Biology Commons^™

A Comparison Of Placental Tissue In The Skinks Eulamprus Tympanum And E. Quoyii, Lauren Yates

Honors Theses

The species Eulamprus tympanum and Eulamprus quoyii are viviparous skinks that are said to have a Type I placenta. This research compared histological characteristics of the oviduct during pregnancy in E. tympanum and E. quoyii and assessed whether structural features are consistent with a Type I placentation. A similarity was seen in both of these species and was not consistent with a Type I placenta. Extreme folding of the uterine tissue was observed in the early stages. An increase in glands around the later stages was observed while there was no change in blood vessel density over the course of …

Quantifying Acclimation Levels Of Mimus Polyglottos In The Presence Of People, Jordan Rutherford

Honors Theses

The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a common bird species found in North America that in the past 150 years has expanded its distribution north. It is now commonly seen in urban and suburban areas were at one point, it was rarely seen outside of rural and forested areas. For the study, I observed northern mockingbirds at nine different sites over a period of a month between September and October 2012. After the study, I determined that there is a negative relationship between the number of people in the surrounding area and the distance when the birds flew away.

The Influence Of Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Protein Urm1 On Prion Formation, Jacob Beaver

Honors Theses

Prions are infections proteins that are auto-catalyzing (form by altering a regular protein into the structurally different prion form), and are the cause of many common diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (or Mad Cow disease). This experiment tested the effect of three different plasmids, pH317, pER62 and pmp46 on prion formation in both wild-type and Urm1 deletion mutants in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The proposed hypothesis was overexpression of the prion forming protein would increase the frequency of prion formation, as well as yield less sustainable prion amyloids (or prion aggregations) that are easier to …

Differences In Food Availability For Venus Flytraps In Resident And Restored Populations, J. Mason Truluck

Honors Theses

Expanding on a previous two-year study of resident and restored populations of Venus flytraps in Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, the arthropod populations at resident and restored sites were sampled and compared to determine if there was a significant difference between them. Fourteen orders of invertebrates were collected from the sites, with the most numerous being Collembola (springtails) and Hymenoptera of the Family Formicidae (ants). There was no significant difference between the sample groups, though two of the traps from the restored sites were unusable. This study suggests that the arthropod population size and composition does not differ between the …

Effects Of Selenium On The Freshwater Alga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii With And Without The Proteasome Inhibitor Mg132, E. Patrick Vallentine

Honors Theses

Selenium is a required nutrient in animal life but has not been shown to be needed in plants. The model plant cell Chlamydomonas reinhardtii may be an exception as it appears to increase its growth rate in the presence of selenium. Because selenium has the same valence state as sulfur it may be incorporated into proteins as the modified amino acid selenocysteine. This incorporation of selenocysteine into protein may disrupt the disulfide bridges that give proteins the correct conformation. Misfolded proteins can wreak havoc on a cell. This stress can be measured through several parameters. Chlorophyll levels, glutathione levels, growth, …

The Effects Of Climate Change And Overexploitation On Birds And Mammals: Phenological Shifts, Range Shifts, And Population Changes, Rachel Denny

Honors Theses

Our world is changing more than many individuals could imagine. Climate change is not a hoax. Comprehensive empirical records of changes since 1900 in local, regional, and global temperature clearly indicate that Earth is warming more rapidly than ever in recorded history. In response, some bird species are already shifting, both phenologically (timing) and geographically. However, the majority of birds are not shifting or not shifting fast enough, and this is resulting in population declines. A much smaller number of studies suggest that mammals are also shifting phenologically and geographically.

If we do not alter our current behaviors soon, Earth …

Effects Of Human Bmp-2 On Trans-Differentiation Of Myoblast Cells And Human Rhabdomyosarcoma Using An In Vitro Model System, Shannon Kelly

Honors Theses

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) is an autosomal dominant disease that affects one in every two million persons. It is a disease that stimulates ossification in injured muscle cells. This mutation affects the bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR), which is found on the surface of skeletal muscle cells. When bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) come into contact with these receptors it causes a cascade of events to occur that transform skeletal muscle cells into bone cells. This mutation causes these receptors to remain constitutively activated in the presence of BMP. We compared the effects of human BMP2 on mouse myoblast cells (C2C12) …

The Importance Of Isolated Wetlands As Habitat For Rare And Endangered Species In Comparison To Riparian Wetlands, Hillary K. Ballantine

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will review the literature on the factors contributing to the presence of rare or endangered species, the species found in each wetland type and what threatens them, and the views on how to and why we should conserve these habitats. I will also provide data analyses on the importance of isolated wetlands as habitats for rare and endangered species in comparison to riparian wetlands, and present my own views on the topic.

