Biology Commons^™

Development Of Representative Species-Level Molecular Markers And Morphological Character Analysis Of Leucothoid Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Kristine Nicolle White

Dissertations

Leucothoid amphipods were investigated using morphology and molecular rDNA gene sequence fragments. The morphological diagnostic characters for traditional taxonomy have been clarified, a molecular marker for representative species has been developed, and one of the current anamorph-leucomorph connections has been confirmed with molecular sequence data. Ultimately this study has combined traditional morphological and modern molecular methods to clarify the taxonomy and to propose a preliminary phylogeny of the Leucothoidae. Analysis of 18S rDNA gene fragments from 13 species in two genera supported the current morphological species designations and the separation of the family into two clades. Combined analysis of 18S …

The Effect Of Activator Application On The Anatomy, Morphology, And Viability Of Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill. Pollen, İlkay Öztürk Çali, Feyza Candan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study examined the effect of ACT-2, a K-vitamin group activator intensively applied to tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), on the anatomy, morphology, and viability of tomato pollen from plants grown under greenhouse conditions. The activator was applied to tomatoes at the recommended dosage (150 cc/100 L of tap water) and double the recommended dosage (300 cc/100 L of tap water). Pollen width and length, exine and intine layer thickness, pore width and length, and crevice width and length were measured using an ocular micrometer. Reductions were observed in all the measured parameters in all application groups, except for pollen …

Assessment Of The Endangered Species Podarcis Carbonelli On A Microgeographic Scale: A Molecular, Morphological And Physiological Approach, Maria Clara Figueirinhas Do Amaral

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The lizard Podarcis carbonelli is an endangered species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. One location where this species occurs is at the Berlengas Natural Preserve, an Atlantic archipelago off the coast of Portugal. These island populations are geographically separated from nearby mainland populations. The fundamental question is, are these insular individuals distinct from the mainland populations? Four localities were chose for comparison: two island populations and two nearby coastal populations. We assessed this question using three distinct approaches: molecular, morphological and physiological approach. We sequenced the 12S RNA, the mtDNA Control Region and the 7th intron of the !-fibrinogen gene …

The Tadpole Of Eupsophus Queulensis (Anura, Cycloramphidae), Diana R. Cárdenas-Rojas, Alberto Veloso, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The genus Eupsophus is characterized by endotrophic larvae that inhabit water-filled cavities. The larvae feed from large yolk reserves during metamorphosis. The external morphology has been described for four of the ten known species and data on larval chondrocranial morphology are available only for one. We describe the extema1 morphology, oral disc and chondrocranial anatomy of the larvae of Eupsophus queulensis. The characteristics of E. queulensis tadpoles are compared with those of other Eupsophus larvae.

Philornis Fasciventris (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae): Description Of The Male, Larva And Puparium, With Notes On Biology And Host Association, Marcia S. Couri, Troy G. Murphy, Richard Hoebeke

Biology Faculty Research

The male, larva and puparium of Philornis fasciventris (Wulp) are described for the first time, as well as the larval habit and host association. The material was collected in Yucatan, Mexico in a nest of the turquoise-browed motmot, Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach) (Coraciformes: Momotidae), first host record for this species. E. superciliosa is also a new host record for Philornis.

Testing An Ecophysiological Mechanism Of Morphological Plasticity In Pupfish And Its Relevance To Conservation Efforts For Endangered Devils Hole Pupfish, Sean C. Lema, Gabrielle A. Nevitt

Biological Sciences

Imperiled species that have been translocated or established in captivity can show rapid alterations in morphology and behavior, but the proximate mechanisms of such phenotypic changes are rarely known. Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) are endemic to a single desert pool and are characterized by a small body, large head and eyes, and lack of pelvic fins. To lessen the risk of extinction, additional populations of C. diabolis were established in artificial refuges. Yet, pupfish in these refuges rapidly shifted to a larger body, smaller head and eyes, and greater body depth. Here we examined how food availability …

Evolutionary History Of The Clitellariinae And Stratiomyidae (Insecta: Diptera) Using Molecular, Morphological, And Total Evidence Approaches, Colin A. Brammer

