Biology Commons^™

"Introduction" (To Alfred Russel Wallace; An Anthology Of His Shorter Writings), Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua66/6/2 Bionews From The Hill, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about WKU Biology highlighting the activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Temporal Changes In The Ommatidial Structure Of The Cockroach, Leucophaea Maderae, Becky Reitcheck

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A circadian rhythm in eye sensitivity to light has been previously reported for Leucophaea maderae. Temporal changes in eye cell morphology that could be correlated with those changes in eye sensitivity to light were examined. Rhabdom area, screening pigment organization and palisade layer area about the rhabdom were the parameters measured to detect structural change through time. Measurements of those parameters from tissue samples obtained from the anterior one-third of compound eyes surgically removed at midday, light offset, midnight and light onset from roaches entrained to a 12-h light / 12-h dark photoperiodic cycle were used to assess the …

The Short-Term Effects Of Manganese Toxicity On Ribulose 1,5 Biophosphate Carboxylase In Tobacco Chloroplasts, Kerrie Elliott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The short-term effects of manganese toxicity on ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) activity and concentration in tobacco chloroplasts were examined. The activity of the enzyme from both manganese-treated and control plants was determined 6, 12, 18, 24 , and 48 h after introduction of manganese (80 mg/Li. Enzyme activity was determined by monitoring rates of radioactive CO₂ fixation into acid stable products. A slight stimulation of the enzyme's activity was noted in experimental plants after 18 h of exposure to manganese as compared with control plants. A decrease in the enzyme's activity in experimental plants was noted after 48 …

Ua66/6/3/1 Biennial Report, Kentucky Gamma, Alpha Epsilon Delta

Student Organizations

Biennial report created by and about the Kentucky Gamma Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta premedical honor society sponsored by WKU Biology.

Ua66/6/2 Bionews From The Hill, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about WKU Biology highlighting the activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Isolation & Characterization Of A Type I Topoisomerase From The Hypocotyls Of Etiolated Soybeans, Rick Dye

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Topoisomerases are enzymes of critical biological significance. Despite this fact, little data specific to the topoisomerases of higher plants has been published. This research was undertaken to isolate and characterize a higher plant topoisomerase from soybean hypocotyls to further the understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes.

Nuclei were isolated from frozen hypocotyls of 4 day old etiolated soybeans by homogenization and centrifugation, then lysed by gentle stirring in the presence of 1.5 mM ammonium sulfate. The resultant extract was desalted and purified by column chromatography on DEAF sepharose, 5-200 sephacryl and CM cellulose. The components of the …

Partial Purification & Characterization Of A Carboxylesterase From The Greater Wax Moth Larva, David Garst

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Various properties of a carboxylesterase of the greater wax moth larva, Galleria melionella (L.), and a commercial carboxylic ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.1) from porcine liver were examined. The larval enzyme was partially purified. Esterase activities were determined with acetylsalicylic acid, 0-acetyl-m-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 0-acetyl-phydroxybenzoic acid in tris buffer (0.05 M tris, 0.1 M EDTA, pH 7.85). The larval enzyme was partially purified by a combination of acetone powder preparation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, 0-200 gel filtration, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE).

The acetone powder preparation was initially obtained and tested for esterolytic activity. The ammonium sulfate fractionation greatly …

Historical Biogeography: Geography As Evolution, Evolution As Geography, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

Despite a number of advances in recent years, biogeography remains a field with a poorly developed philosophical core. As a result, its historical and ecological sides remain as isolated from one another as ever. In this essay I argue that a more unified approach to biogeographic studies will become possible only when workers realise that it is necessary to reject absolute space, "geography as handmaiden" approaches to distribution problems in favour of structuralist models compatible with both probabilistic spatial interaction and deterministic phylogenetic kinds of thinking. Pros and cons of regionalist, vicariance, and panbiogeographic approaches are weighed in this regard; …

Isolation & Characterization Of Dna Polymerase Alpha And Gamma From Turnips (Brassica Rapa) And Etiolated Soybeans (Glycine Max), Donna Hill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

DNA polymerase alpha, the enzyme involved in nuclear DMA replication, and DNA polymerase gamma, the enzyme involved in organellular DNA replication, were isolated and purified from soybean and turnip. The enzymes were characterized following ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAF-cellulcse, phosphocelluloca, and hydroxylapatite chromatography, and by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein banct were electropluted and the enzymes characterized using kinetic studies and sensitivity to divalent cations and inhibitors. Molecular weight and subunit composition studies indicated a molecular weight for the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase alpha in soybean and turnip to be 46kDa. DNA polymeraqe gamma was composed of a catalytic subunit …

The Short Term Effects Of Manganese Toxicity On Isocitrate Dehydrogenase In Wheat & Tobacco, Juergen Pfeiffer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The short term effects of high manganese levels (80 mg/L) on wheat and tobacco isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) activity were compared. The change in activity was then compared to the concentrations of manganese in the tissues.

