Sample Research Plan
First & Last Name
8B Oct. 15, 2008
Cafffeins affect on Daphnia’s Heart Rate
A. Problem/ Purpose/ Question Being Addressed
Problem:
Many people consume caffeine on a daily basis. Since you can see
Daphnia’s heart it is easy to count the heart beat and so then I can see the effects
of caffeine in coffee, energy drinks, and a calming drink on the heart rate.
Purpose:
This project is about the effect of caffeine on Daphnia’s heart rate.
Daphnia is known as the water flea. Daphnia is a very small aquatic crustaceans
and its body is divided into three main parts. There heart is large and their skin is
partially see-through. So it is easy to count the heart beat.
Caffeine, however, is important to many people around the world. An
average American consumes about 45 million pounds of caffeine every year and
about a gram or more a day. Since caffeine is an addictive drug it is one of the
most popular drugs in America. Most people are addicted to caffeine which
means they cannot stay alert without consuming caffeine. Caffeine can be found
in chocolate, many drinks such as coke, energy drinks, and coffee.
Many people don’t know how caffeine works. Well adenosine, a
nucleoside created by the brain, bind with adenosine receptors and when it binds
causes the nerve cell activity to slow down and it causes drowsiness. But when
caffeine enters your body it looks like adenosine to the nerve cells and it binds
with the caffeine. So then the caffeine has an opposite effect on the nerve cells.
Instead of slowing down the process it speeds it up. That’s how you get a boost of
energy.
Have you ever noticed that many people have to have a cup of coffee
every morning? Well that’s because caffeine stays in your body for about 6 – 8
hours. So when you, if you do, go to sleep your body would have a normal nights
sleep and when you get up the next morning your body would automatically want
more caffeine. In conclusion many people need caffeine to stay alert and to
function, so studying the effects of caffeine is really important for the people who
don’t know that much about caffeine and the ones who consume caffeine daily.
Question Being Addressed:
Does caffeine in coffee and energy drinks affect Daphnia’s heart rate and
how? Does the new calming drink affect Daphnia’s heart rate and how?
B. Hypothesis/ Engineering Goal
My Hypotheses:
The caffeine in the energy will probably affect the Daphnia’s heart rate the
most. The caffeine in the coffee will affect the Daphnia’s heart rate but not as
much as the energy drink. The calming drink will probably slow the heart rate of
the Daphnia.
Independent Variable:
The type of coffee, energy drink and the calming drink are the
independent variables. The type of coffee is Maxwell. The different types of
energy drinks are Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Full Throttle, and Sobe No Fear.
The calming drink is called the purple Drank
Dependent Variable:
The heart rate of the Daphnia is the dependent variable. I will record the
data by count the heart beat for 15 seconds and then multiple the number of heart
beats by 4. I will multiply it by 4 to get the heart rate per minute.
Constant:
The amount of liquid and the heart beat in the water are the constants.
C. Methods or Procedures / Data Analysis
Materials Needed:
1. Cultured Daphnia
2. Dish Slide
3. Microscope
4. Dropper
5. Goggle (for safety)
6. Apron (for safety)
7. Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Full Throttle, Sobe No fear (Energy Drinks)
8. Purple Drank (Calming Drink)
9. Maxwell, Strabucks House Blend, Godiva Premium Roasted (Coffees)
10. Beakers
Procedures:
1. Put on all safety gear.
2. Brew a pot of coffee for each different type of coffee. (Let it cool to room
temperature BEFORE putting it on the slide with the Daphnia.)
3. Get one Daphnia from the culture.
4. Place onto the slide and focus the microscope. (make sure the Daphnia has
enough water)
5. Count the heart beat of the Daphnia for 15 seconds. Then multiply it by 4 and
record the number.
6. Repeat twice and each a new Daphnia each time. Records the hearts beats of
those and then get the average. How many times heart beats in the water is the
constant.
7. Get a new slide and put an energy drink on the slide.
8. Then get another Daphnia from the culture and place it onto the slide.
9. Count the heart beat of the Daphnia for 15 seconds. Then multiply it by 4 and
record the number.
10. Repeat twice and each a new Daphnia each time. Records the hearts beats of
those and then get the average.
11. Repeat steps 6- 9 for each drink and coffee.
D. Bibliography
1. Debry, Gérard. Coffee and Health. Paris: John Libbey Eurotext, 1994.
2. Adams, Gerald. Does Caffeine Effect the Heart Rate of Daphnia?
Http://www.herndonmagnetschool.com/images/SampleScienceFairPaper.pdf.
15 Oct. 2008
<http://www.herndonmagnetschool.com/images/samplesciencefairpaper.pdf>.
3. Clare, John. "Daphnia." Daphnia: An Aquarist' s Guide. Aug. 1998. Caudata.org.
30 Sept. 2008 <http://www.caudata.org/daphnia/>.
4. "Technical Information on Daphnia." Daphnia. 1997. Larva Tech. 15 Oct. 2008
<http://members.aol.com/larval1/daphndex.htm>.