Biology

Stratiomyidae is a diverse, cosmopolitan family of Diptera (true flies). One of its twelve subfamilies, Clitellariinae, is distributed in all major biogeographic regions except Antarctica. Understanding the evolutionary history of Clitellariinae is key to reconstructing the phylogeny of Stratiomyidae as a whole because Clitellariinae is united only by shared ancestral characters, and, thus, may not be a natural group. This research investigates the relationships between the genera currently placed within Clitellariinae and the subfamilial relationships of Stratiomyidae using morphology, molecules, and combined data. Morphology was analyzed with the method of parsimony using 97 adult characters. Molecular analyses were performed with …

Morphological Divergence Of Native And Recently Established Populations Of White Sands Pupfish (Cyprinodon Tularosa), Michael L. Collyer, James M. Novak, Craig A. Stockwell

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We used landmark-based geometric morphometric methods to describe patterns of body shape variation and shape covariation with size among populations of the threatened White Sands Pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa), a species that occurs in dissimilar aquatic habitats. White Sands Pupfish populations include two genetically distinct, native populations that have been historically isolated in Salt Creek, a saline river, and Malpais Spring, a brackish spring. In addition, two populations were established approximately 30 years before this study by translocation of fish from Salt Creek to Lost River (a saline river) and Mound Spring (a brackish spring). We found significant body shape variation …

The Malagasy Endemic Dendroportulaca (Portulacaceae) Is Referable To Deeringia (Amaranthaceae): Molecular And Morphological Evidence [Abstract], Wendy L. Applequist, Donald B. Pratt

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Status Of Leptodactylus Validus As A Single Taxon And Its Relationship To Letptodactylus Pallidirostris, Kenneth Christopher Yanek

Master's Theses

Leptodactylus validus exhibits an unusual distribution inhabiting Trinidad, Tobago, and the Lesser Antilles, but not the mainland of South America. This distribution is inconsistent with other distribution patterns observed for these islands. Although slight variation in adult morphology has been observed among the island populations, call data suggest the presence of a single species. Calls of Leptodactylus pallidirostris from Venezuela suggested that this taxon might be conspecific with L. validus. Herein sequence data from the 12S and 16S mt rRNA genes were collected and analyzed in order to address: 1.) whether more than one species is represented within L. validus, …

Type Of Muscle Present In Adult Amphibian Lymphatic Heart Based On The Dna Sequence Of The Myosin Heavy Chain, Maribeth Morral

Honors Theses

Water and plasma are forced from the capillaries into the interstitial fluid. This fluid is useful l as it moves materials between cells. Most of this fluid is collected in the capillarie of a second circulatory system, the lymphatic system. The first function of such a system is returning the excess blood plasma, now o as lymph, that has accumulated in the tissue spaces. Lymph flows from small lymph capillaries into lymph vessels that are similar to veins in having valves that prevent back flow. Lymph vessels collect to lymph nodes, lymph organs, or to the cardiovascular system at the …

Comparative Serological And Molecular Analysis Of Group Viii Spiroplasma From Australia And North America, April Carmita Murphy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Spiroplasma bacteria (Mollicutes: Spiroplasmataceae) are characterized by motility, helical morphology and are most frequently found in insect guts and phloem tubes of plants. Traditionally, Spiroplasma have been classified by serology. Recent work has generated 16S rDNA sequences that generally correlate with the serological findings. Although the serology and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis clearly classifies strains to the group level, they do not distinguish between strains within the same group. The goal of this project was to investigate the utility of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region sequence as a means to distinguish these closely related strains.

