Identifying Microorganisms

Use the following websites to help you identify as many of the organisms you can see in our pond water sample as possible. Draw detailed diagrams of the organisms you see and draw a comparison diagram from one of the websites.

You MUST try to identify the organisms you see in your water sample by using the images and descriptions you find on the websites. Take a look at several of the websites before you decide which one you want to use first.

Pond Water Critters ID page

http://www.microscope-microscope.org/applications/pond-critters/pond-critters.htm

Pond Life ID kit

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/smal1.html

Microbus

http://www.microscope-microscope.org/microscope-home.htm

Virtual Pond Dip

http://sciencenetlinks.com/esheets/virtual-pond-dip/

AAAS Pond Water A Closer Look

http://sciencenetlinks.com/student-teacher-sheets/pond-water-closer-look/

Pond 2 – Life in a drop of Pond Water

http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/pond-2-life-in-a-drop-of-pond-water/

Once you think you've identified a microorganism you may search for other images or videos of it online to confirm your identification.

For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmwN_mD7TvY 
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocv67Px49AA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL3900A98EEBD72DC2

Also try to identify any organelles you can in the microorganisms you observe. You may see nuclei or flagella or other organelles.

Flash Animation of Cells to DNA – Compares Eukaryotic cells to bacteria and zooms from chromosomes to chromatin to dna.

http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/13/dna.swf

Cell Size and Scale - interactive

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/