Chemotaxis using C.elegans

C. elegans is a free-living nematode. It is small—growing to about 1 mm in length—and lives in the soil (especially in rotting vegetation) where it survives by feeding on microbes such as bacteria. A great lesson to do following this one is C. elegans and Alcohol.

Students design, conduct, and analyze a controlled experiment testing the taste and/or smell preferences of the roundworm.

Grade Level: 5-8

Lesson Length: 1-2 class periods

Another way to present this data is described in the lesson plan Open Inquiry using C. elegans PDF  MS Word doc

For culturing C. elegans, see Laboratory 2 and 3 at www.silencinggenomes.org