Spontaneous Alternating Behavior in <em>Paramecium caudatum</em> and <em>Paramecium multimicronucleatum</em>

<p>Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) describes the tendency of an organism to spontaneously select the unfamiliar direction in a two choice situation. <em>Paramecium</em> is the only microscopic genus in which SAB has been studied. The two earlier studies regarding SAB in <em>Paramecium</em> have come to conclusive, but diametrically opposed results. Designing a single new experiment that incorporates the critical differences in the designs of both studies may help to clarify the results from these earlier studies, and provide an excellent opportunity to better understand the factors that influence SAB.</p> <p>The overall objective of this research project was to determine whether or not SAB exists in two previously studied species of paramecia (<em>Paramecium caudatum</em> and <em>Paramecium multimicronucleatum</em>). Specifically, the study determined whether: 1) maze length or species identity influence the expression of SAB in paramecia; 2) the mechanism that resulted in SAB in short mazes in the earlier experiment was intrinsic or extrinsic in nature; and 3) there were differences in swimming ability between <em>Paramecium caudatum</em> and <em>P. muItimicronucleatum</em>.</p> <p>SAB occurred in short mazes in both species of <em>Paramecium</em>; and maze length influenced the occurrence of SAB in both species. The number of contacts in <em>P. caudatum</em> support the use of an extrinsic mechanism to show SAB. Both species of <em>Paramecium</em> displayed similar swimming ability (speed and number of contacts on each side of the maze). This experiment further clarified the diametrically opposed findings of the two earlier studies on SAB in <em>Paramecium</em>, that is, Lepley and Rice (1952) found SAB because they used shorter mazes, and Lachman and Havelena (1962) did not find it because they apparently used mazes that were too long.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Biology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Biology

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Bovell, Nyron K. A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bruce Schulte
• Daniel Gleason
• Stephen Vives

• ETD
• Spontaneous alternating behavior
• SAB
• Paramecium
• Paramecium caudatum
• Paramecium multimicronucleatum
• Short mazes
• Swimming ability
• Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
• Biology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/370

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd_legacy-1619