CLASSROOM CLOSE-UP: MARINE BIOLOGY
by the PCC Journalism Staff
Yesterday in the Shields Science Center, PCC Marine Biology classes got a hands on experience with the anatomy of sea life when they dissected squid as part of a classroom experiment. Lead by the Master Teacher Mr. Lovejoy, students in both the first and second period classes used what they had learned in the first two weeks of PCC to aid them in this lab project.
Yesterday in the Shields Science Center, PCC Marine Biology classes got a hands on experience with the anatomy of sea life when they dissected squid as part of a classroom experiment. Lead by the Master Teacher Mr. Lovejoy, students in both the first and second period classes used what they had learned in the first two weeks of PCC to aid them in this lab project.
First, Mr. Lovejoy reviewed safety procedures and how to use the instruments and handle the squid properly. Since the squid were not preserved with chemicals, Mr. Lovejoy discouraged the use of gloves so that students could “get a good feel of the organism.” According to reports, the squid was slimy and had a pungent odor. “It smelled like low tide,” Eoin Gallagher said.
Next, the squid’s eye was removed and examined. Students were then encouraged to scrape skin off the squid and place it under a microscope. Under magnification, the skin looked fibrous and tiny specks or spores were observed.
Finally it was time to make an incision. Using scissors, students opened up the top of the squid head in order to access the pen, a flexible piece of cartilage that helps the squid stabilize while swimming. Removing the pen made the squid body more flexible and allowed students to more easily reach the organs during dissections.
The stomach was the first organ located once the pen was taken out. Using an instrument to move the stomach, students were able to find the squid’s ink sac. They then used their scissors or their teasers to puncture the sac and write their names using the squid ink.
The next portion of the experiment involved observing the squid to determine the sex of the squid, and opening up the stomach to identify what the squid had eaten. When students squeezed the squid’s mouth, its beak became visible. “It was like a tiny, black bird beak,” Zayn Morrison explained.
With the experiment concluded, the students of Marine Biology handed the squid carcasses and the instrument trays to Mr. Lovejoy for clean-up so they could complete their lab paperwork. Having gained new insight into the life and death of a squid, Marine Biology students are now ready to continue their research into ocean life.
Next, the squid’s eye was removed and examined. Students were then encouraged to scrape skin off the squid and place it under a microscope. Under magnification, the skin looked fibrous and tiny specks or spores were observed.
Finally it was time to make an incision. Using scissors, students opened up the top of the squid head in order to access the pen, a flexible piece of cartilage that helps the squid stabilize while swimming. Removing the pen made the squid body more flexible and allowed students to more easily reach the organs during dissections.
The stomach was the first organ located once the pen was taken out. Using an instrument to move the stomach, students were able to find the squid’s ink sac. They then used their scissors or their teasers to puncture the sac and write their names using the squid ink.
The next portion of the experiment involved observing the squid to determine the sex of the squid, and opening up the stomach to identify what the squid had eaten. When students squeezed the squid’s mouth, its beak became visible. “It was like a tiny, black bird beak,” Zayn Morrison explained.
With the experiment concluded, the students of Marine Biology handed the squid carcasses and the instrument trays to Mr. Lovejoy for clean-up so they could complete their lab paperwork. Having gained new insight into the life and death of a squid, Marine Biology students are now ready to continue their research into ocean life.
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