We chose Group …

Evidence For An Epigenetic Mechanism By Which Hsp90 Acts As A Capacitor For Morphological Evolution, Vincent E. Sollars, Xiangyi Lu, Li Xiao, Xiaoyan Wang, Mark D. Garfinkel, Douglas M. Ruden

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Morphological alterations have been shown to occur in Drosophila melanogaster when function of Hsp90 (heat shock 0-kDa protein 1α, encoded by Hsp83) is compromised during development1. Genetic selection maintains the altered phenotypes in subsequent generations1. Recent experiments have shown, however, that phenotypic variation still occurs in nearly isogenic recombinant inbred strains of Arabidopsis thaliana2. Using a sensitized isogenic D. melanogaster strain, iso-KrIf-1, we confirm this finding and present evidence supporting an epigenetic mechanism for Hsp90’s capacitor function, whereby reduced activity of Hsp90 induces a heritably altered chromatin state. The altered chromatin state is evidenced by ectopic expression …

Stem Morphology And Anatomy In Amaranthus L. (Amaranthaceae)—Taxonomic Significance, Mihai Costea, Darleen A. Demason

Biology Faculty Publications

The range of variation within the genus Amaranthus L. (Amaranthaceae) is described for a number of stem characters including: morphology, epidermis, primary stem vasculature and mechanism of secondary growth. The results provide new characters (phyllotaxy, complexity of leaf vascular supply and relative amount of secondary growth) that support (1) a new infrageneric classification (subgenus Amaranthus vs subgenus Albersia (Kunth)Gren. & Dodr.), and (2) the separation within the “hybridus” complex of cultivated amaranths (A. caudatus L., A. cruentus L., and A. hypochondriacus L.) from their presumed wild ancestors (A. hybridus L. subsp. quitensis (Kunth) Costea & Carretero, …

Amaranthus Rudis And A. Tuberculatus, One Species Or Two? [Abstract], Donald B. Pratt, Lynn G. Clark

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Classification And Identification Of Pfiesteria And Pfiesteria-Like Species, Karen Steidinger, Jan Landsberg, R. William Richardson, Earnest Truby, Barbara Blakesley, Paula Scott, Patricia Tester, Torstein Tengs, Patrice Mason, Stever Morton, David Seaborn, Wayne Litaker, Kimberly Reece, David Oldach, Leonard Haas, Gerardo Vasta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Dinoflagellates can be classified both botanically and zoologically; however, they are typically put in the botanical division Pyrrhophyta. As a group they appear most related to the protistan ciliates and apicomplexans at the ultrastructure level. Within the Pyrrhophyta are both unarmored and armored forms of the dominant, motile flagellated stage. Unarmored dinoflagellates do not have thecal or wall plates arranged in specific series, whereas armored species have plates that vary in thickness but are specific in number and arrangement. In armored dinoflagellates, the plate pattern and tabulation is a diagnostic character at the family, subfamily, and even genus levels. In …

Spaceflight Effects On Single Skeletal Muscle Fiber Function In The Rhesus Monkey, Robert H. Fitts, Dominique Desplanches, Janell Romatowski, Jeffrey J. Widrick

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to understand how 14 days of weightlessness alters the cellular properties of individual slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers in the rhesus monkey. The diameter of the soleus (Sol) type I, medial gastrocnemius (MG) type I, and MG type II fibers from the vivarium controls averaged 60 ± 1, 46 ± 2, and 59 ± 2 µm, respectively. Both a control 1-G capsule sit (CS) and spaceflight (SF) significantly reduced the Sol type I fiber diameter (20 and 13%, respectively) and peak force, with the latter declining from 0.48 ± 0.01 to 0.31 ± 0.02 …

The Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands. Ipomoea Imperati (Vahl) Griseb., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Beach morning glory, Ipomoea imperati (Vahl) Griseb. = I. stolonifera (Cirillo) Gmelin is a pantropical, prostrate vine that is an important pioneer species in the backshore of coastal beaches of six continents and many islands. The landward distribution of beach morning glory is influenced by dispersal and competition, and its seaward distribution is determined by the physical environment acting through movement of seeds away from the water and high seedling mortality in the backshore. It is occasionally found in disturbed sites on barrier islands well inland from the shore. Beach morning glory tolerates low levels of soil nutrients, sand scouring, …

Chondrocranial And Oral Morphology Of Leptodactylid Larvae, William Hagood Turner

