Biology Commons^™

Comparative Genotoxic Potential Of Mercury And Cadmium In Soybean, Girjesh Kumar, Priyanka Rai

Turkish Journal of Biology

Genotoxic effects of two heavy metals viz. mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) on somatic and gametic cells of soybean were investigated. Seeds were treated with different doses of these heavy metals. Treatments with Hg and Cd not only reduced the frequency of dividing cells but a wide spectrum of chromosomal abnormalities were also recorded. Pollen fertility was found to be significantly correlated with meiotic irregularities found in the metal treatment sets. It was found that both of these heavy metals are capable of inducing chromosomal aberrations, but Hg is much more genotoxic than Cd, since it induces greater abnormalities.

Cytotoxic And Antitumor Potential Of Fagonia Cretica L., Ahsan Hussain, Muhammad Zia, Bushra Mirza

Turkish Journal of Biology

According to traditional knowledge, Fagonia cretica has medicinal potential, especially against cancer and tumors. In the present study, this information was analyzed at laboratory level by performing cytotoxic, antitumor (potato disc) and DNA damage assay. Significant cytotoxic activity was found against brine shrimps at LD_50 118.89 ppm, while antitumor assay showed that the extract inhibited tumor induction on potato discs. Significant antitumor activity was found against all the tumor-inducing Agrobacterium strains tested (At6, At10 and At77), with maximum tumor inhibition (77.04%) against At10. However, the extract did not show any lethal activity against Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, and furthermore, no DNA …

Volatile Compounds Of Therapeutic Importance Produced By Leuconostoc Paramesenteroides, A Native Laboratory Isolate, Rani P. Shobha, Renu Agrawal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Probiotics are a community of nutraceuticals. Their potential in functional foods serves to promote health or to prevent diseases. Ramping up of flavor profile is an ongoing trend in modern dairy, so designer products are at the forefront towards desired health, wellness and sensorial enjoyment of everyday life. In the present work, volatile compounds of a potentially beneficial culture, Leuconostoc paramesenteroides, isolated from cheddar cheese were studied for 21 days. Culture grown in MRS broth was taken out periodically and was extracted in dichloromethane in order to study the formation of volatile compounds over time. The results showed the presence …

Variation Of Callus Induction Through Anther Culture In Water Chestnut (Trapa Sp.), Aminul Hoque, Manosh Kumar Biswas, Shamiul Alam

Turkish Journal of Biology

Effects of culture media and genotypes of water chestnut (Trapa sp.) on the frequency of callus induction from anther culture were investigated. Results revealed that the N_6 media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA, 0.5 mg/l NAA and 0.1 mg/l GA_3 were suitable for callus induction. Callus yielded poorly in MS-containing media compared to that of N_6 media. No callus was induced on 2, 4-D containing media. Among the tested 18 genotypes, only 15 genotypes produced calli.

The Growth Of Spirulina Platensis In Different Culture Systems Under Greenhouse Condition, Tolga Göksan, Ayşegül Zekeri̇yaoğlu, İlknur Ak

Turkish Journal of Biology

We aimed in this experiment to compare the growth characteristics of Spirulina, which was cultivated in different culture vessels under greenhouse condition. Three types of culture vessels, i.e. transparent jars, polyethylene bags and raceway ponds, were used in the experiment. The jar cultures supported higher cell densities due to their higher culture temperature compared to the others. The dry weight amount in jar cultures was 0.99 g L^{-1} at the end of the experiment, while it was 0.5 g L^{-1} in the others. Specific growth rates were found to be 0.32, 0.21 and 0.20 day^{-1} in the jar, bag and …

Cell Signaling Pathways In Lps-Mediated Apoptosis Of Dedifferentiated Hepatoma Cells, Michael Ryan Reidy

Masters Theses

Using liver tumor cells and their dedifferentiated cell lines, mechanisms underlying tissue specific gene expression can be studied. We have derived cell lines, from liver tumor cells, which fail to express liver genes. These cells are termed "dedifferentiated cells". One significant observation made was that cells which fail to express liver genes also rapidly undergo programmed cell death (known as apoptosis) under the influence of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Understanding the mechanism of how liver function relates to cell apoptosis is the goal of this study.

