Collection, care, and use of living animals in the high school biology laboratory

Abstract

Scope of Study: Biology is a study of living things and things that may have once been alive. It is "living things" which present the biology teacher with his problems, for the maintenance of living things requires time and care. With this in mind, this report has been written for the purpose of being used as an aid in helping to maintain a living laboratory. It presents successfully tried methods for collecting and culturing common laboratory animals according to works of leading authorities in the field. In addition, mention is made of the usefulness of each organism. In compiling the report, the data was gleaned from periodicals, biological supply house bulletins, and various texts which contained material relevant to the subject.

Findings and Conclusions: Many invertebrates and some classes of vertebrates can be cultured in the laboratory or classroom, providing living forms for activities in behavior, nature study, classification, reproduction, and variation, or comparative studies of organ systems, circulation of blood, and observation of the heart beat. Furthermore, many of these animals serve as food for other animals which often are reared in the laboratory.

The best ways for maintaining living things are those methods which reproduce the most favorable field conditions and eliminate natural enemies where possible. Diet and temperature control are the factors most responsible for success in keeping organisms in a healthy state. The methods given have proved successful, but this does not mean that other methods are not superior.