As the time of manganese exposure increased, the fresh weight IDH activities in wheat and tobacco decreased. In contrast both control groups had similar enzyme activities every 6 hr over the 24 hr test period. The decrease in IDH activity of wheat and tobacco plants in experimental groups seemed to be related to an increase of the manganese in the leaf tissue. The slower decrease …

Sulfur Accumulation In Xylem Tissue Of Forest Trees From Kentucky & Tennessee & Its Relation To Yearly Growth, Jennifer Sharp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The levels of sulfur present in xylem tissue of Quercus alba (white oak) show a statistically significant increase from 1970 to 1983. This increase was found in trees from three different sites in Kentucky and Tennessee. The levels of sulfur present in Tsuga canadensis (hemlock) show a statistically significant increase from 1955 to 1970. Sensitivity, growth response to the tree's environment, decreased in oaks from 1933 to 1968 but increased slightly in hemlocks during the same time period. The data tend to support a direct relationship between increasing sulfur levels and a reduction in growth. Physiological and ecological studies of …

Ua66/6/2 Bionews From The Hill, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Biology department highlighting students, faculty and alumni activities.

Patterns Of Sulfur Deposition In The Wood Of Pinus Echinatia Mill. From The Cumberland Plateau In Kentucky, Darrell Ray

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Air pollution and acid precipitation have long had an influence on plant and animal life. In this study, the level of sulfur in the stem tissue of Pinus echinata Mill. was measured in trees from various sites along the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau to determine the presence and pattern of sulfur deposition in this species. Overall, a 40.28% increase in sulfur levels was observed from four sites along the plateau with levels increasing from 0.072 mgS/gdwt in the 1962-66 growth increment to 0.101 mg in the 1982-86 increment. According to a computer generated analysis of variance, the differences …

Sensory Stimuli Involved In Eliciting Agonistic Behavior In The Northern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus Undulatus Hyacinthinus, Laura Taylor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Comparisons among sequence analyses of actions in response to various treatments of visual and olfactory cues were carried out in the lizard, Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus, to determine the relative roles of these cues in eliciting agonistic behavior. Visual cues were tested using mirrors, models and clear partitions between cages. Chemical cues were tested using the secretion from the cloaca of males. A combination of visual and olfactory cues was tested by streaking a mirror with the substance from the cloaca of a male. The responses to these treatment conditions were videotaped, and the transition frequencies between the most frequently …

Ua35/11 Wku Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku University Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The Western Kentucky University Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers represent work done by students from throughout the university.

• Kesselring, Marcia. Attitudes Toward the Need for Computer Literacy
• Tuck, Janna & Karen Wiggins. Methylation and Confirmation of PGE
• Lewis, Gloria. John Donne's Attitude Toward Love
• Johnson, Linda. International Telecommunications Trade with Japan
• Sharpe, Greg. Precipitation Patterns in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1980-1985
• Smith, Sandy. Religion and the Media: Alliance or War?
• Bell, Suzanne. Early Secret Involvement of the United States Military in Cambodia
• Scariot, Linda. Parental Divorce and Childhood Emotional Disturbances
• Daniel, Janice. …

The Effect Of Sodium Chloride On Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci, Bola Fashola

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The drug of choice for the treatment of Stieptococcal pharyngitis is penicillin G. However, a common home remedy prescribes the use of salt-water solutions for gargling.

Members of Beta -hemolytic streptococcal groups A, B, and C were isolated from the upper -respiratory tracts of patients diagnosed as having streptococcal pharyngitis. These cultures we:e obtained from HCA Greenview Hospital (Bowling Green, Kentucky) and used to study the effects of sodium chloride on the isolates.

The minimum inhibitory concentration of sodium chloride was determined for each of eight hospital isolates. Croup A streptococci were inhibited at a concentration of 7.2% sodium chloride …

Glutamine Synthetase: Isolation Of Isoforms, Poly (A) +Rna And In Vitro Translation, Stanley Silver

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two forms of glutamine synthetase (GS) have been isolated from three-day old etiolated soybean hypocotyls by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The GS isoforms were eluted from a 30 ml DEAE-cellulose column using 0.14 M KC1 and 0.175 M KC1 and from a 1.0 ml DEAE-cellulose column using 0.08 M KC1 and 0.14 M KC1. The two isoforms of soybean GS have a molecular weight of about 392,000 daltons as indicated by in gel enzyme assays and staining of protein bands.

The poly(A)+RNA specific for GS synthesis was isolated using phenol and chloroform followed by Hybond mAP paper. Translation …

The Effect Of Cellulolytic Rumen Bacteria Or Their Cell-Free Extracts On The Germination Of Euonymus Americanus L., Gary Thomas Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In past attempts, the experimental germination of the seeds of Euonymus americanus L. in vitro has had little success. However, treatment of seeds with rumen fluid containing viable microflora has been successful in stimulating germination. In the presence of the cellulolytic rumen bacterium. Clostridium cellobioparum ATCC 15832, seeds of E. americanus were stimulated to germinate. Subsequent studies were designed to determine whether the bacterium synthesized a cellulolytic enzyme responsible for initiating germination. The cell-free endocellulase from C. cellobioparum was demonstrated to induce germination of the seeds. To support the hypothesis that endocellulase from C. cellobioparum was responsible for triggering germination, …

Ua66/6/2 Alumni Newsletter, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Biology department highlighting students, faculty and alumni activities.

