13th International Biology Olympiad Latvia, 2002 Ministry of Education and Science University of Latvia Association of Biology Teachers
4 Kronvalda boulv., Riga LV-1586, LATVIA phone: +371-7034860, +371-7334125, Fax: +371-7223801, email: ulkoro@latnet.lv

Competition, Practical tasks

Laboratory 1: Dendroecology
Laboratory 2: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Laboratory 3: Animal Systematics and Morphology
Laboratory 4: Plant Anatomy, Physiology and Morphology

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Laboratory 1: Dendroecology

In the laboratory students will investigate how competition affects growth of a tree species.

Students should be able to:

• count and measure annual tree rings on cut discs
• calculate standard deviations and perform linear regression analysis

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Laboratory 2: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

In the laboratory students should be able to apply

• technique for handling small volumes of solutions (1.000 – 0.005 ml range).

The task requires knowledge on:

• DNA synthesis (replication),
• chemical and molecular compounds that are necessary for DNA synthesis in vitro (polymerase chain reaction)
• basic principles of DNA separation and detection using methods of agarose gel

and skills on:

• interpretation of DNA band pattern on the gel,
• estimation of the size of DNA fragments with comparison to DNA standards.

Some parts of the task will be carried out before, and students must be able to interpret the results.

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Laboratory 3: Animal Systematics and Morphology

This task requires ability to:

• identify macroscopic organisms (Invertebrata) according to the content of the Practical Part of IBO,
• analyse morphological features in connection with their functions,
• construct a dichotomous keys for the given animals,

and skills on:

• manipulation with the light microscope;
• preparation of whole-mounted slides of animals.

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Laboratory 4: Plant Anatomy, Physiology and Morphology

Students should be able to:

• make sections of plant material and stain them
• use dissection tools
• identify plant structures and organs

For the performance of this task, students should have the following skills:

• light microscopic techniques
• good knowledge of plant morphology
• comprehensive skills in using plant identification keys
• knowledge of the features of the main plant families.

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