In nature, every living organism has to adapt to its surroundings to survive. This adaptation is possible because of the reactions to external and internal stimuli, which help maintain a stable internal environment to support life. Animals have different ways of responding to these stimuli, such as taxes and kineses. Taxes and kineses are behavioural responses where animals change their movement pattern to adjust to the changes in their environment, for example, finding food or escaping from predators. One interesting experiment that studies these responses is the Woodlice Choice Chamber Experiment. This experiment helps us understand how woodlice react to different environmental conditions and make choices based on their responses. Through this experiment, we can learn more about how animals adapt to their environment to survive.

Taxis and kinesis

Taxis is a type of movement response that animals or other motile organisms can have. It is a simple response to a stimulus, where the direction of the stimulus determines the direction of movement. This response is similar to a plant response called tropism, where plants change their direction of growth towards or away from a stimulus. The main difference is that plants can't move, so they can only change direction of growth. In taxis, motile organisms can move away from unfavourable stimuli (negative taxis) or towards a favourable stimulus (positive taxis). This response helps animals to survive by helping them find food or escape from danger. 

The type of taxis is defined according to its originating stimulus.

Algae have a clever way of performing photosynthesis more effectively. They move towards the light, which gives them a better chance of survival. This movement is called positive phototaxis, which is a response to light stimuli. Another example of taxis is positive chemotaxis, where some bacteria move towards regions of higher glucose concentrations to find food. These are examples of how organisms can adapt to their environment to survive. A motile organism is simply an organism that can move around its environment, like animals or some types of bacteria. This ability to move is important for finding food, escaping from predators, or finding a comfortable place to live.

Difference between taxis and kinesis

Kinesis is another type of behavioural response that motile organisms can exhibit. Unlike taxis, kinesis does not involve changing the direction of movement according to a stimulus direction. Instead, it involves changing the organism's speed of movement and the rate of direction change. Kinesis is important when reacting to less directional stimuli, such as temperature or humidity, which do not vary in space in clear gradients. In a kinesis response, when an organism senses that it has temporarily entered an unfavorable location, it will increase its speed and rate of turning to exit the space. However, if the organism continues in such adverse surroundings, it will decrease its turning rate, moving in long straight lines and increasing the chances of reaching a more suitable environment, where the temperature might be milder. This type of response helps organisms to adapt to their environment and increases their chances of survival.

Woodlice movement

Woodlice are fascinating creatures and are often used as examples when studying animal movement responses. They exhibit both taxis and kinesis-type responses when looking for ideal living conditions in their habitat. For example, they display negative phototaxis, meaning they move away from light sources and prefer dark environments. When searching for ideal temperature and humidity conditions, woodlice display kinesis-type responses. These stimuli can be harder to pinpoint and may not vary in clear gradients, leading to random movement responses from woodlice seeking better environmental conditions to increase their survival chances. In a kinesis response, woodlice move faster if the temperature drops below or rises above a specific optimal range in their current location. This increased speed helps them exit the unfavorable area more quickly to another area where the temperature is more favorable and within their optimal living range. Woodlice also exhibit Thigmokinesis, which is a movement or immobilization response to contact stimuli. They are highly attracted to solid objects, including each other. Once woodlice come into contact with each other, they tend to clump together. All of these behavioral strategies increase the chances of woodlice or any other animal spending more time in favorable conditions (damp and mild temperature) than unfavorable ones (dry, extreme temperatures). It is fascinating to see how these small creatures adapt and survive in their environment.

Choice chamber

Choice chambers are an artificial means of investigating animal behavior. They are used to study the movement response of small motile organisms when exposed to different environmental conditions. These structures provide insights into the environmental conditions that animals prefer when searching for suitable habitats. Woodlice are commonly used in these experiments due to their abundance in nature and their ability to display both taxis and kinesis-type responses to different stimuli.

A choice chamber consists of several linked compartments in a large plastic petri dish, each designed to simulate specific environmental conditions. The behavior of animals like woodlice is assessed by observing their movement through these compartments. The preferred habitat conditions of woodlice are reflected in their choice of chamber division that most closely resembles their natural environment.

Light and humidity are two environmental factors that are often tested using choice chambers. An animal's preference for light/dark and dry/damp areas can be determined using these structures because these conditions can be easily replicated in an artificial setting.

For example, a choice chamber can be designed with both dry and damp compartments to investigate the influence of humidity on woodlice movement. Silica gel beads can simulate a dry area because they absorb moisture from the air, while wet cotton in another compartment can replicate damp conditions. Similarly, a dark compartment can be created by covering part of the dish from any light source, allowing the researchers to study the woodlice's preference for light/dark areas.

After being placed in the choice chamber, the woodlice will move around and experience the different stimuli. Through taxis and kinesis responses, they will gravitate towards the more suitable environment, providing valuable insights into their behavioral preferences. Overall, choice chambers are a useful tool for studying animal behavior and can provide important insights into the factors that influence an organism's movement and habitat preference.

Woodlice choice chamber experiment control

The design of a choice chamber can vary depending on the environmental factors being tested. However, it is essential to include an empty control chamber to ensure that the stimuli being tested are indeed influencing the animal's movement response. Additionally, having an empty chamber ensures that the woodlice are evenly distributed and not influenced by the presence or absence of other organisms. By having a control chamber, researchers can compare the behavior of woodlice in the experimental chambers to their behavior in a neutral environment, providing a baseline for their movements.

Woodlice choice chamber experiment results

Kinesis and taxis are simple movement responses that motile organisms use to respond to various environmental stimuli, such as temperature, light, or humidity. These responses ensure that organisms seek and move towards areas in their habitat with more favorable conditions. Taxes are movement responses towards favorable stimuli (positive) or away from unfavorable stimuli (negative). Kineses are random movement responses consisting of changes in the speed and rate of direction change from motile organisms in unfavorable environmental conditions.

Choice chambers are artificial compartments that replicate environmental conditions and are used to investigate animal behavior. In the woodlice choice chamber experiment, woodlice displayed negative phototaxis, preferring dark and damp environments. This experiment highlights how choice chambers can be used to study animal behavior and understand their habitat preferences in response to different environmental factors.

Woodlice Choice Chamber Experiment

Why do woodlice clump together?

Woodlouse display thigmokinesis, which is a movement response or lack thereof to contact stimuli. Woodlouse are attracted to solid objects including each other and when they come into contact, they stop moving, clumping together.

What is a choice chamber?

Choice chambers are artificial man-made structures divided into compartments that present different stimuli in each division and are used to investigate how that affects animal behavior.

Do woodlice prefer the dark or the light?

Woodlice display negative phototaxis, which means they prefer the dark.

How do you set up a choice chamber?

Set up an enclosed environment and divide it into interlinked compartments.

‍