Eugene L. Codis MarB 15-Gen.

Physiology
BSMB - 2

V. Question to answer

1. What is kinesis, and how is this different from taxis?

Kinesis is the movement of an organism in response to positive and negative
stimulation.
The difference between kinesis and taxis is that with taxis it is the directional
locomotion of an organism in response to the stimulus wherein organisms move away
a negative taxis or towards a positive taxis while kinesis is an animals non-directional
response to a stimulus in which organisms won’t move towards or away from the
stimulus but rather, will show random movements to be in a comfortable piece.

2. Distinguish taxis from tropism.

The difference between taxis and tropism is that taxis is the directional
movement of an organism in response to a stimulus while tropism is the turning of an
organism in response to a stimulus, either towards or away from the stimulus.

3. Did the roaches move in a random or directed manner? Did they move faster? Or
slower? Do you think this is kinesis or taxis? Explain.
Some of the cockroaches moves in a random manner. And they move faster. This
is kinesis ‘cause kinesis is neither positive nor negative. It has a stimulus but it does
not cause it to move in a specific direction. The stimulus doesn't attract or repel the
organism.

4. Compare the behavior of Paramecium before and during the reversal of the
electrodes.
Paramecium is swimming towards the cathode, according to research. As such,
the conduct of the Paramecium also changes when electrodes are reversed, it reverses
and swims again towards the cathode.

5. Do the Paramecium show any signs of being electrically charged? If so, do they
carry a positive or a negative charge? Explain.
Paramecium shows the sign of being electrically charged. Paramecium has a
negative resting potential similar to nerve and muscle cell. The Paramecia then show
"negative galvanotaxis", movement towards the negative terminal, the cathode (upper
right).This forced locomotion of Paramecium in a DC electric field was first described
by Max Verworn in 1888, but it was poorly understood. It was later found that the
current changes the beating pattern of the cilia by overriding the electrochemical
processes that the Paramecia use to control their motion.

6. Explain on the basis of electrical charges the response of the organism to increasing
voltages.
Depolarization. Depolarization is a change within a cell, during which the cell
undergoes a shift in electric charge distribution, resulting in less negative charge
inside the cell. Depolarization is essential to the function of many cells,
communication between cells, and the overall physiology of an organism.

7. Are the roaches negative or positively photo-tactic? What conditions does this
organisms prefer?
Some of them where negatively and some are positively phototactic. Almost all
cockroaches are nocturnal, which means they’re active only at night. However, after a
while, cockroaches can adapt to their environment and become acclimated to light.

8. At which half of the petri dish are Paramecium most numerous? b.) Are the
Paramecium negatively or positively phototactic? c.) Are they affected with intensity
of light?
To the side where light did not penetrated much. Paramecium were found to
respond visible light. They accumulate themselves in the shaded region of a half
shaded petri dish during exposure to visible light. Paramecium are said to be
positively photactic but with a certain condition with a light having a wavelength of
440 nm the velocity was highest, while the frequency was lowest, specimen will not
show phototaxis.

9. In which portions of the upright test rube do Paramecium tend to aggregate?

Explain. Are the Paramecium positively or negatively geotactic? Could this taxis be
demonstrated with the tube in a vertical position? Explain.
Paramecium tend to aggregate at the top portion of the upright test tube. The
experiment showed that Paramecia exhibit a similar “negative” response to this
magnetically simulated gravity environment as they do in centrifugation experiments.
An analysis of swimming patterns in the ciliate Paramecium shows that the ability to
swim preferentially upwards (negative gravitaxis) is primarily the result of upwardly
curving trajectories. The trajectory characteristics are consistent with those produced
by mechanical orientation. Paramecium is said to be negatively geotactic.
Paramecium in a test tube tend to place themselves with the anterior ends directed
upward and swim toward the top of the container.

10. Describe what happens when the Paramecium bumps against something. Illustrate
with arrows the directions of movement of Paramecium after it has bumped the
thread.
When a Paramecium encounters a strong stimulus may it be chemical or physical
and ends up turning itself to 360 degrees to locate an escape route.

11. Give other examples of Thigmotaxis observed in vertebrates.

With mice, hugging close to objects is a probably a simple way to program their
behavior to avoid open spaces, where they are in danger from predators. In mice, and
many other animals, thigmotactic behavior is an immediate response to fear or
anxiety, a fact that is used by medical researchers when testing anti-anxiety
medications.

12. What was the reaction of Paramecium to an obstacle in its path? What kind of
behavior does it suggest? Did it avoid the obstacle or not?
Avoidance reaction is the behavior Paramecium possess when it encounters an
obstacle. In which Paramecium moves not only in forward direction but also moves
backward whenever it comes across an object. The animal moves backward and will
take a slight turn and moves forward again until its path is cleared with barriers.

13. Does the acid solution cause a positive or negative response in the Paramecia?
Did it stop moving? Elaborate your observations.
 Paramecium exhibit positively chemotactic response to acid solutions and it is
also according to (Jennings, 1906; Dryl, 1959, a) as the bacteria tends to create a
slightly acid environment around themselves. Paramecia discharges tiny thread-like
objects called trichocysts that can cling to the object to stabilize its position so that
optimal feeding may occur.

14. Did all the snails follow the same trail? What factors affect this phenomena? Are
they able to perform chemoreception? If yes, what characteristics of snails enable
them to do so? If no. Explain.
No. But snails are able to perform chemoreception,Gastropods use
chemoreception for a wide variety of behavior including feeding, homing, escape
from predators and a variety of social and reproductive behavior. Chemoreception is
used to locate distant food sources, and to discriminate between potential foods.
Responses to chemical food stimuli result from a combination of innate and
experiential factors. Gastropods use chemical cues in mucus trails to home. They also
home by direct olfactory orientation. Reproductive behaviour in a variety of
gastropods appears to involve chemical cues. Evidence exists for pheromones
controlling aggregation and mating. Numerous gastropods use chemical cues to avoid
or escape from predators.

VI. References
https://www.revolvy.com/stage/index.php?s=Kinesis%20(biology)&item_type=topic
https://wikidiff.com/taxis/tropism#targetText=As%20nouns%20the%20difference
%20between,or%20away%20from%20the%20stimulus.
https://www.terminix.com/blog/bug-facts/are-cockroaches-attracted-to-
light/#targetText=In%20fact%2C%20spotting%20a%20roach,and%20become
%20acclimated%20to%20light.
https://prezi.com/cczzkebzdbij/taxis-and-kinesis-in-animals/#targetText=Stimuli
%20for%20taxis%20and%20kinesis,as%20an%20example%20for%20kinesis.
https://www.science.gov/topicpages/p/paramecium
https://jeb.biologists.org/content/213/24/4158#targetText=Negative%20geotactic
%20behaviour%20of%20Paramecium,Biophys.
https://www.ebiomedia.com/the-biology-classics-paramecium-behavior.html
http://vle.du.ac.in/mod/book/print.php?id=13172&chapterid=28469
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-
185X.1983.tb00391.x#targetText=Gastropods%20use%20chemoreception%20for
%20a,to%20discriminate%20between%20potential
%20foods.&targetText=Gastropods%20use%20chemical%20cues%20in%20mucus
%20trails%20to%20home.