Master's Theses

I focused my research on Leptodactylidae in order to determine the usefulness of chondrocranial and internal oral characters in systematic and phylogenetic studies of this anuran family. To achieve this goal, I examined the chondrocrania of eight species of the Leptodactylinae: Adenomera marmorata, Edalorhina perezi, Limnomedusa macroglossa, Physalaemus gracilis, P. henselii, P. pustulosus, Pleurodema brachyops, and P. tucumana. Furthermore, I analyzed and described the internal oral anatomy of Physalaeum us gracilis, P. henselii, and Limnomedusa macroglossa and the skeletogenesis of P. gracilis and P. pustulosus. Subsequently, I integrated these data with all available data on the larval chondrocrania and internal …

A Study Of Pollen Mitosis And Pollen Morphology Inhexaploid (2n=24) Bellevalia Edirnensisözhatay & Mathew, Feruzan Dane

Turkish Journal of Biology

: The pollen mitosis and pollen morphology of hexaploid (2n=24) Bellevalia edirnensis Özhatay & Mathew were examined. Microspores exhibited variation in size, and the exine and aperture developed before pollen mitosis began. During pollen mitosis, polarization, asymmetric styles and normal divisions were observed together with some abnormalities. During polarization of the microspore both nucleus migration and vacuole formation were common. The generative nucleus was in the proximal pole and the vegetative nucleus was in the distal pole. It was also determined that the mature pollens were 2-celled, the shape of the pollens was sphaeroidea, the type of the pollens was …

Chondrocranial And Oral Morphology Of Pipoid Frogs, Charles Christopher Swart

Master's Theses

The Pipoidea are a diverse group of frogs. Their diversity is demonstrated in their morphology, ecology, and behavior. One pipoid species, Xenopus laevis, has been used as a model system of developmental, physiological, and molecular studies of vertebrates. My work has focused on the developmental morphology of the chondrocranium and oral morphology of four pipoid taxa: Hymenochirus boettgeri, Rhinophrynus dorsalis, Pipa carvalhoi, and Xenopus laevis. Previous studies have suggested that the Anura may be diphyletic based on the unique characteristics of the chondrocanial morphology of pipoids. The chondrocranial and internal oral morphology of the pipoids indicates that as a group …

The Biological Flora Of Coastal Dunes And Wetlands. Sesuvium Portulacastrum (L.) L., Robert I. Lonard, Frank W. Judd

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. (sea purslane, cenicilla) is a pantropical, perennial, trailing herb (Aizoaceae) with pink-purple or occasionally white flowers that grows on coastal beaches of five continents and many islands. Herein we present a review of the biology of S. portulacastrum. It is an important pioneer species on sandy beaches in the subtropics and tropics, where its stoloniferous, mat-forming growth habit promotes embryonic dune formation in belts parallel to the shoreline. Colonies act as barriers to intercept and hold water and wind transported sand. Sesuvium portulacastrum's success as a colonizing species is related, in large part, to its …

Description Of Tadpoles Of Three Species Of Scinax (Anura: Hylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, Rocjard Wassersig, Arturo I. Kehr

Biology Faculty Publications

Larval morphological characteristics have been used to cluster species of Scinax in seven species groups and to support the monophyly of some of these groups. However, our present knowledge of Scinax tadpoles is incomplete; currently, tadpoles of only 21 of the approximately 80 recognized species have been described. Herein, we describe and illustrate the external morphology and oral disc characteristics of larval Scinax berthae, S. nebulosa, and S. boesemani. The presence of a "labial arm" supporting the P3 tooth row in S. boesemani, and its absence from S. nebulosa, is discussed in the light of our limited knowledge of tadpoles …

Effects Of Castration Upon The Morphology Of The Accessory Sex Organs Of The Male Rat - A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study, R. Wahlqvist, E. Dahl, K. J. Tveter

Scanning Microscopy

A systematic, comparative study of the accessory sex glands of the adult male rat after androgen withdrawal was carried out. The changes were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy at different intervals after surgical castration. The main common signs of epithelial cell involution were flattening of the cell surface, reduction of the size and number of microvilli, some blurring of the cell borders, cessation of secretory activity and diminution of the luminal volume of the glands. Overall, confident signs of atrophy were evident after one week, and complete epithelial involution was reached by the third week. The epithelial cell atrophy …

