Collecting, culturing, and preserving invertebrates

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The report has been prepared for the teachers of the biological sciences. It is the hope of the author to encourage the teacher to collect, culture, and preserve various invertebrate specimens for future classroom demonstration. A science teacher of today should be prepared to take advantage of their natural resources. The purpose of this paper is to introduce ways which will benefit the teachers so they may fulfill their ambitions in the classroom by cultivating the natural surroundings.

It is fully realized that in the scope of the report it is impossible to describe all useful methods for collecting and preserving invertebrates. Considering this fact, only the more common forms are described. The literature for this study came from various biological handbooks and textbooks written by people who have had several years experience with invertebrate zoology.

Findings and Conclusions: The collecting, culturing, and preserving invertebrates will allow the teacher to plan field trips, organize field projects, provide material for the laboratory, and preserve materials for use when living materials are not available. The findings in this report reveal methods of collecting, culturing, and preserving the one-celled Protozoa and related multi-cellular animals of a higher nature. The higher organisms include such phyla as; Porifera, Turbellaria, Aschelminthes, Annelidia, Mollusca, and Arthropoda.