Contingency Analysis Of The Agonistic Behavioral Sequence In Sceloporus Undulatus Hyacinthinus, Deborah Allison

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A contingency analysis of the sequence of actions associated with agonistic behavior of resident and introduced male Sceloporus undulatus nya irthirus was carried out to determine the degree of stereotypy. During the time period April to June 1984 and 1985, caged pairs of adult male and juvenile female lizards were filmed on three occasions in order to gather data on resident males not involved in aggressive interactions. During the same threemonth time period, a different nonresident male was introduced singly into a given resident's cage on three occasions and the interactions filmed. The films were analyzed to determine which actions …

The Effects Of Adjacent Cell Fusion And Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure On Viral Plaque Formation With Herpes Simplex Virus Type I, Rebecca Conner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In mammalian cell-virus systems, it has been observed that damage caused by exposure of the cell to ultraviolet radiation (UV) will result in an increase in viral plaque development rate. This phenomenon is termed the Large Plaque Effect (LPE). Apparently, viral plaque development increases at a faster rate for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) when it is assayed on certain UV-irradiated mammalian cells. The consequence of this increase in plaque development rate is that viral plaques appear larger on irradiated monolayers of cells when compared to plaques that developed on unirradiated cellular monolayers.

The cause of the LPE is not yet …

Study Of A Small Mammal Population In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Richard Cambron

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The small mammal population of a restricted study area was live-trapped on the University farm at Western Kentucky University from November 1984 through November 1985. A total of 1800 trap-nights yielded 81 different individuals representing five species. Members of the genera Peromyscus and Microtus were the dominant individuals representing over 90% of the total. Also caught were Mus musculus and Blarina brevicauda. The members of the two major genera were examined for population size and dynamics. In addition, a statistical analysis was carried out on the randomness of the location of the home ranges. This analysis gave evidence that …

Early Successional Plant Communities On An Abandoned Strip Mine In Butler County, Kentucky, Ralph Reiss

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Plant growth and development during the growing season of 1985 were examined on a strip mine located in Butler County, Kentucky, abandoned in 1963. Analysis included field plot measures of the frequency, density, and percent cover of the established plant species and determination of biomass accumulation during the 1985 year. Experimental subplots were established in both field and laboratory settings and the growth of the herbaceous colonizers compared under natural and programmed growth chamber conditions. Microclimatic measures of temperature and solar insolation were conducted in the field along with soil texture and pH measures. Results indicate that in the early …

Ua66/6/2 Alumni Newsletter, Wku Biology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Biology department highlighting students, faculty and alumni activities.

Ua66/6/3/1 Biennial Report, Kentucky Gamma, Alpha Epsilon Delta

Student Organizations

Biennial report created by and about the Kentucky Gamma Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta premedical honor society sponsored by WKU Biology.

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Effect Of Storm Events On The Concentration Of Volatile Organic Compounds In The Lost River Cave System, Warren County, Kentucky, Francis Michael Cretella

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Samples of cave water were analyzed for volatile organic compounds during four separate storm events. The major compounds detected were toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, methylene chloride, and 1,1-dicloroethane. Minor compounds detected were trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, and ethylbenzene. These compounds were detected in varying amounts at each of the three study sites. During a storm event, the levels of each contaminant changed significantly at all three sites studied. Two effects were observed when a storm event occurred. The first effect was the dilution of the volatile organic compounds during the storm event. These effects were related to the amount of rainfall and …

Age & Growth Of The Paddlefish, Polyodon Spathula (Walbaum), In Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, Douglas Timpe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Age and growth parameters of paddlefish from Lake Cumberland were investigated from September 1983 through July 1984. Sex ratios observed were 60 percent male and 40 percent female. The average total length for all paddlefish was 135.3 cm with fish captured in net tackle having a smaller body size than those caught on snag lines. Fish from the Cumberland River exhibited a greater mean body length than those from other parts of the lake, and females were longer than males. The average body weight was 11.8 kg and showed similar trends as body length. Net-captured paddlefish weighed less than those …

The Reproductive Biology Of The Paddlefish, Polyodon Spathula (Walbaum), In Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, John Hageman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The reproductive biology of the paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) was studied on specimens collected from Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, from September 1983 to July 1984. A total of 500 specimens was studied. Reproductive activity was observed on 17 April 1984 in the Big South Fork of Lake Cumberland. Seasonal differences were observed in sex ratios with more males than females occurring in the winter and spring. Movements were observed throughout the year, but these were accentuated prior to reproduction in the spring. Lake Cumberland paddlefish became sexually mature by Age Group V in males and VIII in females. In the …

Ua66/6 Brigadoon Nature Preserve Survey Phase I, Wayne Mason, Jeff Jenkins, Kenneth Nicely, Herbert Shadowen

WKU Administration Documents

A preliminary report of an ongoing survey on the mammals, birds, vascular plants, and fungi that have been recorded at the Brigadoon Nature Preserve from November, 1983 - September, 1984.