Scanning Electron Microscopy Of The Accessory Sex Glands Of The Adult Male Rat, R. Wahlqvist, E. Dahl, K. J. Tveter

Scanning Microscopy

This study describes the morphology of the accessory sex glands of the adult male rat as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The purpose was to obtain a systematic and comparative SEM description of these glands and to evaluate different preparation techniques. A common morphological feature is polyhedral delineation of the cells, which exhibited a variable convexity of their apical surface. The cell apices were more or less studded with microvilli. Nevertheless, it was possible to distinguish the glands by their surface morphology. In the ventral prostate, there was a considerable heterogeneity in cell surface appearance. The lateral lobe bad …

Tc-Mapping And Investigation Of Water-Initiated Modification Of Yba2cu3o7-X Thin Films By Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy, A. V. Bobyl, M. E. Gaevski, S. G. Konnikov, D. V. Shantsev, V. A. Solov'ev, R. A. Suris

Scanning Microscopy

The T_c -mapping method using low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) has been developed to study the spatial distribution of the critical temperature in high temperature superconducting (HTSC) films with a spatial resolution approaching 2 μm. To achieve so high a spatial resolution, a numerical deconvolution method was applied that eliminated distorting effects associated with the thermal diffusion and with the contribution from the absorbed beam current. The T_c -mapping method was used to investigate modification by water of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x films grown on (100) MgO and (110) LaAIO₃ substrates. The rate of …

Relationship Between Morphology And Hydrodynamics During Swimming By The Hydromedusae Aequorea Victoria And Aglantha Digitale, Sean Colin, John H. Costello

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Induction Of Crystallization Of Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate In Micellar Solutions Of Anionic Surfactants, H. Füredi-Milhofer, L. Tunik, N. Filipovic-Vincekovic, D. Skrtic, V. Babic-Ivancic, N. Garti

Scanning Microscopy

Calcium oxalate dihydrate (CaC₂O₄.(2+x)H₂O; COD; x ≤ 0.5) does not readily crystallize from electrolytic solutions but appears as a component in crystalluria. In this paper, we review in vitro studies on the factors responsible for its nucleation and growth with special attention given to the role of surfactants. The following surfactants were tested: dodecyl ammonium chloride (cationic), octaethylene monohexadecylether (non-ionic), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SOS, anionic), dioctyl sulphosuccinate (AOT, anionic), and sodium cholate (NaC, anionic). The cationic and some of the anionic surfactants (SOS, AOT) induced different habit modifications of growing calcium oxalate crystals by …

The Effect Of Arf-Excimer Laser Irradiation Of The Human Enamel Surface On The Bond Strength Of Orthodontic Appliances, U. Stratmann, K. Schaarschmidt, M. Schürenberg, U. Ehmer

Scanning Microscopy

This study investigated enamel laser conditioning as an alternative to acid etching in bracket therapy. In preliminary experiments optimal laser parameters for achieving a bond strength of 6-10 N/mm² were defined. Enamel surface morphology was assessed and the ablation depth was measured on serial enamel sections. Thirty human molars were exposed to 193 nm ArF-excimer laser radiation (energy density: 260 mJ/cm²) by single pulse application of 23 nanoseconds. Thirty molars were etched with phosphoric acid (37%) for 60 seconds. The brackets from the treated molars and 30 untreated molars were debonded vertically for tensile bond strength measurement. …

Comparison Of Cell Sediment And Surface Grown "Test Plaque" Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, S. M. Mccormack, C. M. D. Maran, K. M. Scott-Anne, D. T. Zero

Scanning Microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy was used to compare the morphology, integrity and distribution of bacterial cells in a test plaque grown on the surface of enamel with that of the cell sediment plaque routinely used in a short-term intraoral caries model. Cultures of S. mutans IB-1600 or S. sobrinus 6715-13 were grown in complex media supplemented with either 2.0% sucrose (glucan plaque) or 0.2 % glucose (non-glucan plaque). Cell sediment (CS) plaque was prepared by centrifuging the cultures after incubation, recovering the cell sediment, and spreading it on Metricel membrane filter paper. Surface grown (SG) plaque was prepared by suspending saliva-coated …