Comparing the Ameba to the Paramecium
- Page ID
- 27638
This page is a draft and is under active development.
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Objective: In this lab you will observe a living ameba and a living paramecium. Both belong to the Kingdom Protista and are also sometimes called protozoa.
Each specimen moves in a unique way. Your task is to analyze and compare the protozoan movements.
Materials: Paramecium culture, Ameba culture, microscope slides, cover slips, cotton, microscopes; (optional preserved slides)
Viewing the Ameba
- Obtain a slide of ameba.
- Do NOT use a coverslip
- Focus under scanning power and then low power. Do NOT use high power.
Over a 10-15 minute period, draw the ameba four times. Pay special attention to the shape.
- Describe in your own words how the ameba moves.
- Draw the ameba and label the: Endoplasm, Ectoplasm, Cell Membrane, Pseudopodia
Viewing the Paramecium
- Obtain a slide of paramecium (no cover slip)
- Focus under scanning and low power.
- Add a few strands of cotton and a cover slip. (The cotton will help slow the paramecium down)
- Refocus using High Power.
Over a 10-15 minute period, draw the paramecium four times.
- Describe how the paramecium responds to the cotton fiber on the slide.
- Estimate how many paramecium are on your slide.
- Draw your paramecium. Label: Nucleus, Oral Groove, Cell Membrane, Cilia, Contractile Vacuole
Analysis
- Compare the movement of the paramecium to the movement of the ameba.
- How are the paramecium and the ameba alike?
- How are the paramecium and the ameba different?