Key Area 1-Lab Techniques for Biologits Flashcards
How do the risks vary between working in a lab and working in the field?
Working outside has many more possible hazards than lab work
What are three risks that must be assessed when working in the field?
- weather
- isolation
- terrain
How should sampling impact the species and habitats?
Impact should be minimal
When sampling rare or vulnerable species what should be considered?
Legislation
Describe quadrants
Used for sessile or slow moving organisms, come in different shapes and sizes for different areas or species
What are the capture techniques for sessile species?
Transects and point counts
What are the capture techniques for mobile species?
Camera traps and scat sampling
Describe a camera trap
Camera traps are a direct method and remote detection is involved so footage is looked at at a later date
What type of sampling should be used when sampling elusive species?
Camera traps
What are three methods of identifying samples?
- key
- classification guides
- DNA or protein analysis
What are the taxonomic groupings of life in order?
- domain
- kingdom
- phylum/division
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
Why is familiarity with the taxonomic groupings important for biologists?
It allows predictions and inferences to be made between the biology of an organism and the better known model organism
What is the importance of genetic evidence in classification?
Studying genetic evidence reveals a protein he relatedness between organisms as it can sometimes be skewed by convergent and divergent evolution.
The evolutionary relatedness or different groups of organisms is key to biological understanding.
What are the three domains of life?
- archea
- bacteria
- eukaryotes
What are the five divisions in the plant kingdom?
- mosses
- liverworts
- conifers
- ferns
- flowering plants
what are the five phyla in the animal kingdom?
- Chordata
- Arthropoda
- Nematoda
- Platyhelminthes
- Mollusca
What is a model organism?
An organism that has been widely studied to understand complex biological phenomena
How are model organisms selected?
From within all taxonomic groups and are used to obtain information that can be applied to species that are more difficult to study directly
What are named examples of important model organisms?
Bacterium- E. Coli Arthropod- Drosophila melanogaster Chordates- Mice eats and zebra fish Nematode- C. Elegans Flowering plants- Arabidopsis
What is an indicator species?
A species whose presence, absence or abundance gives information about environmental qualities such as presence of pollutants
What is classification of vegetation based on?
Indicator species present in communities
What technique is used for estimating population size?
Mark and recapture techniques
What is the formula used for mark and recapture techniques?
N=MC/R N is total population M is number of population marked C is number of population marked in second sample R is number of population recaptured
What assumptions are made in mark and recapture techniques?
- all individuals have the same chance of being captured
- there is no immigration or emigration
- there is no birth or death during the sample
- sampling methods are identical each time
- sampling methods don’t change behaviour or survival
- marked individuals mix randomly in population
What are five ways to mark organisms?
- rings or bands
- tagging
- transmitters
- hair clipping
- colour marking
What should be considered when choosing a marking technique?
Which one has the least impact on study species
What is an ethogram?
A table of all the different kinds of activity or behaviour observed in an animal, through observing them in natural or semi-natural surroundings
Where are ethograms used?
In ethology which is the study of animal behaviour
What should be measured when recording animal behaviour?
- start time and stop time (duration)
- overall length of time of observation
- latency (time between stimulation and response)
- frequency of behaviour
What sort of behaviours are recorded using an ethogram?
Movement
Feeding
Courtship
What is anthropomorphism?
Applying human activity, traits or emotions to animals
Why should anthropomorphism be avoided?
Behaviours can be misinterpreted and invalid conclusions are drawn
