C. Elegans Lab Report

We use Mendelian genetics to study the genetics of C. elegans. C. elegans have very similar genetics structure to humans. C elegans belongs to Phylum Nematode species which is very different from the earthworm. C. elegans is the first eukaryotic organism to have an entire genome sequence. It is very easy and simple to conduct an experiment on C. elegans that’s why the majority of laboratories use this organism. The reason for using the C. elegans in an experiment and in research’s is because they are harmless it humans they are non-parasitic. C. elegans grows on. E. coli which can be easily found in rotten fruit or vegetables. This organism is very small and can be handled easily the adult C. elegans is about 1mm in length, C. elegans have

elegans with two petri dishes. One Petri dish contains homozygous hermaphrodites and homozygous dpy-3 -/-, his-8 -/- C. elegans. The second dish contains dpy-3 +/, his-8 -/- male. We had another dish with only E. coli which we used to transfer C. elegans from one Petri dish to another. The materials that we used when conducting this experiment are: dissecting microscope, 3 petri dishes, C. elegans (male, female, and hermaphrodites), worm pick tool, agar, Bunsen burner, Parafilm, incubator, and flint spark lighter. The methods of this experiment are really simple. When we started the experiment we all washed our hands and wore gloves. Each group member did their part to conduct and successful experiment, one group member plugs the Bunsen burner to the gas pipe and turned on the gas, then used flint spark lighter to set the flame on the Bunsen burner. While the second group member is setting the dissecting microscope and making sure the lenses are clean. This member is getting all three Petri dishes ready to examine (first Petri dish contains E. coli, the second dish have the mixture of C. elegans, the third dish is where we are transferring female C. elegans to mate up). Then we took turns to examine the C. elegans under the dissecting microscope. When looking C. elegans under the microscope w first need to identify which one is male, female, dumpy and hermaphrodites Male has zig-zag shaped tail and males tend to be smaller than females. Females have sharp, and point tails they tend to be mostly long. The dumpy C. elegans is round and short oval shape tail dumpy are tend to little fat than others. The last type of C. elegans are hermaphrodites are big and fat with point tails they are very similar to male C. elegans. Due to hermaphrodites, transparent bodies we can identify with the difference between them and male C. elegans hermaphrodites have a uterus, and gonad both male and female sexes are visible. As in the article, it says “male C. elegans