Intro to Organismal Biology Virtual Labs.

Welcome to the laboratory portion of BIOL 1001, Organismal Biology. Although reading the book and attending lectures are important, nothing comes close to the importance of lab. Key concepts that are taught in lecture are then reinforced in the laboratory.

Normally lab would be in-person, but because of the current health situation it will consist of computer simulations– they are designed to complement the lecture topics. Think of these exercises as a different way to study the same thing.

The Labs are located in a folder labeled "LAB ASSIGNMENTS" on your course Bb page (menu bar on the left). Within it you will find some folders, labeled with the lab #, title, and due date. In the folder are the files for the lab. The URL links to any online exercises or videos will be found within the files.

Many exercises are guided simulation that you'll find at an external website. They work best with Google Chrome as the browser. Firefox also works ok. Both can be downloaded for free. The exercises can be completed in a two-three hour time frame. The lab reports should be completed as you go along and turned in by uploading in the window that shows when you click the assignment link. Make sure you complete them, as any missed labs will decrease your semester grade.

Part 1:Lab safety.

Even though all this semester's labs are computer simulations, it is very important to know the basic safety rules of any lab:

1. Become familiar with the location and proper use of emergency showers, emergency eye wash, class A/BV/C fire extinguishers, fire blanket and supplies.

2. Report ALL accidents immediately to your instructor.

3. Evacuation procedures for fire and emergencies will be explained by the lab instructor. Identify all exits from the laboratory.

4. Prepare for each laboratory session by becoming familiar with the exercises of the day. Take note of any safety precautions, in particular:

· Wear safety glasses when directed to.

· Treat all reagents as poisons! Do not ingest any reagents, carry reagent bottles around the room, or pipette by mouth.

· Clean up spills immediately, and wash any reagents off that may have spilled on you. Rinse out your mouth if you accidently get any reagents in your mouth. Inform the instructor if any of the above happens.

· In experiments dealing with bodily fluids or samples, handle only your own to avoid contamination. Always dispose in the hazardous waste receptacle.

· In experiments that require the immersion of test tubes in a boiling water bath, be sure the tube opening points away from everyone’s face as best as possible.

· Never use your bare hands when handling hot glassware. Test tube clamps will be provided.

5. Follow all laboratory protocols. If you do not understand the directions, ask for clarification. Confusion can be dangerous!! Do not operate any equipment unless instructed in its use.

6. Eating, drinking, and gum chewing are NOT permitted in lab!

7. Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving lab.

8. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during the semester, please consult your lab instructor and physician with any concerns regarding the lab.

9. Proper dress is required; pants/shorts/skirts should be below the knee when sitting. NO sandals or open toed shoes should be worn. Tie long hair back to ensure your safety.

Laboratory Maintenance:

1. Keep the laboratory tables free from books, coats, and other extraneous material. Hooks for coats are located at the entrance to lab. Be sure that ALL book bags and purses are either pushed underneath your table or placed on the side tables.

2. Disinfect lab benches when instructed.

3. At the end of lab session:

a. Restore the lab bench to its original clean and orderly condition.

b. Return all equipment used to its designated location

c. Discard all waste materials as directed. Please note:

i. Sinks are for the disposal of selected liquid wastes only. Do not dispose of solid materials or animal remains in the sink.

ii. All disposable or broken glass material should be discarded in the “glass discard” container

iii. All materials, slides, lancets, contaminated materials, etc. should be discarded in the “Sharps Hazardous Waste” container (RED)

4. Be sure electrical equipment is unplugged and returned to the proper areas (microscopes in the cabinets, etc.)

5. Push in your stools upon your departure!!!!

Failure to comply with laboratory rules can result in personal injury or injury to another student and will result in expulsion from the laboratory and loss of credit for the session.

Laboratory 1 –MSDS and Graphing

Introduction:

It is important that you understand the rules and safety procedures of the laboratory. . As part of this lab, you will read the directions below and answer the corresponding questions at the end of this chapter in the lab report.

Section I: Assessing Chemical Hazards in the Laboratory

Laboratory safety standards are determined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency. In compliance with the Laboratory Standard (29CRP 1910.1450), CCRI has its chemical hygiene plan published o the college webpage. People working in any laboratory have the right to know of any chemical and biological hazard present. By law, each chemical used in a laboratory or workplace must be described and its safety and storage precautions given in a manufacturer’s “Material Safety Data Sheet”, or “MSDS”. A safety manual usually in a yellow loose-leaf binder containing all of the material safety data sheets for a given laboratory must be available to people using that facility. The MSDS will also inform lab attendees if the chemicals are carcinogenic (causes cancer).

