Competition in Population Growth
Brown, Tyler
3/A
12-4-10
How does competition effect population growth?
In this experiment you will grow two species of protozoan, paramecium Caudatum and Aurelia, alone and together. You will then compare growth curves of the population of each species.
A paramecium is a small one celled (unicellular) living organism that can move, digest food, and reproduce. They belong to the kingdom of Protista, which is a group (family) of similar living micro-organisms. Micro-organism means they are a very small living cell. You might be able to see one as a tiny moving speck if your eyesight is extremely good but for any detail at all you need a microscope to look at and study them. They are about .02 inches long (.5mm). The paramecium is an oval, slipper shaped micro-organism, rounded at the front/top and pointed at the back/bottom. The pellicle, a stiff but elastic membrane that gives the paramecium a definite shape but allows some small changes. Paramecium feed on microorganisms like bacteria, algae, and yeasts. The paramecium uses its cilia to sweep the food along with some water into the cell mouth after it falls into the oral groove. The food goes through the cell mouth into the gullet. When there is enough food in it so that it has reached a certain size it breaks away and forms a food vacuole. The food vacuole travels through the cell, through the back end first. As it moves along enzymes from the cytoplasm enter the vacuole and digest it. The paramecium cannot see, taste, touch, or hear. However, It evidently has some sense of movement because it responds when it bumps into something. Paramecium are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is the most common, and this is accomplished by the organism dividing transversely. The macronucleus elongates and splits. Under ideal conditions, Paramecium can reproduce asexually two or three times a day. Normally, Paramecium only reproduce sexually...