Specifically the mortality and mitotic rates will be observed and measured. Sea urchins produce a prodigious number of hardy gametes and can be easily seen with naked eye. There are many studies using sea urchins in bioassays, but the studies tend to gravitate around the effects of heavy metals and increased pH on embryonic development. We hope that students may use this format to develop their own strategies for bioassays. A deuterostome is an organism which undergoes radial cleavage during gastrulation.
Humans are also deuterostomes.
Sea urchin gametes are relatively the same size as human gametes. Click here to see drawings of sperm and egg cells of sea urchins and humans. Students will role play as EPA agents and develop a bioassay which will monitor water quality in a marine ecosystem using sea urchins. Click here . After your teacher has demonstrated the correct procedure for fertilizing your sea urchin gametes you are to develop your own experiment.