Proposal Number: III-9361277 PI: Mary Appelhof Institution: Flowerfield Enterprises Title: Videomicroscopy of Live Earthworms This project will adapt videomicroscopy and use of fiber optics similiar to those used for endoscopy in medicine to study eartrhworms. The equipment will allow direct observation of earthworm digestive tracts, pumping pairs of hearts, the inside of their burrows and the emergence of the worms from their cocoons. This will be possible because young worms are quite translucent. A videotape record of what the students see using the new equipment will also be possible. Teacher and student evaluations of existing videotape will be used to determine the optimum array of equipment to be built.
