Predation Kit

Product Information

The Predation Kit, developed by teacher Bryan Flanagan from St. Catharines, Ontario, illustrate predation by using two large colored protozoans, Blepharisma (a pink, one celled organism that moves and feeds by means of cilia), and Climacostomum virens. Climacostomum is an excellent teaching tool for demonstrating predation, food vacuoles, and contractile vacuoles. Climacostomum also contains a symbiotic algae, allowing it to be cultured in the light or the dark.

In this kit, students observe as these two protozoans consumer smaller protozoans. They should also be able to observe Climacostomum attack and consume Blepharisma. The results will be a pink food vacuole in the Climacostomum. In addition, if other food is not available, Climacostomum will display cannibalism. You can use a stereomicroscope or videocam so as to allow the entire class to observe the interactions, or microscope(s) for individual study.

Includes: 1 culture of Climacostomum virens, 1 culture Blepharisma, 2 micropippets, 1 small petri dish, 15 microscope slides, instruction sheet, video. The Replacement Set includes pipettes, petri dish, slides and 1 culture each of Climacostomum and Blepharisma.

Tell a Friend about this item