Apoptosis is known to play a critical role in development and homeostasis, yet …

Comparison Of Avian Nest Success Among Linear Wooded Habitats In An Agricultural Landscape, Terri J.E. Thompson

Masters Theses

In the Midwest, urban expansion and more intensive agricultural practices have reduced habitat available to most species of breeding birds. Linear wooded habitats including fencerows and riparian strips are a common habitat feature in many agricultural landscapes. Changes in agricultural practices and the subsequent reduction in grasslands and fencerows have lead to greater breeding densities in species that use the remaining fencerows as nest sites. This may lead to a lower nesting success due to factors such as higher predation risk. Specifically, it is not known how such linear habitats currently contribute to avian populations in central Illinois.

We monitored …

Effects Of Food Deprivation, Body Size, And Egg Load On The Mating Behavior Of Female Japanese Beetles, Popillia Japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Natasha Tigreros

Masters Theses

Female condition may play an important role in the mating frequency of species that mate at foraging areas. For example, in species where feeding females are more easily encountered or less resistant to mating than females that are performing other activities, low energy levels could increase mating activity. We studied the relationship between female condition and mating activity in the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a laboratory study. We altered condition by depriving some females of food for one day and comparing their mating behavior to well-fed females. Our results showed that the effect of condition on mating …

Red Squirrel Distribution And Habitat Use In Illinois, Corinna Hanson

Masters Theses

The North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a species of special concern in Illinois due to its restricted geographic range and low numbers. This species occupies a broad geographic range in North America and is usually associated with the boreal forests of Canada and coniferous forests in the Rocky Mountain range. The squirrels also occupy deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests in the eastern U.S. In Illinois, available habitat is suboptimal, and limited to pine plantations and small tracts of deciduous forest embedded in an agricultural matrix landscapе. Information on the spatial distribution of red squirrels in northeastern Illinois was …

Mating, Kinship, And Population Structure In Illinois Beaver Populations, Joanne C. Crawford

Masters Theses

The North American beaver, Castor canadensis, is an important wildlife species for a variety of reasons. As a furbearer, it provides income and recreation to trappers throughout the state. As a wetland engineer, it helps maintain functioning ecosystems (Naiman et al. 1986, McKinstry and Anderson 2002). Finally, the beaver serves as a model organism for studies of mating and kinship, as it has beed reported to be almost exclusively monogamous (Sun 2003).

Monogamy in mammals is generally restricted to the primates, canids, and rodents, and is defined as a mating system in which a pair remains together for at least …

Classification Of Illinois Lakes And Reservoirs And Evaluation Of The Potential Use Of Phytoplankton As Biocriteria, Jessica A. Rasmussen

Masters Theses

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Glow Sticks As Effective Bait For Capturing Aquatic Amphibians In Funnel Traps, Kristine L. Grayson, Andrew W. Roe

Biology Faculty Publications

Funnel traps of various designs have been used to capture adults and larvae of aquatic amphibians (e.g., Buech and Egeland 2002; Richter 1995). Most studies use unbaited funnel traps to capture amphibians while others have used shrimp or salmon eggs (Adams et al. 1997). Light traps and light sticks are commonly used in studies of fish, particularly larvae (Doherty 1987; Marchetti et al. 2004), but have not been widely used to capture amphibians. Glow sticks have been mentioned briefly in the literature as a means to increase capture rates of aquatic amphibians (Smith and Rettig 1996), but no studies have …

Habitat Use And Overwintering Ecology Of The Northern Watersnake (Nerodia Sipedon) On An Artificial Levee In Central Illinois, Melanie J. Olds

Masters Theses

Several reptile species have populations that are in decline, and anthropogenic habitat loss and alteration are arguably the factors having the greatest impact on these species. More attention has been paid to understanding the activity season habitat needs in snakes than on the habitat requirements for overwintering. I examined the patterns of both activity season and overwintering habitat use by a population of northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) that inhabit an artificial levee in central Illinois. My research objectives were to determine how a population of northern watersnakes uses an artificial levee during the activity season and to determine what type …

Influence Of Fish Presence And Removal On Woodland Pond Breeding Amphibians, J. Brian Towey

Masters Theses

Predatory fish can have devastating effects on populations of amphibians, many of which are already declining around the world. Land managers seeking to restore disturbed woodland ponds to more historically-accurate conditions may consider removing fish, a potentially difficult or costly process. I report on the effects of introduced sunfish (Lepomis spp.) and black bullhead catfish (Ameiurus melas), and their removal, on the reproductive efforts of three species of amphibians: smallmouth salamanders (Ambystoma texanum), American toads (Bufo americanus) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). Using drift fences and pitfall traps around four woodland ponds, amphibians were monitored for one year prior to …

