Effects of Caffeine and Nicotine on Lumbriculus variegatus
INTRODUCTION
An experiment was conducted to study and explore the circulatory system by exposing Lumbriculus variegatus, black worms, to household drugs. Lumbriculus variegatus was chosen as the experimental organism because of their transparent bodies and their simple physiology.
Their transparent bodies help the experimenters to easily see their pulse. Another reason for choosing this specific organism is their body structure—large surface area to size ratio. This feature allows the substances, such as the household drugs, to easily enter their body which then can affect their health.(1) The household drugs used in this experiment were decaffeinated coffee, tea, instant
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The dependent variable is pulsation rates of L. variegatus before and after they were in the treatments. The standardized variable of this experiment would be the temperature of the surroundings of the L. variegatus, the three pulsation rates taken for each worm before and after the treatments, and also the amount of time each worm was kept in their respective treatments. The level of treatment for this experiment would be ten because of the six different concentration treatments of caffeine and nicotine along with the four household drugs. The sample size of the experiment differed from some treatments to other. For the three different concentrations of caffeine and nicotine, the sample size was 18 black worms each. The sample size of the control treatment of week 1 was 6 black worms. 12 black worms were used for the control of week 2, decaffeinated coffee and instant coffee. 11 black worms were used for the tea treatment and 15 were used for the tobacco treatment. There were three replications of the pulsation rate readings per worm before and after the treatment. With all this information we were able to get the results we got. According to the results, the columns of caffeine in figure 1, of this experiment the hypothesis for caffeine is partially accepted. There is an increasing trend in the change of pulsation rates with increasing
The lab handout provided by the instructor was used as a guideline to conduct this experiment. The only difference was the organism used and data collection period. For this experiment, pill bugs and crickets were utilized. Also, data was collected for a period of 12 minutes.
Pill bugs live in an outside environment where they are able to get the necessary amount of energy from organic matter. This environment is where water and organic matter is plentiful. In there natural habitat, pill bugs are found in dark, damp places. Living in moist places is important for pill bugs so they can take in enough water, and if water is not available, they group together to prevent water loss. Pill bugs most often live in dark places because they have a negative photo taxis. Darker places also tend to be cooler and damper. Each experiment connected to how the pill bugs would behave in a certain environment. We were able to test these experiments in a laboratory way to see if the natural environments were also true.
This table represents how many pill bugs were on each slice of filter paper, that had a different solution on each of them, over 30 second intervals lasting 5 minutes. This is what were recorded our data on for this part of the lab.
After the Daphnia was given time to calm down, the team took a reading of its heart rate at room temperature (27 degrees C). The reading was taken by counting the heart beats for ten seconds and then multiplying by six to yield beats per minute. Next, a glass Petri dish was filled with ice water at five degrees Celsius. The cold water Petri dish was placed on the stage of the microscope, and the Daphnia was placed on top of the dish. When the Daphnia had been given a minute to acclimate to the changes, another heart rate reading was taken. Then the same procedure using the Petri dish to changed environmental conditions was used with cold tap water (23 degrees), warm tap water (30 degrees), and hot tap water (45 degrees). A heart rate reading was taken for each temperature.
Throughout this experiment a number of random and procedural errors were apparent; these errors could have affected the results of the experiment in a number of ways. One experimental error that occurred during the experiment was that some flies became stuck in the food source and died. The main cause of this was the fact that the fly vials were stood up (vertically) before the flies had fully recovered from the anaesthetic. This could be overcome in future experiments by ensuring that the vials are kept horizontal until all of the flies fully recover from the anaesthetic.
