Guidelines for the Weekly (Blue Book) Report on
Your Fern Gametophyte Project

(See discussion of the Fern Gametophyte Project in Lab 2)

For full credit, the Lygodium japonicum gametophyte project report must include all of the following items each week.  Observations made on different dates should be placed on different pages.  Please number the items below and keep them organized.

1)   The date on which your observations were made.

2)   The number of days that have passed since the spores were sown.  This tells (roughly) how old the gametophyte is each week.

3)   Every entry should include an outline sketch of the gametophyte.  Smaller structures that may occur on the gametophyte should be drawn as they are and in enlarged view to show detail clearly.  All structures drawn should be clearly labeled.

4)   The ploidy level of all structures should be clearly indicated.

5)   The approximate size of the gametophyte and any structures (gametangia, gametes, vegetative cells, sperm, etc.) should be clearly indicated.  Assume that an average Lygodium japonicum spore is 80 µm in diameter.  This measurement can be used as a yardstick for the young gametophyte and for smaller structures that develop.  Measurements of mature gametophytes are best made with a metric ruler.

6)   General descriptions.  Where appropriate, colors and shapes should be indicated.

7)   When an organ or tissue first appears, indicate (in one or two sentences) the role of the observed structure in the alternation of generations and thus the function of the new tissue or organ.  It is also important to indicate whether the tissue, organ, etc. was produced through mitotic or meiotic divisions.