| In order to play with the Bug Lab you will need to have the Shockwave plugin. If you do not have this plugin, you can download it here - it will take around eight minutes to download if you are using a 56k modem. |
On entering the Bug Lab you will automatically be in FREE MODE. This means you can do anything you like! All the controls are available to you - these controls are explained below. |
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If you would prefer to be guided through an experiment, click on one of the numbered experiments at the top of the screen. Each experiment introduces a different aspect of the game and so not all the controls will be available. These experiments are a good starting point to understand what the game is about. |
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There is no right or wrong in Bug Lab - you simply experiment with the bugs and note the outcomes. Why did only the hairy bugs survive? What happens if you mate a brown bug with a green bug? You set up the hypothesis and come to a conclusion - just like in a real laboratory. |
Genotype
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To view a bug's genotype, click on its back - a yellow circle will appear on the bug so you know which one you are looking at. You can view the genotypes of two bugs at once.
The genes that a bug has will determine its colour, shape and form. Two letters denote the gene's alleles (a gene is made up of two opposing alleles). The capital letter is the dominant allele, and the lower-case letter is the recessive allele. The bugs have four characteristics that are controlled by their genes:
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 Colour - The colour gene has two alleles, R and r. Brown colouring is dominant and is caused by the genotype RR or Rr. Only the rr combination results in a green colour because it is recessive.
Legs - The leg length gene has two alleles S and s. Short legs, and therefore a slow speed, are caused by the genotype SS or Ss because the short leg gene is dominant. Long legs, and therefore a fast speed, are caused by having the ss genotype.
Body - The bugs' bodies are either bald or hairy. This affects the temperature at which they can survive. Baldness is the dominant gene and so is caused by a BB or Bb genotype. A bb genotype results in a hairy insect.
Mutation - Under certain conditions the bugs can undergo a germline mutation - their actual DNA will mutate, although the bug itself will remain the same. This means that any offspring they have will become cannibals! Cannibals have the genotype mm and instead of antennae they have sharp fang-like mandibles.
When you click on an insect, its genotype will slot into the Male (XY) or Female (XX) box. Male bugs are recognisable by their short, rounded bodies whereas females have long, pointed bodies. When you have selected a male and female genotype, the MATE button will be active. Clicking that button will cause the two bugs to mate and you will hear a popping sound as the female lays her egg.
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Bug Status
The BUG STATUS box tells you more information about the bug. To view the state of a bug, click on it - a red cross will appear on it's back showing which bug you are examining. You can only see the status of one bug at a time; the last one you selected.
Temperature - The temperature of a bug depends upon the surrounding temperature of the bug lab. The hairy ones die at about 40ºC, and the bald ones freeze at about 8ºC.
Age - The bugs have a life cycle; they start as eggs, and gradually grow into full-size bugs. A bug's age begins at one and increases as the game runs. A bug dies of old age when it reaches 200.
Energy - Moving around the bug zone and mating takes up energy. This is why you can see an insect's energy decreasing over time. When the bugs encounter food their energy is replenished. If they run out of energy they die. You can also see the bugs get fatter when they have just eaten some food.
Speed - The short-legged bugs are slow and have a speed of 1.5 pixels per second; the long-legged bugs are faster and have a speed of three pixels per second.
Generation - This shows how many generations old a particular bug is. The bugs at the beginning of the simulation are generation one. When they mate, their offspring are generation two, and the offspring of generation two are generation three, and so on.
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Phenotype Ratios
The four bars in the bottom left hand corner show the ratio of one bug characteristic to another. They show the ratio of brown to green bugs, short legged to long legged, bald to hairy, and the proportion of cannibals in the population. As the environmental conditions change, you will notice different attributes become more common as the insects adapt to their environment.
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Environment
The sliders on the right of the Bug Lab change the three environmental settings:
Temperature - You can change the temperature from 0ºC to 50ºC. The hairy bugs die at about 40ºC, and the bald bugs die at about 8ºC.
Food Rate - This alters the rate at which food appears and can have an effect on the ratio of short to long legged bugs.
UV Mutation - Raising the amount of Ultra-Violet radiation within the population causes the DNA of bugs to mutate, which means that their offspring will be cannibals! Cannibalistic bugs will consume their mates and offspring, as well as any other bug they encounter. They are noticeable by their deadly-looking mandibles.
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Bug Lab Key
Bugs start life as an egg, then they grow into pupa and finally hatch into tiny bugs. Listen out for the popping sound as the eggs are laid.
Bugs eat piles of sugar which decrease in size as they are eaten. The bugs make a slurping sound as they eat.
When bugs die of old age, lack of energy, or extreme temperatures, the following icon appears in their place.
If a bug is unlucky enough to be eaten by a cannibal, it will leave a sticky red blood trail.
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Chromosome 11 