Every 30 seconds their preferred position was documented. Once the three minutes were up and all the information was documented then the ten pill bugs were gently collected and put back in to their jars. These pill bugs were then traded with another tables pill bugs. The new pill bugs came from a sucrose and water chamber habitat. Again ten of these pill bugs were gently grabbed and placed in the chamber for 3 minutes with every 30 seconds documenting where the pill bugs preferred. After the 3 minutes the pill bugs were grabbed placed back in to their jars and switched again with a different table. The last trial of pill bugs came from a tea and water habitat. The ten pill bugs were gently grabbed and placed in to the chamber for three minutes. Every 30 seconds their preferred habitat was documented. When the 3 minutes were up the pill bugs were gently grabbed and placed back in to their jar. In this experiment the control was the distilled water, the dependent variable was the number of bugs in the habitat preferred, and the independent variable was the alcohol, and the water
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to observe the pill bugs’ behaviors when introduced to a stimuli, a strong scent, and it is important to notice whether the pill bugs perform taxis or kinesis as a result of the stimuli. In addition, the purpose is to learn how to properly design an experiment is.
In this laboratory experiment we will be testing a variable to see what a pill bugs will be drawn to eat. Pill bugs are detritovores meaning they eat decomposing leaves and other types of decaying matter. As well they will eat their own feces if they need re-digest food they had eaten early and will resort to eating their own fellow pill bugs if they get hurt. Pill bugs possess a sense of smell sight and touch and have small eyes with poor vision. They use this smell to find food and mates as well they use aggregate pheromones to leave a trail so other pill bugs can find them. In environments that are dry they will be less active and prefer the night and cooler environments. ( Web, Animal Diversity.)
The objective of this investigation was to observe the affect of caffeine on the heart rate of a Daphnia (water flea), by observing the specimen under a microscope for a set period of time while in an environment of concentrated caffeine. By using a microscope, the collection of data regarding the heart rate of the how to make a line graph in word Daphnia was possible. Drinks such as coffee, Red bull, MONSTER and Coca-Cola contain high amounts of caffeine, causing the consumer to increase their amounts of stimulatory neurotransmitters (this is a chemical in the brain sent throughout the body telling your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, and your stomach to digest). As caffeine is a stimulant, it is predicted that the drug will increase the Heart Rate of the Daphnia. Caffeine will be used in this experiment with concentrates of black coffee.
The experiment can further be improved by having an exact number of worms and E. coli on each agar plate to ensure every variable is the same except for the controls. Also, if the C. elegans were starved for a longer period they might have been more attracted to the diacetyl; further distinguishing the affected and unaffected worms (Urushihata et al. 2016).
To start, a fly anesthetic was used named “FlyNap” to anesthetize the drosophila melanogaster. A fur wire was then dipped into the FlyNap and then placed into the vial with the vial on its side being careful not to uncork the foam plug. After about a minute the drosophila melanogaster become unconscious. The unconscious drosophila melanogaster are then swept onto a plate with a small paintbrush. Once they are on a plate they are then to be scored with a compound microscope. For the experiment five females and five males were required to be placed in vial with at the bottom of this vial were some parts dry fly food, mixed water, and granules of yeast. While keeping the vial sideways sliding a small portion of plastic netting and then
At the end of the experiment, 20 oz of soil was be placed within a 1 gallon container with the ideal amounts of water and nutrient amounts. Five worms will be placed within the container and left at room temperature. The purpose of this final experiment will be determining how long the worms can survive with the ideal
Caffeine most commonly comes from plants that use the caffeine as a defense from being eaten by bugs. Not only it is a defense but also a drug that people have learned to utilize into their daily lives. While caffeine may put a pep in your step within 15 the effects will deteriorate very quickly within
Caffeine is a plant alkaloid found in many different products. (Archna 2008) Caffeine is categorized as a drug that stimulates the central nervous system and aids in mobilizing free fatty acids which increases the use of fats as an energy source. (Desbrow 2007) This substance when consumed is distributed in intracellular fluid after crossing the blood-brain barrier. This results in
To find whether there are distinct changes between mealworms at different stages of life. • A respirometer allows O2 consumption to be monitored. As O2 is consumed water or a soap bubble will move down the pipette leading toward the chamber of the respirometer.(Reid, K.A) • The amount of movement represents the amount of O2 (mL) consumed by the organism in the chamber since all CO2 in the chamber is removed by KOH in the cotton in the bottom of the respirometer.(Reid, K.A) • The test chamber is used, you place the adult beetle in one and the larval stage beetle in the other chamber. • KOH is added to each test chamber to remove carbon dioxide as it is produced.