Establishment And Maintenance Of An Asm Student Chapter, Amy Cheng Vollmer

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Stabel Isotope Turnover Rates And Diet-Tissue Discrimination In The Skin Of West Indian Manatees: Implcations For Evaluating Their Feeding Ecology And Habitat Use, Christy Alves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is an herbivorous marine mammal that occupies freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. Despite being considered endangered, relatively little is known about the feeding ecology of either of the two recognized subspecies, the Florida manatee (T.m. latirostris) and Caribbean or Antillean manatee (T.m. manatus). A better understanding of their respective feeding preferences and habitat use is essential to establish criteria on which conservation plans can be based. The present study expands on previous work on manatee feeding ecology by both assessing the application of stable isotope analysis to manatee tissue and providing critical baseline parameters …

Restoration Of Intertidal Oyster Reefs Affected By Intense Recreational Boating Activity In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Andrea Barber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, intertidal reefs of Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster) along central Florida's east coast have suffered extensive losses due to wakes from recreational boats. These wakes have caused extensive shell movement and sediment resuspension which results in large piles of disarticulated shells along the seaward edges of reefs. Dead margins extend up to one meter above mean high water. The creation and enforcement of "no wake" zones in the area are unlikely. Thus, there is an urgent need for an alternative restoration strategy before these oyster reefs decline any further. The goal of this project was to develop a …

Effects Of Isolation On Metapopulation Dynamics In Small-World Networks, Alaina Brooke Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Simulation models are valuable for making predictions that may be tested in natural systems and for understanding observed patterns. The simulation model developed for this thesis evaluates the effects of spatial network architecture, including organism dispersal patterns and isolation of habitats, on metapopulations. Two fields were merged throughout this project: metapopulation biology and small-world network theory. Small-world networks are characterized in their extremes as scale-free or single-scale. These models potentially simulate the networks of habitats and corridors in which metapopulations operate. Small-world network theory has been used to describe systems as diverse as rivers, the world-wide-web, and protein interactions, but …

Genetic And Phenotypic Evolution In The Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris Ornata): Testing The Relative Roles Of Natural Selection,, Jacob Degner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how migration, genetic drift, and natural selection interact to maintain the genetic and phenotypic variation we observe in natural populations is a central goal of population genetics. Amphibians provide excellent model organisms for investigating the interplay between these evolutionary forces because amphibians are generally characterized by limited dispersal abilities, high philopatry, and are obligately associated with the areas around suitable habitats (e.g. breeding ponds). Thus, on relatively small geographic scales, the relative effects of all of these evolutionary forces can be studied together. Here, we study the interaction of migration, genetic drift, natural selection, and historical process in the …

Life History And Reproductive Biology Of Clitoria Fragrans Relative To Fire History On The Avon Park Air Force Range, Michelle Nicole Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southeastern coastal plain of the United States is a center of endemism for plants in temperate North America and second only to California among the states. In the southeast, Florida has the largest number of these endemic plants. The largest number of these Florida endemics can be found in the fire maintained scrub and sandhill communities located on sandy ridges in Central Florida. One such endemic is Clitoria fragrans, a rare perennial herb. C. fragrans reproduces via a mixed mating system. It produces both open, chasmogamous flowers and closed, selfed, cleistogamous flowers. Little else is known about its biology. …

Demographic Consequences Of Managing For Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) On An Isolated Preserve., Casey Lyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many species naturally occupy discrete habitat patches within a mosaic of habitats that vary in quality. The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is endemic to Florida scrub, a habitat that is naturally patchy and greatly reduced in area over recent decades owing to development and urbanization. Because of this habitat loss, future management of Florida scrub-jays will focus on smaller, fragmented tracts of land. My study examines such a tract, Lyonia Preserve, southwest Volusia County, FL. This preserve was unoccupied by scrub-jays prior to habitat restoration. The preserve is now frequently managed exclusively for scrub-jays as a habitat island surrounded by …

Characterization Of Pigment Cell Specific Genes In The Sea Urchin Embryo (Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus), Tricia Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In sea urchin development, cell fate specification appears by the 60-cell stage embryo when several embryonic territories are recognized: the small micromeres, the large micromeres which will generate primary mesenchyme cells, the vegetal2 layer that will give rise to pigment cells, immunocytes, and muscle cells, the vegetal1 layer, as well as the oral and aboral ectoderm. A Delta-Notch signaling event is required for the differential specification of mesodermal cells that will give rise to secondary mesenchyme cells (SMCs). SMCs produce four cell types: pigment cells, blastocoelar cells, circumesophageal muscle cells, and coelomic pouch cells. Pigment cells are the first to …

