In the early development process of many organisms, it is important to be able to minimize exposure to agents of stunted or arrested development. By decreasing the mortality rate for a generation of a species, that species is given an advantage in later reproduction; by increasing the number of organisms of the same species within a limited environment, more organisms of the same species are able to reproduce, resulting in an augmented overall population ("Reproduction and Development", 2013). However, when toxins are introduced to an environment, an embryo’s viability can decrease. Mortality rates for the generation of the species can increase, and defects that are harmful to the reproductive cycle can emerge. Thus, it is necessary to measure and observe the effects of certain toxins on embryonic development. The North American brine shrimp, or Artemia Franciscana (Artemia Salina), is subject to changes in its environment. Toxins introduced to its hatching environment, such as ethanol (in concentrations of 0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.2%), can have significant impact for the hatching process and embryonic development. The experiment sought to explore the relationship between birth defects and exposure to ethanol at early developmental stages through the use of American brine shrimp. However, to be able to fully comprehend the impact that certain toxins would have on the embryonic development of the North American brine shrimp, it is first important to be versed in its specific hatching process.
The North American brine shrimp goes through several stages in development before reaching adulthood. The brine shrimp is first encased in a protective capsule within a female brine shrimp’s brood sac (Drewes, C, 2006). Here, egg development rapidly...
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... ethanol present. Due to the fact that there has been a distinct correlation between the levels of ethanol present and the mortality rate of certain aquatic life forms, it was expected that when a higher concentration of ethanol was present in the artificially constructed environment, the brine shrimp would have a lower rate of hatching and a higher mortality rate. It was anticipated that if the brine shrimp cysts were exposed to levels of ethanol in 0%, 0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.2%, than the brine shrimp cysts exposed to higher levels of ethanol would develop more slowly due to the fact that ethanol changes the shape of proteins when it permeates the membrane of a call. Thus, the brine shrimp’s exposure to 0.2% ethanol would yield higher mortality rates and more developmental problems than when the brine shrimp were exposed to 0.15% ethanol, 0.1% ethanol, and 0% ethanol.
The Artemia franciscana can survive in extreme conditions of salinity, water depth, and temperature (Biology 108 laboratory manual, 2010), but do A. franciscana prefer these conditions or do they simply cope with their surroundings? This experiment explored the extent of the A. franciscanas preference towards three major stimuli: light, temperature, and acidity. A. franciscana are able to endure extreme temperature ranges from 6 ̊ C to 40 ̊ C, however since their optimal temperature for breeding is about room temperature it can be inferred that the A. franciscana will prefer this over other temperatures (Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). This is much the same in regards to acidity as Artemia franciscana, in general thrive in saline lakes, can survive pH ranges between 7 and 10 with 8 being ideal for cysts(eggs) to hatch (Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). Based on this fact alone the tested A. franciscana should show preference to higher pH levels. In nature A. franciscana feed by scraping food, such as algae, of rocks and can be classified as a bottom feeder; with this said, A. franciscana are usually located in shallow waters. In respect to the preference of light intensity, A. franciscana can be hypothesized to respond to light erratically (Fox, 2001; Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). Using these predictions, and the results of the experimentation on the A. franciscana and stimuli, we will be able to determine their preference towards light, temperature, and pH.
An abiotic factor affecting growth of T. californicus is the concentration of salinity of the seawater. It can range from 35ppt too much higher salinity concentrations. The concentration of UV radiation also affects t. californicus. They tend to stay in places of low concentration of UV rays when the sun is the strongest.
To begin the lab, the variable treatment was prepared as the Loggerlite probe, used to later measure oxygen consumption, warmed up for approximately 10 minutes. To prepare the variable treatment, 200ml of Sodium and Ammo-lock water was measured in a container and a pre-prepared “tea bag” of tobacco was steeped in the room temperature treated water until a light yellow color was visible. After preparing the tobacco solution the preparation for the live goldfish began as two beakers were filled with 100 ml of treated water. Each beaker was weighed before addi...
