eight tree ducks (whistling ducks) in the genus Dendracygna. This group shares enough characteristics--reticulated tarsus and symmetrical syrinx structure, among others--with the swans and geese to warrant a common subfamily, Anserinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. DeIacour and Mayr (1945) make a tribal distinction, however, between the tree ducks (Dendracygnini) and the swans and geese (Anserini) based, in part, an differences in size, vertebrae number, and downy plumage. These same authors remark that the tree ducks are the least known of the waterfowl largely because there are no …

Factors Influencing Population Growth Of Tribolium Brevicornis In The Laboratory, Amin Gulla

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To determine the effect of the factors of the environment (temperature, relative humidity, and food) on the population growth of Tribolium brevicornis, different levels of temperatures from 17.5°C - 37.5°C were used. Effect of these IeveIs of temperatures was tested upon both pre-embryonic and post-embryonic development. No hatching occurred at 17.5°C, but the threshold temperature (the minimum temperature for the development) was just before 17.5°C. The optimum temperature for the embryonic development was found to be between 32.5°C - 35°C.

With the use of the saturated salt solution according to Buxton (1931) and Buxton and Melanby (1934), certain humidity …

An Examination Of A Putative System For The In Vitro Synthesis Of Drosophila Tryptophan Pyrrolase, John P. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A system, reported by Morrison (1964), for the in vitro synthesis of Drosophila tryptophan pyrrolase has been critically studied. This putative system is based on the addition of a Drosophila "RNA" extract to a Drosophila cell-free protein synthesizing system; the synthesized enzyme is then allowed to catalyze a specific reaction, the product of which is measured by direct adsorption.

The results of this study present a three-fold argument against the interpretation of synthesis of tryptophan pyrrolase in the Morrison in vitro system: (1) RNA from a null-allele, v^36f, stimulated the same tryptophan pyrrolase "activity" in the in vitro …

A Study Of The Genus Phacelia In New Mexico, Helen M. Bobisud

Biology ETDs

From Introduction:

Phacelia, the largest genus in the family Hydrophyllaceae, consists of some 150 to 200 species. The genus is heterogeneous and has undergone several revisions of both infrageneric organization and species classification. The type species is P. secunda J. F. Gmelin, Syst. 2:330. 1791.

In 1789. Jussieu assigned the genus to what is now the family Boraginaceae. Brown (see Edwards, 1817) assigned Phacelia to the order Hydrophylleae. In 1875 Asa Gray united the order Hydrophylleae with the family Hydroleae and formed the family Hydrophyllaceae. He divided the genus Phacelia into seven subgenera based on characteristics of ovules, seeds, and …

Crab Spiders (Araneida, Thomisidae) Associated With Plants In Central New Mexico, Daniel T. Jennings

Biology ETDs

A total of 2,034 crab spiders, representing 1,899 juveniles and 135 adults, were collected chiefly by sweeping pure and mixed stands of plants in central New Mexico. The spiders collected belong to 24 taxa and include 17 species, Plant associations were determined for most of the species and compared with previously published records. The species of crab spiders collected seem to occur more frequently on grasses and composites than on any other kinds of plants. Juvenile crab spiders were found to have less plant specificity than do mature crab spiders. Six species, Coriarachne aemula, Misumenops californicus, Philodromus droseroides, Rhysodromus histiro …

A Comparative Study Of The Parasite Of Certain Salientia From Pocahontas State Park, Virginia, Ronald Arthur Campbell

Master's Theses

Four species of salientia representing three selected habitats were collected from May 5th through October 4th, 1966 and examined for parasites. Of the 116 host specimens, 30 were Rana catesbeiana Shaw; 29 clamitans Latreille; 29 Bufo fowleri Hinckley; 28 Hyla versi­color (Le Conte). A total of 34 species of parasites was recovered: Protozoa, 10; Trematoda, 9 ; Cestoda, 2; Nematoda, 11; Acanthocephala, 1; and Acarina, 1.

Although a relatively small number of hosts was examined , the results generally agree with those found in more extensive investigations of similar type. The aquatic hosts, R. catesbeiana and R. clamitans, harbored the …

The Distribution Of Three Taxa Of Peromyscus In Central Washington, Gay Harold Engelsen

All Master's Theses

One aspect of the study was to define the present ranges of all types of Peromyscus in the study area; the other to determine the extent of interfertility of the groups.