Responses Of Small Rodents To Restoration And Management Techniques Of Florida Scrub At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florid, Alexis Suazo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proper habitat management is essential for the survival and reproduction of species, especially those listed under state or federal laws as endangered, threatened or of special concern, and those with small local populations. Land managers use a combination of mechanical cutting and prescribed burning to manage and restore degraded scrub habitat in east central Florida. This approach improves habitat for the endangered Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), but little is known about its effects on other taxa, especially the threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris). This single species approach may not be beneficial to other taxa, and mechanical cutting and …

Genmapp 2: New Features And Resources For Pathway Analysis, Nathan Salomonis, Kristina Hanspers, Alexander C. Zambon, Karen Vranizan, Steven C. Lawlor, Kam D. Dahlquist, Scott W. Doniger, Josh Stuart, Bruce R. Conklin, Alexander R. Pico

Biology Faculty Works

Background: Microarray technologies have evolved rapidly, enabling biologists to quantify genome-wide levels of gene expression, alternative splicing, and sequence variations for a variety of species. Analyzing and displaying these data present a significant challenge. Pathway-based approaches for analyzing microarray data have proven useful for presenting data and for generating
testable hypotheses.

Results: To address the growing needs of the microarray community we have released version 2 of Gene Map Annotator and Pathway Profiler (GenMAPP), a new GenMAPP database schema, and integrated resources for pathway analysis. We have redesigned the GenMAPP database to support multiple gene annotations and species as well …

Hyena Societies, Heather E. Watts

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Enod40 Gene Expression And Cytokinin Responses In The Nonnodulating, Nonmycorrhizal (Nod-Myc-) Mutant, Masym3, Of Melilotus Alba Desr., Michelle Lum

Biology Faculty Works

Several nonnodulating, nonmycorrhizal (Nod-Myc-) mutants of Melilotus alba Desr. (white sweetclover) have been described. However, the details of their responses to Sinorhizobium meliloti have not been fully elucidated. We investigated rhizobial entry and colonization using Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy on the Masym1-5 mutants and isolated an early nodulin (ENOD40) gene from wild-type M. alba. We focused on Masym3, the least responsive of the mutants to S. meliloti and VA-fungi, to determine its response to cytokinin. Cytokinin appears to be a downstream signal in the nodule developmental pathway based not only on our previous observations whereby Nod-Myc- alfalfa roots treated with …

Heterozygosity And Fitness In A California Population Of The Labyrinth Spider Metepeira Ventura (Araneae, Araneidae)., Martina G. Ramirez, Sarah S. Eiman, Melissa M. Wetkowski, Miranda K. Mooers, Luningning A. Ocampo

Biology Faculty Works

The relationship between individual heterozygosity and characteristics likely to be associated with fitness was investigated in the labyrinth spider Metepeira ventura. Adult females and their egg sacs were collected at a coastal site in southern California, and three measures of bodily condition (carapace width, weight, residual index) and six measures of reproductive output (number of egg sacs, variation in egg number among sacs [coefficient of variation], total number of eggs, mean eggs/sac, mean eggs/sac divided by carapace width, mean eggs/sac divided by weight) were determined for each spider. The sample was polymorphic at three allozyme loci that were in Hardy-Weinberg …

Two New Species Of Freshwater Crabs From Mt. Elgon, East Africa With A Redescription Of Potamonautes Niloticus And Notes On Their Natural History" >, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

" A Conservation Assessment Of The Freshwater Crabs Of Southern Africa" , Neil Cumberlidge, Savel R. Daniels

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Tree Calls Of Three Treefrogs (Hyla Femoralis, H. Gratiosa, And H. Squirella): Analysis Of Environmental, Behavioral, And Acoustic Characteristics, Kristine Schad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Male frogs typically call near water at dusk to attract females for breeding. During the breeding season, male treefrogs also emit diurnal "tree calls" or "rain calls" from the tops of trees. Very little is known about tree calls, although many treefrogs use them. Tree calls may be used to attract females, deter males or be triggered by weather conditions favorable for breeding: high temperature and relative humidity, and a drop in barometric pressure. As dusk approaches, male treefrogs continue tree calls from lower in the trees, and if conditions are favorable, jump to the ground and travel to a …