Communication of hazard is accomplished by container labels and material safety data sheets. When there is significant danger container labels have universal symbols as given below:

Some warning labels follow the National Fire Protection Association format by placing a single label with numerical ratings of the flammability etc. on the containers (see below)

Note that the health, flammability, reactivity, and contact hazards are given a rating from 0 (no hazard) to 4 (extreme hazard). Refer to the color pictures on your desk.

Answer the questions in your lab report that correspond to this section.

Section II: MSDS Exercise

This laboratory exercise will introduce students to the use of MSDS sheets in the assessment of chemical hazards. Please complete the section at the end of your lab report. This is due next week, and is required of all registered students. Note: you will not be able to remain registered for this course if you do not complete and hand this sheet in!

Section III: Graphing:

Scientists, mathematicians and people in many other fields commonly express data in a pictorial form known as a graph. There are several different graphing systems in existence, but the one most commonly used is the Cartesian coordinate system. Named after its French inventor Rene Descartes, this system specifies each data point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical values (x, y).

A graph consists of two lines: one vertical and one horizontal. These lines are drawn at right angles to each other and intersect at a point called the origin. The horizontal line is called the x-axis, or independent variable. The independent variable is the value that the experimenter changes in order to perform an experiment. The vertical line is called the y-axis, or dependent variable. The dependent variable depends on the outcome of the independent variable. For example, if you were collecting data on an experiment that involved plants growth rate in 4 hours and 8 hours sunlight, the time of sunlight is the independent variable, and the plants growth rate is the dependent variable.

When constructing a chart, one of the variables is placed on the x-axis. This is the variable that manipulate in the experiment: examples might be time, volume, temperature, etc. The y-axis will plot the values of the other experimental variable, called the dependent variable because its value depends on the value of the variable we manipulate. Examples of dependent variables might be height, weight, number of organisms left, etc. After making a scale for each axis, they are labeled with a description of the variable being tested (with units of measurement) and the graph itself is given an appropriately descriptive title. Do not forget your labeling!! The graph is meaningless without it.

Both the x-axis and the y-axis are then subdivided into smaller increments creating a square grid. Each line can now be numbered and used to represent data points. Find a point on the grid where the two values intersect and places a mark on the grid. This is repeated for each data point, then a line is drawn connecting each point. A smooth line is drawn between the data points (if possible).

The following graph is an example plot of time (minutes) vs. distance (meters).

Time (minutes)

Distance (meters)

0

0

1

3

2

6

3

9

4

12

5

15

When collecting data in the sciences, it is key that the same person performs the experiment for the duration. This will reduce any human error that may occur. Also, experiments are usually repeated multiple times so that the accuracy of the data will be representative of the conclusions that are made. Reliability is key!!

Exercise:

In this exercise, you will draw a graph of mass vs. volume, and use it to determine which of two volume measuring devices (a pipette and a graduated cylinder) is more accurate and/or more precise (see below for a definition of this). There is an easy way to compare two volume measuring devices. It rests on a neat relationship between the volume and weight of water: 1 milliliter (ml) of water weighs exactly one gram (g).

How do you use this? If you measure some volume of water, say 5 ml, and you dispense it on a scale, it should read 5 g if the measuring device is spot on. By comparing how close to the expected weight two measuring devices are, you can determine which one is more accurate and precise.

Below is a description of how to use the pipette pump and obtain the data to graph. The procedure is what you would actually do in lab. It is here so you can understand how the data is obtained.

· Attach the pipette tip to the pipette bulb.

· Place the tapered tip of the pipette into the liquid.  The tip should be within the liquid during the pipetting.

· Hold the pipette pump with one hand--your thumb should be placed on the wheel.

· Use your thumb to rotate the wheel downward.  This will cause the liquid to rise into the pipette.  Do this carefully and watch the meniscus of the liquid rise to your desired level.

· Next, take the tip of the pipette out of the liquid and move the entire apparatus to the place where you desire to put the measured liquid. The pipette tip may have the higher number towards the tip and decrease in value as you approach the top. (If you want 2 ml worth of fluid, you will draw liquid up to the “8” mark.)

· Use your thumb to rotate the wheel upward.  This will cause the liquid to be dispensed from the pipette. 

Pipette pumpPipette tip

Beakers Graduated cylinders Meniscus Loading scale

Procedure Part I:

1. Place a clean and dry beaker on an electronic scale. Zero out the scale (ask for directions if you need help with this).

2. Obtain a graduated cylinder and add 4.7 ml of water. Be sure to take the measurement at the level of the meniscus. The meniscus is the interface between water and air; measure this at eye level at the lowest position (see figure above).

