The Effect Of Various Drugs On The Heart Rate Of Daphnia...

This laboratory exercise was performed to visualize the effects of various drugs on the heart rate of Daphnia magna. The four drugs tested consisted of: Lidocaine, Acetylcholine, Caffeine, and Nicotine. These drugs were designed to have an apparent effect on the average heart rate of the Daphnia. The laboratory exercise was divided into two parts and procedures: measuring the basal heart rate of Daphnia, and measuring the drug induced heart rate of Daphnia. In order to measure the basal heart rate, various Daphnia were obtained and observed under a microscope at 40x magnification for two separate trials. Using the same technique, the drug induced heart rate with each drug (Lidocaine, Acetylcholine, Caffeine and Nicotine) was measured and†¦show more content†¦These drugs were utilized in order to demonstrate the positive and negative effects on cell communication. Cell communication consists of three steps: reception, transduction, and response. Reception involves the bindin g of a ligand and a receptor; transduction is a â€Å"cascade† of actions between molecules and their proteins, and response is the change that occurs afterwards (1). The goal of this laboratory exercise was to observe and determine the effects of chemical agents on Daphnia’s cell communication receptors. Different drugs have different effects on the circulatory system, and with higher concentrations of each, come more serious effects (3). The hypothesis for this laboratory exercise was: if Daphnia were placed into Caffeine or Nicotine, then their heart rate would increase. In comparison, if Daphnia were placed into Acetylcholine or Lidocaine, then their heart rate would decrease. Methods and Materials: In order to complete this exercise, two different procedures were conducted; one measured the basal heart rate, and the other measured the drug-induced heart rate. A sample s basal heart rate can be defined as the â€Å"resting† heart rate. This is when no drugs or altering substances are applied. In comparison, the drug-induced heart rate of a sample can be defined as the heart rate after the drug was administered to the surrounding environment. The four drugs tested on the Daphnia specimens were Acetylcholine, Caffeine,Show MoreRelatedThe Normal Heart Rate Of A Daphnia Magna1552 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The purpose of this lab was to determine the normal heart rate of a Daphnia Magna and decipher the different effects that various substances had on it. A Daphnia Magna is a species of water fleas and can be located in the Northern United Sates against the coastline of the Atlantic in rocky pools. The water flea’s habitat consists of rivers and streams, temporary pools, lakes and ponds, and brackish water. The Daphnia Magna range from two to five millimeters in length and are shaped likeRead MoreScientific Paper on a Water Flea751 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effects of Alcohol and Caffeine on the Heartbeat Rate in Daphnia Magnus ï ¿ ¼ Erika Huizenga Ashley Kofahl The Effects of Alcohol and Caffeine on the Heartbeat Rate in Daphnia Magnus Abstract The projects purpose was to determine the effects of alcohol and caffeine on the heartbeat rate in Daphnia Magnus. Our hypothesis is alcohol causes a decrease in heart rate, whereas caffeine causes an accelerated heart rate, predicting that the more caffeine we give the daphnia the faster it