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    • 2013 Publication

Echinodern Echinarachnius parma Development Lab
Ella Spungen ('19)

Introduction

​Echinarachnius parma
, commonly known as the sand dollar, is generally found along the Atlantic coastline, North of Long Island, on sandy bottoms in shallow water. E. parma uses it spines for both movement and to bury itself in sand. The sand dollar is a deposit feeder, often eating organisms such as diatoms and detritus on the sandy bottom. It uses its tube feet to eat, to move, and to respirate.


The reproduction of E. parma is external - both male and female sand dollars release gametes during approximately the same time period and in a concentrated area. E. parma generally reproduces during late summer and early fall. Reproduction is purportedly triggered by two factors: one, an increase of salinity in the water, and, two, the presence of other gametes in the water. When one sand dollar begins producing gametes, triggered by the increase of salinity, other sand dollars in the area sense these gametes and begin releasing their own gametes. When the gametes - both eggs and sperm - are released, they find each other in the water and begin fertilization.
  
There are both challenges and benefits of external fertilization. One of the challenges is the fact that the gametes, once released, are very vulnerable as a food source to predators. In addition, the gametes can often become dispersed within the ocean quite easily, making it difficult for the male and female gametes to find each other. To counteract these challenges, E. parma produces a large amount of gametes in the same area, so it is easier for the gametes to find each other. Finally, the larva of E. parma is planktonic, allowing for wide dispersal to lessen competition for food and resources. The purpose of this lab was to observe the reproduction process of Echinarachnius parma.


Methods and Materials
  
First, a 20 ml beaker was filled to the brim with salt water and placed onto a tray to avoid spillage. One E. parma was removed from a tank filled with unused sand dollars and placed, aboral side down, on top of the beaker. A syringe was used to inject 10 ml of .5 M potassium chloride into the oral cavity of E. parma to stimulate the release of gametes. If a milky stream was seen, the sand dollar was male and releasing sperm. If red eggs were seen, the sand dollar was female. If a green substance was seen, the sand dollar was immature and unable of producing gametes. The eggs and sperm were both diluted, and the diluted eggs were placed on a slide and observed under a compound scope without clips on 100x magnification (Fig 1). Then, a drop of diluted sperm was placed on the same slide and the zygote was observed under the scope (Fig 2). A certain period of time passed, and the two cell stage (Fig 3) and four cell stage (Fig 4) were observed.
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  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • HOW TO SUBMIT
  • Past Publications
    • 2019 Publication >
      • Scientific Research
      • Mathematical Exploration
      • Scientific Exploration
      • Computer Science
    • 2018 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Scientific Research
    • 2017 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Scientific Research
    • 2016 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
      • Scientific Research
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Artistic Creations
    • 2015 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Bell Curves
        • Birds Vs. Turbines
        • Energy in the Obama Era
        • The Future of Neuroscience
        • Gender Gap in Math
        • GMOs--Yes or No?
        • The History of Minecraft: How a Swedish Indie Game Came to Dominate the World
        • The Effect of Prozac on the Brain
        • Philae Lander's Discovery of Organic Molecules
        • Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines
        • Your Own Worst Enemy: An Overview of Lupus
        • The Methylhex Ban
        • The Effect of Lyme Disease on the Immune system
        • Infectious Mononucleosis
        • Replacing CFCs
        • The Switch
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • The 43rd Figure
        • The Clock
        • The Collatz Conjecture
        • Constructing a Soccer Ball
        • Determining how Ballparks Affect Batter's Ability to Create Hits
        • The Rotating Conundrum
        • Pythagorean Puzzle
        • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
        • Kinetics Lab
        • Math in the Restaurant Business
        • Math as a Vessel for Social Change
        • Sustainability of Bottled Vs. Tap Water
        • Thoughts on the Lottery
        • Understanding Player Efficiency Rating
      • Scientific Research >
        • Communicating With Computers
        • The Mystery of Asthma
        • The Nanoscopic War Against Cancer
        • Phytochemistry
        • Solving the energy crisis with Intermediate Band Solar Cells
        • A Pain That Never Ends
        • Rapamycin Resistance
        • Ampacity of a Single Core Horizontal Cable
        • Morphological Properties of Texting Acronym Formation
        • cGAS and STING Expression
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Can Humans Survive the Climate Crisis?
        • My Experience as a Teacher's Assistant
        • Ted Talk Responses
        • Teens For Food Justice
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Chandelier
        • Deltoidal Hexacontrahedon
        • Dodecahedron Card Trick
        • Eye of the Triangle
        • Free Radric Delantic Davis
        • The Grid
        • What Does A Randomly Composed Song Sound Like?
        • Science Wing Mural
    • 2014 Publication >
      • Cover Photo
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Art Using the Fibonacci Sequence
        • Computer Generated Architecture and Designs
        • Mathematical Landscape
        • Math Art
        • Math in Music
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Algae Bio-Fuel
        • An Energy Alternative
        • Clean Energy In Transportation
        • Calorie Restriction
        • Creating Energy in the Modern World
        • Dietary Intervention Impact on Gut Microbial Gene Richness
        • Earthly Applications for NASA Technology
        • Explaining Relative Motion
        • Exploring Artificial Inteligence
        • Gamma Function
        • How Leaves Work
        • Hydrogen Fuel Cells
        • Music and Brain Development
        • Programming Calculators
        • The Science of Microsatellites
        • Sci-Fi Taser
        • Sloane's Gap
        • Sustainable Energy: Why Some Ideas Shine Brighter than Others
        • Understanding The Galvanic Cell
        • The Virus: Our Unforeseen Philosopher's Stone
        • What Are Fuel Cells and How Do They Work?
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
        • Big Bang
        • Dictyostelium Discoideum
        • The Future of Solar Cell Technology
        • And Many More...
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Alternative Energy Sources, New but Unused
        • An Insight Into the Curious World of Ethnobotany
        • Challenging What We Think We Know
        • The Current State of American Education
        • Discovering New Numbers
        • Interview With an Architect
        • Life of Pi Response
        • Mathematical Art Video Commentary
        • Missing from Science Class
        • The Museum of Math
        • The Inside Scoop on a Real Mathematician
    • 2013 Publication