Nicotine-Induced Neuroprotection In Drosophila Models Of Parkinson's Disease, Lynsey Deudne

Honors Theses

Parkinson's disease (PD) causes rigidity, tremors, and posture impairments. There is no cure for this disease and its symptoms intensify with age. In this study, fruit flies were induced with PD using rotenone and the flies in treatment group were provided with food that contained nicotine to determine if nicotine causes neuroprotection and alleviates symptoms of PD. A climbing assay was used to assess the severity of symptoms of PD in the control and experimental groups. The PD induced flies that received nicotine did not show a significant difference in motor ability and therefore did not experience neuroprotection.

Analysis Of The Response Of A Bromeliad, Vriesea Gigantea, Subjected To Drought, Taylor Epley

Honors Theses

Drought can quickly alter physiological processes in plants not adapted to such conditions. Epiphytic plants, however, have been noted to have some tolerance to drought, which is evident in their water-holding tanks. Several physiological components were measured to determine if Vriesea gigantea, an epiphytic bromeliad, has drought tolerance. Water content, maximum quantum yield, protein concentration, and protein content were measured and compared between three control plants and three experimental plants, which were subjected to two weeks of no water. Water content showed a significant difference, indicating that the plants were being stressed compared to the control plants. The average maximum …

Of Mice And Mozart: Testing Spatial Reasoning And Memory Of Rats, Kaitlin O'Toole

Honors Theses

An increase in spatial-temporal reasoning has been documented in the presence of Mozart's sonata K.448; this enhancement of physical and psychological activities is called the "Mozart Effect" (Hughes 2001). This effect has been recorded in humans and animals alike, and its influence reaches a myriad of applications including calming wild animals to increasing test scores in college students to lowering high blood pressure. Using a cheeseboard apparatus to test spatial reasoning in rats, this experiment recorded the results from maze tasks completed in the presence of sonata K.448 compared to trials completed in silence. Results showed a significant difference between …

The Role Of Midline And Pexin10 In Regulating Drosophila Eye Development, John Forstall

Honors Theses

The Drosophila midline (mid) transcription factor gene encodes a highly conserved invertebrate ortholog of the mammalian Tbx20 gene essential for regulating the development of diverse tissues including the central nervous system (CNS), epidermis and heart. Decreasing mid transcript levels within larval eye discs using RNAi (mid- RNAi) results in poorly organized IPCs and in adult eyes, interommatidal bristles derived from sensory organ precursors are significantly reduced in number within the ventral eye field. We also observe gross abnormalities in bristle polarity, ommatidial organization, cellular adhesion and pigmentation in adult mid-RNAi flies. By combining a classical …

Spiders Of Riparian Communities In The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize, Megan Chevis

Honors Theses

Currently there is little literature on what arachnids inhabit the tropics of Central America, especially within the country of Belize. This study aimed to find which spider species are found in riparian areas within the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in central Belize and to distinguish trends among spiders and the microhabitats in which they live. Nocturnal samples were predicted to have greater diversity than diurnal samples at all sites. Pisauridae, Salticidae, and Lycosidae were predicted to be the most common spider families collected. Specimens were collected from three riparian sites located on trails within Cockscomb. Diurnal and nocturnal samples were …

The Effects Of An Informal Science Education Setting On Students’ Attitudes Towards Learning Science, Lauren Finley

Honors Theses

Informal science education is becoming increasingly popular in today’s classrooms, and for this reason, it is important to understand the effects of informal science education on students. In this study, the Children’s Attitude Survey (Wulf, Mayhew, & Finkelstein, 2009) was used to measure the effects of informal science education on students’ attitude toward science. Questionnaires were administered to two sample sets, and results indicated a slight decrease in attitude after participating in an informal science field trip. Continuing research in this area will provide more insight into why these effects were seen, and how informal science education can be best …

The Identification Of Arachnid Species In The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Lauren Auer

Honors Theses

Despite the known diversity of arachnids in neotropical ecozones there has been little considerable movement towards creating a collective means for identification of arachnids in Belize. Previous studies on ecotourism indicate positive trends between biodiversity education and conservation concern. This study was conducted to engage in a field-based study of arachnids in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to determine the most frequently encountered arachnid species. For this study, four separate locations were surveyed within the Sanctuary: three trail sites and the main camp area. Each site was surveyed during two alternate time periods to account for diurnal and nocturnal species. …

Determining The Diversity Of Wetland Fungi Through Molecular-Based Species Identification, Kimberly Chesteen

Honors Theses

This study used molecular techniques to examine the diversity of fungal species inhabiting leaf and stem litter of the freshwater emergent macrophyte, Typha angustifolia, during decomposition. Because morphological identification of fungal species is frequently inaccurate and underestimates the number of fungal species present, molecular techniques involving rRNA genes such as ITS regions (internal transcribed spacer regions) are used to better determine specific fungal species within a sample. In this study, samples of decaying leaf and stems litter of Typha angustifolia were obtained from Independence Lake, Michigan over the span of a year. DNA from litter samples obtained from the months …

