Leukocyte Production in Correlation to Bacterial Load in Corvus Brachyrhyncos

by Korey Wiemold
Biology
Faculty advisor: Dr. Richard Lampe

Blood samples were collected and analyzed from the brachial artery of 59 Corvus Brachyrhyncos nestlings in Buena Vista County, Iowa during the spring of 2008.  These blood samples were dyed and prepared on slides. They were microscopically analyzed to accurately obtain an estimate of the number of leukocytes present in each specimen compared to the number of erythrocytes. We will be searching for correlation between levels of leukocyte presence and bacterial load, as well as searching for patterns in leukocyte presence according to gender.