Ecological Distribution Of The Genus Peromyscus In The Sandia Mountains, New Mexico, Don E. Wilson

Biology ETDs

The Sandia Mountains in central New Mexico present an opportunity not often available for comparative studies of mice of the genus Peromyscus. Five species of Peromyscus are present in the range. Most investigators have been able to study only two or three naturally coexisting species of Peromyscus (McCabe and Blanchard, 1950; Dice, 1942; Jameson, 1951). Naylor (1964) described the vegetation, geography, and climate of the Sandia Mountains and Tatschl (1966) described bird distribution. A bioecological study of the Juan Tabo area is also available (Parker, 1949). The present study represents an attempt to elucidate the distribution of five species of …

Viability, Fecundity, And Longevity Of Heterozygous Combinations Of Lethal And Nonlethal Secon Chromosomes Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Jagadeesh Pyati

Biology ETDs

Homozygous lethal and nonlethal second chromosomes were isolated by the Cy-technique from a laboratory population of Drosophila melanogaster and placed opposite dp chromosomes to study the viability, fecundity, and longevity of heterozygotes. Viability was determined by testing 12 lethal and six non lethal chromosomes. Males heterozygous for the Cy and the test chromosomes were mated with dp/dp females. From the progeny, dp/+ males were crossed to dp/dp females. From the progeny, dp/+ males were crossed to dp/dp females. The relative proportion of dp/+ flies in the progeny would be expected to be the same in lethal and nonlethal classes if …

A Floristic Study Of The San Pedro Parks Wild Area, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Annehara K. Tatschl

Biology ETDs

A floristic study was conducted in the San Pedro Parks Wild Area located in the San Pedro Mountain. The core of this mountain is granitic and of Precambrian origin. Average annual precipitation varies from 17 to 30 inches. In the San Pedro Parks perennial water flow exists, and the soils absorb and store a high percentage of precipitation. As a result, mesic species of plants predominate over xeric species. Nine collection sites were selected to represent the three life zones present in the San Pedro Parks and to represent the various habitats within the life zones. Each collection site was …

Slave-Raids Of The Ant Polyergus Lucidus Mayr, Mary Talbot

Faculty Scholarship

Since slave-making raids of t,he genus Polyergus are conspicuous and spectacular, they have been studied by a number of myrmecologists. Among these are Wheeler 9 IO), Forel (I928), Creighton (95o), and Dobrzanska and Dobrzanski (96o). This paper concerns the eastern "shining slave-maker," Polyeryus lucidus Mayr, on the. Edwin S. (]eorge Reserve in southeastern Michigan (Livingston County). Twenty-five colonies of this species have been found, scattered quite widely over the fields, on the a square miles of the Reserve. Most .of the. fields tend to be dry, wit’h Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa L.) the dominant grass and with forbes .such as …

A Review Of The Bounty System As A Method Of Controlling Undesirable Animal Populations In Houston County, Minnesota (1883-1965), Robert E. Munkel, Calvin R. Fremling

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The bounty system has been in effect for 82 years in Houston County, Minnesota. Over $170,000 in bounties have been paid during that time for wolves, foxes, rattlesnakes, pocket gophers, striped gophers, woodchucks, and crows. Over 7,000 rattlesnakes have been bountied in a single year. A family of semi-professional bounty hunters collected 2,511 rattlesnakes in one year. With the possible exception of wolves, the bounty system has had little apparent effect in controlling animal populations in Houston County. Habitat change has been primarily responsible for the decrease in numbers of wolves and for the rapid increase in numbers of red …

Soil-Vegetation Relationships Of A Blue Shale-Limy Upland Range Site In Ellis County, Kansas, Larry D. Zavesky

Fort Hays Studies Series

The objective of this study was to determine the soil-vegetation relationships of a blue shale-limy upland range site. Vegetative composition and production were determined for each soil within the range site. Some of the more important physical and chemical properties, such as texture, depth of development, and general fertility, were determined for each soil.

Mammalian Distribution Within Biotic Communities Of Northeastern Jewell County, Kansas, Kenneth W. Andersen, Eugene D. Fleharty

Fort Hays Studies Series

The purpose of this investigation was threefold. First, to obtain as complete a list as possible of mammals occuring in the area through collecting and observational procedures. Second, to determine their specific distribution within the study area, and third, to correlate and elucidate the relationships between their distribution and the major vegetational regions within the study area.

Phospholipids Of Thiobacillus Thiooxidans, J. M. Shively, A. A. Benson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Cells and spent growth media from sulfur- and thiosulfate-grown cultures of Thiobacillus thiooxidans were analyzed. The phosphatides were examined by thinlayer chromatography, and the products of their hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid and methanolic potassium hydroxide were separated by paper chromatography. The phospholipids in both cells and spent growth media were identified as phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl N-monomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, and diphosphatidyl glycerol. These comprised about 97% of the total lipid phosphorus. Lyso-phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylglycerol accounted for the remaining 3%. The percentage of the total lipid phosphorus accounted for by each phospholipid depended on the age of the culture.