Characterizing The Role Of Pax And Six In An Emerging Model System, The Freshwater Sponge, E. Muelleri, Ian P. Winters

Honors Theses

Sponges can be viewed as a remnant branch of the earliest successful experiments in metazoan multi-cellularity. As such, these organisms hold many clues into the genetic elements fundamental to the formation of complex animalian life. Two of these elements are the transcription factor encoding genes PaxB and Six1/2. Homologs of these genes in animals more complex than sponges have been shown to be members of a gene regulatory network involved in organ development. This is of particular intrigue since sponges do not possess such organ systems. Here, I discuss the putative function of PaxB and Six1/2 in sponges, and whether …

Exploring The Role Of Sonic Hedgehog In The Lymph Heart Development Of Xenopus Laevis, Laura Barry

Honors Theses

Xenopus as a Model Organism in Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Xenopus laevis, the African clawed frog, is an important model organism in the field of evolutionary developmental biology research. These tongue-less aquatic frogs are basally branching anuran amphibians that display marked sexual dimorphism and have webbed hind feet that sport several small, sharp claws. This species is a useful model organism despite its long generation time and genomic complexity, for historical and practical reasons. The animal adapts well to housing in a laboratory setting, and its reproduction can be …

The Development And Morphology Of Zebrafish After Embryonic Ethanol Exposure, Frances Lee

Honors Theses

Maternal consumption of alcohol may subject the fetus to fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FAS or FASD). FAS/D is a public health problem, and affected children are defined by varying degrees of irreversible mental retardation, physical defects, behavioral issues, and vision problems from prenatal alcohol exposure (Riley et al. 2011). Recent studies on FAS have looked towards animal models, such as zebrafish, Danio rerio, that exhibit homologous physical and behavioral effects of alcohol (Bilotta et al. 2004). I exposed zebrafish embryos to low doses of ethanol (0.5% v/v or 1% v/v) in either chronic (at least 8 …

Selectivity Of Prey Capture Based On Prey Size In The Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula Ellis), Jessica Humenik

Honors Theses

Venus fly traps (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) are carnivorous plants that live in nutrient poor soils and must digest insects to supplement their diets. When a Venus fly trap captures an insect, the plant's traps do not fully close for several minutes, which may allow small prey to escape. It would be beneficial for the plant to consume a large, nutrient-rich prey item as opposed to a small prey item. We tested the hypothesis that Venus fly traps select larger prey by offering plants small and large crickets. A Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to test significance …

Lesson Not Learned: Deepwater Horizon Research And Media Coverage Exposes Gaps In Knowledge And Risky Protocol Within The Oil Industry, Lauren Haller

Honors Theses

An insatiable thirst for oil has led poorly coordinated, risk-prone megasystems deeper into the ocean in search of new oil reserves. Profit-driven agendas at the corporate level have a top-down effect within these megasystems. Cost-cutting and risk-downplaying leaves the field employees unprepared to handle emergencies. A series of costly mistakes led to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which caused extensive damage to an already fragile ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. The wealth and political influence of the oil industry overpowers lax regulatory agencies and legislation-even though media and research has exposed frustrating parallels between the Deepwater Horizon …

The Involvement Of 26s Proteasome Complex In Selenium Toxicity, Melissa Sabbagh

Honors Theses

Plants that hyperaccumulate elements like selenium to potentially toxic levels may use proteasome complexes to reduce toxicity. The 26S proteasome complex may be a pathway that these plants take to rid themselves of selenium toxicity by destroying damaged proteins caused by selenium. A method to test this hypothesis is to use a hyperaccumulator of selenium Stanleya pinnata and nonhyperaccumulators Populous tremula and Arabdopsis thaliana to evaluate their proteasome abundance without and with selenium. To compare these species western blots were made to show the differences in proteasome abundance. Also to compare the amount of oxidized and an ubiquinated protein in …

Mitochondrial Dna Inheritance In Bivalves: A Comparative Study Involving The Unique System Of Doubly Uniparental Inheritance, Sarah Heishman

Honors Theses

A comparative study of Doubly Uniparental Inheritance (DUI) in the bivalve mollusks Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa has yielded unanticipated results. Around the world, it has been reported that members of the taxonomic family Mytilidae (along with the families of Unionidae and Veneridae) consistently exhibit DUI. However, the hard-to-place Geukensia demissa, which is a member of this family, has had varying reports of its DUI status. Most reports involving G. demissa vary with the location in which it is being studied, which prompts more questions than it answers. Due to many months of unsuccessful DNA purification attempts, sequencing and an …

