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MicroAquarium Observation 10.22.09

There were rapidly moving tiny green organisms swarming in the purple-blue pods, which were identified by Dr. McFarland as the plant bladders (pictured). With the more powerful microscopes used in this lab, I was able to spot tiny organisms hiding underneath the leaves coming from the stems of plant A. These organisms resembled bubbles and several would appear to be bunched together under a single leaf, possibly feeding off of the nutrients coming from this area of plant A. After spotting these new, different species in my second observation, I wondered how the larger moving organisms interacted with these tiny bubble-like organisms. I then noticed an organism larger than the ones noted in the first post, and what appeared to be the smaller, originally noted organism inside of it while this larger creature was experiencing a sort of full-stomached siesta. Are some moving organisms feeding on the others?

(Pictured: The large slug-like organism mentioned in the first post.)

I then noticed another new detail of my MicroAquarium, transparent yellow sacks, unmoving, laying close to the dirt at the bottom. These sacks had tube-like parts in its interior. Upon closer and lengthy observation, I noticed curious behavior of some of these interior parts. There was something in the shape of an acorn attached to a string that floated stationary for a few seconds, then appeared to whip around the inside of the sack, and then return to its stationary state. There was another immobile part inside of this sack that had a high number of hairy spikes protruding from the bottom of it.

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MicroAquarium, created on 10.13.09
After covering the bottom in the small space of my MicroAquarium with dirt gathered in a pipette from water from source 11, the Fountain City Duck Pond, I filled the rest of the space with water (leaving about an inch free at the top). A sample of plant B was inserted into the left side, while a slightly smaller sample of plant A was inserted into the right side. This completed the initial materials that make up my MicroAquarium.

Immediate Observations:
Plant B is vivid green with additional light brown stems. Faint purple-blue pod-like spheres are attached to these stems in various locations and have a beehive pattern. Flowing out from these pods appear to be long transparent appendages, resembling spider legs. Small bodies, living or non, rapidly float across my visual field. There are also green spiraled stems among the straighter stems and purple-blue pods. The light brown stem regions have many little hairs.

Plant A is more rigid with dark green stems with lighter green, slightly transparent leaves protruding along the stems. There are also reddish-brown parts along the stem. A creature is spotted among plant A; it is transparent with colorful insides much like those periodically stylish transparent telephones with multicolored gears on the inside. This organism appears to be munching on one of the leaves from the stem.

Upon observing the dirt gathered at the bottom, it seems to slightly move frequently. After keeping my eye on this area, I spotted several of these transparent bug-like organisms crawling around in the dirt. The final discovery of the period was the largest moving organism I have seen yet, a large slug-like creature that slowly made its way through the dirt, never moving upwards towards the plants.