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Lab Bank Experiment List
The Lab Bank Experiments
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Ant Preference Optimal foraging theory states that under normal conditions, animals should select food sources that maximize their rate of calorie acquisition. The assumption is that "the behavioral mechanisms underlying diet selection are the evolutionary product of natural selection, and that individuals that maximize caloric intake would have more energy for the production of offspring and other fitness-promoting activities" (Alcock, 93). Your class will work together to see if ants will show a preference for a high calorie food source over a reduced calorie food source. It's In The Bag! This experiment seeks to evaluate several communities' species diversity using the Simpson delta index ~ To compare the similarity of species for several communities using percentage of Jaccard coefficient of community (%CCJ). Yeast and the Processing of Sugar - Biobread The level of yeast activity in bread dough is essential to the texture and quality of bread. The main food for yeast in this process is sugar which is used to make the bread This class has been hired as a research team to investigate and test the viability of using powdered skim milk as an ingredient to making good-tasting, fortified bread. This is a series of labs designed to take a look at activity levels in yeast by evaluating CO2 production. Polluting Ingredient in Detergent Scientists have been cautioning consumers that the use of detergents and their disposal in our rivers, lakes and oceans are creating a problem for these delicate ecosystems. With the rapid increase of human populations, it is becoming an urgent problem. The source of much of the pollution is said to be detergents. This experiment is designed to identify the responsible ingredient(s) in the detergents. The Mouthwash Challenge A problem assignment to design a new mouthwash that will combat the growth of bacteria that is frequently blamed for gum disease. Plants for Profit This is a role playing exercise that establishes groups as research companies competing for a contract to landscape a difficult stretch of state highway. The research companies will be assigned a plant. They must determine the strengths and weaknesses of that plant, and then correct one weakness through "genetic engineering." Determining Species Richness of Anurans in Local Ponds This experiment is designed to compare the number of species of frogs and toads in different sized ponds to see if the size of the pond affects the number of species.
Do Birds Really Prefer Red Cars? Birds have excellent color vision. They can see ultraviolet (UV) light and have at least four kinds of cones in the retinas of their eyes. Cones are photoreceptors that aid in color vision. In contrast, humans canÍt see UV light and only have 3 types of cones in their retinas.
Relationship Between Water Temperature and Respiration Rate in Marine Fishes An experiment to determine what effect a change in water temperature has on the rate of respiration in fish.
Introduction to Calculating Population Size Through "Mark and Recapture" An important part of environmental biology is determining the size of populations. However, animal populations are often too large and/or scattered to count directly. Therefore, scientists try to capture some of the animals, let them go, then recapture animals of the same species after the marked ones have mixed in with the general population. Obviously, when scientists try to catch animals the second time, they may get many which were NOT marked the first time. This is important because it allows them to make a good guess at how many animals in that species are really out there. Knowledge of a species' population size, then, is important for conservation scientists to make necessary decisions. Ê To comment on an experiment, please email the director pmazzocc@deans.umd.edu.
To comment on an experiment, please email the director mclfs@umd.edu.