During this experiment Brine Shrimp were placed in four bowls. These four bowls contained 2 cups of either water, vinegar or a water and vinegar solution with 50 shrimp in each. Over a course of 3 hours all of the shrimp in the vinegar mixtures died. Beginning this experiment, the control group, placed in two cups of water moved around the bowl actively. This differentiated from the groups placed in vinegar solutions. These shrimp were placed in one of three bowls. In group 2 the tank consisted of one and a half cups water and a half cup vinegar. The third bowl contained one cup water and one cup vinegar. Lastly, the fourth bowl included two cups of vinegar. The shrimp in the control group were the most active. The shrimp in these bowls moved
Acknowledgements: Slides of dead fish courtesy of OKDEQ. We would like to thank our students Trevor Nance Jr, and Matt Ward for their help in the laboratory sample preparations. We would also like to thank OKDEQ (Chris Armstrong) and EPA Region 6 (Rick McMillin) for their patience.
For many years it was believed that alcohol can affect an unborn child only after placenta and umbilical cord are fully developed. Ten to fourteen days after fertilization the egg arrives into the uterus, and nests there. In that phase there is no connection between a mother’s bloodstream and a child via umbilical cord, but while placenta is developing embryo is getting its nutrients from mother’s blood through yolk sac. The minute alcohol enters mother’s bloodstream trough her stomach and the small intestine, it will also get to the embryo by cellular processes and it will disturb the cell division.
12) Brad A. Andres (1997) The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Disrupted the Breeding of Black Oystercatchers. The Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 61, no. 4 pp. 1322-1328
Many studies have established that a developing organism is susceptible to exogenous and endogenous factors during certain stage of the organism’s development. The effects of ethyl alcohol or ethanol on the developing fetus, which manifest a variety of characteristic abnormalities, are collectively called Fetal alcohol Syndrome. Ethanol exposure to the fetus causes various malformation ranging from the cellular to the organismic levels with the eventual results frequently being different levels of mental retardation (3).
...oney, Andrew A. and Daniel B. Pickford. 1995. Organisation versus Activation: The role of Endocrine-disrupting Contaminants (EDCS) during Embryonic Development in wildlife. Environmental Health Perspective’s. 103 (Suppl 7): 157-164.
There have been many experiments over the past few decades testing for prenatal alcohol exposure. These studies have shown that exposure causes a variety of abnormalities. These abnormalities include unusual growth, mental disabilities, Central Nervous System deformities, and distinct craniofacial disfiguration (Ungerer, Knezovich and Ramsay, 2013).
...et al. (2011). Using fluorescent imaging, the researchers found evidence of abnormal vascularization, neuron branching, and neuromast cell development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to the known endocrine disruptor during early life stages. Aluru et al. (2010) determined that maternal exposure to BPA can cause multiple adverse effects on developing offspring. Unfertilized rainbow trout eggs were treated with three different concentrations, fertilized, and resulting juveniles were observed throughout development. Aluru et al. (2010) concluded that oocyte exposure to BPA leads to modified stress performance, delayed hatching times, and growth suppression in juvenile rainbow trout. The following image is taken from Aluru et al. (2010), showing both the decrease in body size and production of yolk observed in juvenile rainbow trout hatched from BPA-exposed oocytes.
The body of the shrimp is two parts the thorax which is the body and the head , the body pieces are connected by the cephalorax and a narrow abdomen. The mouth if the shrimp works with the gills so they can be used. Shrimp have a hard shell that keeps everything together and protects them, its legs, eyes, and rostrum grow out of the hard shell. The use their nose or a sharp peak which there there basically the sing thing to protect their self from all the bigger and other animals it come in contact with and it sticks them with and it has a length that the shrimp lets out to be able to reach where the shrimp wants to get the other animals. Shrimp have some similarities to fish like when they travel, breed, and eat its usually done in schools (schools area group of the species). A (shrimp) single female is capable of producing a large number of offspring, one shrimp can lay up to one million eggs in a single session, take two weeks to hatch it takes two weeks to
“Developmental toxicity testing involves giving pregnant female animals, usually rats and rabbits, doses of chemicals administered orally. The animals are killed just prior to delivery and the fetuses are examined for any sign of toxic effects by the test substance” (excerpt from aavs.org). The above passage is just one of the many heinous experiments conducted in labs. About 95% of small animals such as mice, ra...
The information in this experiment supports the premise that alcohol can cause birth defects or premature death. In the introduction it was questioned if alcohol would produce similar physical deformities as seen in humans. The data supports that alcohol can cause facial deformities as seen in humans.
In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment.