Hi Ripsnort,
Making a dichotomous key for the proteobacteria (beta or otherwise) is
a common assignment in biology classes. You do this by dividing the
group of bacteria into smaller and smaller groups that can be
distinguished from each other based on a single characteristic.
For instance, if I were making a key of all the pets I've ever had, it
might look like this:
1: Warm-blooded
a: NO - Alex, the fish
b: YES - continue to #2
2: Over 5 pounds
a: NO - Obie, the hedgehog
b: YES - continue to #3
3: Has black spots
a: NO - Perdy, the bassett hound
b: YES - Domino, the dalmation
In this key I could use any number of characteristics to differentiate
among my groups ("Has fins", "Is a dog", etc.). Here is an online
description of how to construct a key:
http://www.park.edu/bhoffman/courses/bi225/labs/Dichotomous%20Keys%202.htm
I'm giving you links to a dichotomous tree (similar to a key, but
you'll have to reformat it) that is popular on the web. This should
help you form your key. You should also take a look at the
description of each species of beta-proteobacteria in your textbook to
help you pick out the characters you want to use to construct your own
key.
University of Maryland BSCI424: Beta-Proteobacteria
http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci424/BSCI223WebSiteFiles/BetaProteobacteria.htm
I hope that helps you! I found the key by doing a Google search for
"beta proteobacteria" and the directions for making a key by doing a
search for "dichotomous key".
Librariankt |
