Honors Theses
Date of Award
2007
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Carol Britson
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Confined Animal Feeding Operations pollute water supplies with excess animal wastes containing different sources of nitrogen. How can we measure the damage being done? Methemoglobin percentages give the degree of toxicity of nitrates and nitrites in the environment. Methemoglobin is a variant of hemoglobin in which the ferrous ion has been oxidized to the ferric state. In this state, oxygen can no longer be transported by hemoglobin which is detrimental to the organism affected. Blood assays were conducted on the freshwater turtle, Trachemys scripta. In addition to methemoglobin analysis other assays including oxyhemoglobin saturation, red and white blood cell counts, hematocrit measurements and protein serum levels were completed in order to compare the blood of Trachemys scripta with other turtle standards. While methemoglobin results were inconsistent, assayed blood parameters were comparable to published values for other species of turtle.
Recommended Citation
Floyd, Erin Melissa, "Blood Assays in the Freshwater Turtle, Trachemys Scripta, with Emphasis on Methemoglobin Levels" (2007). Honors Theses. 2206.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2206
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