• Invertebrates have a variety of receptors that they use to “make sense” of their environment

• Many are the same basic types of receptors that we use to make sense of our world– Some of the major categories of receptors

are: photoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, chemoreceptors

• The goal of this lab is to investigate how an invertebrate responds to an external stimulus

• Consideration needs to be taken to ensure that a single type of receptor is being used by the invertebrate (that the invertebrate is not responding to numerous stimuli and using a variety of receptor categories)

• General Info:– You may select any invertebrate for your

investigation, but here are some examples• Blackworms (Lumbriculus variegates), Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes

sp.), Meal worms (Tenebrio molitor larvae), Planaria (Dugesis tigrina), and Pillubgs (various species)

– You are responsible for obtaining your invertebrate– Common lab supplies will be provided for your use,

but if you need a specific apparatus you will need to bring it

– Care should be taken to ensure that your investigation does not involve an experimental design that predictably would harm your invertebrate

– Remember…this lab will be an internal assessment!

• Timeline:– 12/16: Submit tentative research

question– 1/7: Observe your invertebrate to help

refine your question– 1/9: Specific research question sign up

(first come, first serve…remember that each question must be very different)

– 1/15: Lab day to conduct experiment– 2/5: Lab report due (I’ll be swinging by

to pick them up)

• Helpful Hints:– Your question needs to be based on

research!– Distribution is not behavior, you need

research to determine an actual response

– Collect quantitative data– Do NOT talk to each other...no

collaboration!