Recovery Of The Long-Spine Sea Urchin, Diadema Antillarum, In Discovery Bay, Jamaica, 27 Years After Its Mass Mortality, Jessica Keller

Honors Theses

The long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, is a well-studied keystone herbivore on Caribbean coral reefs. The sea urchin controls benthic algae populations by grazing on macroalgae. Destruction caused by Hurricane Allen in 1980, along with the mass mortality of this urchin in 1983, greatly impacted Caribbean reef systems. In Discovery Bay, Jamaica, Diadema densities have been heavily studied over the years, allowing a review of their recovery and a prediction of their future. In Discovery Bay, densities were recorded to be up to 9.3 and 13.9 ± 2.8 m-2 at 5 m depth on the forereef before the mass mortality. …

Dayton, Ohio: A Study, Nolan Nicaise

Honors Theses

The urban forest is an important element of cityscapes today. Urban trees provide a habitat to wildlife populations, create more tolerable city living conditions, and better the lives of residents around them. The urban forest, however, is not distributed equitably to the urban population, and some residents receive more or less of its positive externalities. Montgomery County, Ohio, was chosen as the study site to determine if environmental injustice was present regarding the urban forest. It was found that there was environmental injustice present in Montgomery County, as the density of the urban forest was limited by the educational obtainment …

Xenopus Laevis Transgenic Lines And Their Use In The Study Of Lymph Heart Musculature Development, Diana M. Filtz

Honors Theses

Lymph hearts are pulsatile organs present in lower vertebrates that propel lymph throughout the body and into the venous system, assisting in the maintenance of fluid homeostasis. In organisms such as frogs, several pairs of lymph hearts develop amidst the somites during the early tadpole stages. Due to the unique structure and function of lymph heart musculature—exhibiting characteristics of both skeletal and cardiac muscle—the origin of these cells remains highly controversial. Studies have found that in Xenopus, the engrailed gene is expressed explicitly in lymph heart muscle cells throughout development. Through designing a transgenic …

Characterization Of Microbial Community Structure In The Octocoral Leptogorgia Virgulata, Blair E. Armistead

Honors Theses

The process of spicule formation in L. virgulata results in a drop in pH, which, if left unregulated, could lead to demineralization and subsequent animal death. Carbonic anhydrase has been suggested as a possible pH regulatory mechanism in L. virgulata tissues. This study focuses on an additional hypothetical mechanism of pH regulation involving the production of urease by endosymbiotic bacteria living within L. virgulata tissue. PCR and DGGE are used as culture-independent methods to characterize facets of microbial community structure on L. virgulata in order to identify one …

The Effect Of Xylitol On The Growth Of Three Normal Oral Commensal Or Probiotic Bacteria, Laura Walters

Honors Theses

Xylitol is a pentitol often used as a sweetener in products such as chewing gum. It is recommended to prevent dental caries because of its inhibitory effect on the most common etiological agent of caries, Streptococcus mutans. Xylitol inhibits the growth of S. mutans by inhibiting its glycolysis, causing a futile cycle. It also inhibits the adhesion of S. mutans by reducing the expression of the gene gtfB, which causes the secretion of sticky substances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of xylitol on normal oral bacteria, particularly commensal and probiotic strains. The strains tested were …

The Impact Of Tricaine Methanesulfonate, 2-Phenoxyethanol, And Carvone-Methyl Salicylate On The Innate Immune Response Of Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Charles R. Wulff

Honors Theses

Anesthesia plays a vital role in the maintenance of aquaculture species, where it is used to minimize stress during complex handling tasks such as transport, assessment, and harvesting. However, anesthetics have been shown to suppress the innate immune response, which could impact immunity and increase risk of infection. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) and 2-Phenoxyethanol (2-PE) represent two of the most commonly used anesthetics in aquaculture, with R-(+)-carvone, in the form of carvone-methyl salicylate (CMS) has recently been proposed as an alternative anesthetic for food fish. These three anesthetics were used to assess the influence of anesthetics on the immune system of …

Reduced Density Of Calbindin Immunoreactive Gabaergic Neurons In Major Depressive Disorder: Relevance To Neuroimaging Studies And Future Directions, Jonathan Hughes

Honors Theses

Background: Several lines of evidence suggest dysfunction of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system in major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging studies report reduced levels of GABA in the dorsolateral prefrontal and occipital cortex of depressed patients. Our previous postmortem study re-vealed a reduction in the density and size of calbindin-immunoreactive (CB-IR) GABAergic neurons in the prefrontal cortex in major depressive disorder. The goal of this study was to test whether the changes in CB-IR neurons can also be detected in the occipital cortex, where neuroimaging studies report a prominent GABA decrease. Methods: A three-dimensional cell counting probe was used to assess the …