3. Pour the water into the beaker. Weigh and record the mass in the lab report.

4. Repeat the above until a total volume of 47.0 ml of water is in the beaker (i.e., repeat adding 4.7 ml into the beaker using the graduated cylinder).

Procedure Part II:

1. Place a clean and dry beaker on an electronic scale. Zero out the scale (ask for directions if you need help with this).

2. Read the section above on operating the pipette pump.

3. Obtain a graduated cylinder filled with water and using the pipette pump and a 5 ml pipette, pipette 4.7 ml of water and add to the beaker.

4. Weigh and record the mass in the lab report.

5. Repeat the above until a total volume of 47.0 ml of water is in the beaker (ie, repeat adding 4.7 ml into the beaker using the pipette bulb).

Now you are going to make a graph of the two sets of numbers.

When drawing your graph, use the following tips:

1. Decide what the X and Y axes will represent. ). The independent value should be placed on the x-axis, and the dependent variable should be placed on the y-axis. Remember: independent is the one you control (or decide the value of).

2. Divide each axis into a numerical scale. Use as much of the space available as possible. Make the X and Y axis into scales large enough to contain all data values. (if the largest value goes to say, 45, then the scale should be up to 50; if you only go to 40 the largest value won't fit.) Label each axis with the variable's name and include units of measurement.

3. Plot the data series using a small dot, circle, triangle or square. Note: since you will have two lines, you could represent the different series using different symbols, or use different colors. To plot the pairs of values, look the X value along the X axis, then go vertical from there until you reach the value of your Y. Put the symbol at that location.

4. Draw a best-fit line. This is a straight line between the data points of each series. Most data points do not fall on a perfectly straight line. Draw the line between the points so that approximately half the data falls on one side and half on the other side of the line. Do the best you can; your eyes are pretty good at finding the best path between the points.

5. Give the x- axis, y-axis, and the whole graph titles.

6. Note in which of the two series are the points closer to the best-fit line you drew. The "scatter" of the points around the line represents the variation in repeated measurements. This is the "error "of the measuring device. The less error, the higher the precision. The series in which the points lay overall closer to the best fit line is that of the more precise instrument.

Names: ________________

Laboratory Report - MSDS and Graphing

Section I: Graphing

Please graph the data in the table below using the supplied graph paper in this report. You may use a spreadsheet (Excel, Numbers) or do it by hand. Be sure to follow the directions. To submit the graph: if you are using a spreadsheet, copy and paste the graph below. If you are graphing by hand, take a photo of the graph, save it (jpeg, pdf), and import into this document.

ml H2O

dispensed

Cylinder

grams H2O

Pipette

grams H2O

0

0

0

4.7

4.1

4.6

9.4

8

9.3

14.1

11.6

14

18.8

16.7

18.5

23.5

22.6

23.1

28.2

25

27.8

32.9

31.1

32.2

37.6

33.5

37

42.3

40.5

41.8

47.0

42.5

46.6

Based on your graph, which of the two measuring instruments is "better"? See graphing instructions for what we mean by "better". Justify your decision.

What is the difference between the dependent and independent variables?

What is the appropriate dress code for lab?

You have just received a chemical. You open the box, and the label on the bottle shows a health rating of "4". What would you do next?

Name: _________________________________

Section II: Lab safety computer simulation

Please complete this simulation. When done, make sure you download the certificate. It should be uploaded on Bb together with this report.

https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/labsafety/

Section III: Safety data sheet (SDS) Exercise

A. Use google to look up the MSDS forms from two common laboratory chemicals: sodium chloride and ethanol (denatured ethanol). Just type the chemical name followed by SDS or MSDS; open the documents for both chemicals. Familiarize yourself with them: note that they are divided in sections containing specific information: toxicity, handling, and so on. On the first page you will also see the diamond diagram with the danger ratings.)

Look for answers to the following questions:

1. Which of the two compounds has a higher health risk?

2. Which one is more flammable?

3. Is either compound carcinogenic?

4. What protective equipment is recommended for each?

B. In the biology laboratory mixtures of chemicals (called reagents) are often used. These also have MSDS forms. Look up the MSDS forms for two biological reagents that we will use: Benedict’s solution and Biuret solution.

5. Looking at the MSDS forms, what chemical ingredient(s) do these two reagents have in common?

6. Which reagent presents a greater health risk? Why?

7. What personal protective equipment is recommended to avoid the health or contact hazard?

C. Search the MSDS pro site for a product you use in your house or at your workplace and answer the questions below:

8. Write out the name of the product and the ingredients below:

9. Does it contain health hazards? If so, what are they?

10. Is it flammable?

11. Is it corrosive?

12. Is it carcinogenic?

“I have read and understand the CCRI policies and where to find MSDS information”

____________________________________ __________________

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