irp presentation
TRANSCRIPT
The Color Perception of Dichromatic Organisms
By Andrew DropikBy Andrew Dropik
Prompting For Research
I chose to research this topic after reading and article that discussed the ability of different animals to see different colors.
Background
Organisms such as dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, and mice all have dichromatic vision
Color is perceived using "rods" and "cones" in our eyes
Problem and HypothesisProblem: Can organisms with only two types of rods and cons differentiate colors from one another
Hypothesis: If mice are trained to associate colors with food, then they will not be able to tell the the difference when a new color is introduced
Design of The Experiment
Different food bowls were used to feed the mice treats.
One mice was exposed to all three color bowls during the training process
After 30 days the mice were exposed to all three bowls
Materials
Food bowls
treats
testing environment
all products for the care of the mice
Setup
Quantitative Data First 30 Days
Quantitative Data last 3 Days
Qualitative Data
Throughout the experiment the mice always seemed confused when they were place in the testing environment
Data Summary
The data showed that the mice's times showed no improvement and average times were higher during the last 3 days
Analysis of Data
After completing the experiment I was able to conclude that the mice do not have the ability to tell the difference between colors
Possible Sources of Error
Timing
Motivation
Not enough trials
Possible eye defects in mice
Similar Studies
Vision and Retinal Structure in Mice, By A. E. Hopkins
Gerald Jacobs Experiment
Suggestions for Improvement
Include more trials
Withhold food before testing
Select mice that are healthy and closely related
Further Research
Further research could be done to test dichromatic organisms with light outside of the visible spectrum for humans
What Was Learned
It was learned that organisms with dichromatic vision cannot tell the differentiate between colors like a trichromatic organism
Applications to Society
Could be used to genetically manufacture animals for those with disabilities
Help us understand how animals perceive things