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Students commonly test the effects of chemical agents on the heart rate of the crustacean
Daphnia magna, but the procedure has never been optimized. We determined the effects of three
concentrations of ethanol, nicotine, and caffeine and of a control solution on heart rate in
Daphnia. Ethanol at 5% and 10% (v/v) reduced mean heart rate to 50% and 20% of its initial
value, respectively. Recovery was rapid after removing 5% ethanol, but recovery from 10%
ethanol took 20±30 minutes. Nicotine at 100 µM reversibly increased mean heart rate by 20%.
Higher concentrations produced varied and sometimes irreversible effects. Caffeine at 0.1%,
0.5%, and 2% (w/v) had no convincing effect on heart rate. Of the three agents tested, nicotine's
peculiar effects make it the least useful in an educational setting. Caffeine could be used to
emphasize the need for blind observers because it does not increase heart rate in Daphnia. If
students find that it does, their bias is revealed. Ethanol produces unambiguous effects at 5% and
10%. Heart rates recover quickly after removing 5% ethanol, which allows students to explore
reversibility as an alternative to having a separate control group.

Keywords: v
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, Daphnia

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DOES CAFFEINE AFFECT HEART RATE? AIM: We intend to investigate the effect of
caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia (water fleas). BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Daphnia's is the name of a group of small, aquatic crustaceans commonly called "Water Flea"
Because their exoskeletons are clear; it is possible to watch Daphnia hearts without cutting the
open. This allows the changes in Daphnia heart rate to be studied easily. The normal habitat of a
Daphnia is lakes, rivers and ponds they are also used as fast food for fish. They are used as a fast
food for fish because they swim fast and they make the fish fight for their food and not to just to
rely on the food just coming to them. A usual life span of a Daphnia is two or three days.
Daphnia's are usually females and only a few males are produced the reason for this is they are...

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...we use should all be to the correct measurement as then the results would be fair. Safety that
can be used is that all bags are to be put under the table except the bags would have to be tucked
in properly so that no one can trip over the bag. Also this is important as then you won't throw
caffeine over someone else or kill any daphnia's. APPARATUS: Culture of Daphnia Cavity
slides and cover slips; Dropping pipettes Distilled water Cotton wool Caffeine tablets Stop clock
Paper towel/ filter paper Microscope Lamp HYPOTHESIS: I believe that an increase in caffeine
concentration in the surrounding water on the daphnia results in an increase in heart rate. This is
known because caffeine is a stimulant, which has the effect, among other things, of increasing
the heart rate of any living organism, which consumes or absorbs it. Caffeine causes increased
amounts of stimulatory neurotransmitters to be released. At high levels of consumption, caffeine
has been linked to raise blood pressure and raised heart rate. A high dosage of caffeine results in
an increased neurone firing in the brain. The pituitary glad sees all the activity and thinks some
sort of emergency must be occurring, therefore releasing hormones that tell the adrenal glands to
produce adrenaline. Adrenaline is the 'fight or flight' hormone and has a number of effects on
your body. Some of the effects happen to be an in heart BPM (beats per minute), which is an
increase in heart rate, and an increase in blood pressure. Just like in a human heart, a Daphnia's
heart will beat faster when receiving a dose of caffeine. METHOD: A few strands of cotton wool
were placed on a cavity slide (helps restrict the movement of the Daphnia). Using a pipette, one
large water flea was transferred to the cavity slide. Before doing so, the water around the
Daphnia was removed using a paper towel. A few drops of distilled water were added to the
cavity slide containing the Daphnia. A cavity slide filled with iced water was placed under a
different slide and was sealed by a cover slip (this will act as a heat sink). This slide was then
placed below the slide containing the Daphnia, and was inserted under a microscope, and a lamp,
which was at a reasonable distance from the microscope, was used to provide light. The built-in
microscope light was not used as this would give temperature to the Daphnia and water, which
could affect the results. The Daphnia was then viewed under low power, focussing on its heart,
which was able to be seen through its translucent body. A stop clock was then used to record the
number of heart beats per 15 seconds. This made it easier as it was only monitored for 15
seconds rather than 60. A pen was the tapped on a piece of paper to represent the number of heart
beats during the time period, and this was counted up at the end of the time period and the
number was multiplied by 4 (4 x 15sec = 60sec/1min) to obtain the BPM. This experiment, using
the caffeine solution, was repeated a further 2 times with other Daphnia, and fresh slides and
cover slips, using the same procedures as above.. In each of the 3 experiments, however,
different concentrations of caffeine solution were used. In the first, 2 drops were used, in the
second; 4 drops were used, and in the third and final, 6 drops were used. RESULTS:
SOLUTION HEART BEAT/15 SEC Start Finish BPM Start Finish AVERAGE BPM Start
Finish 38 55 152 220 173 227 Caffeine 44 65 176 224 48 59 192 236 CONCLUSION: The
results obtained clearly show that the higher the concentration of the caffeine, higher the heart
rate. This proves the original prediction. As was mentioned before, the reason for this is most
likely be due to the fact that caffeine is a stimulant and an increase in its concentration results in
a higher heart rate. The daphnia is unique in that it absorbs the chemicals that are present in the
water surrounding it without selection. Therefore, with low concentrations such as those used in
these experiments, it is likely that the daphnia will absorb most, if not all, of the caffeine present
in the surrounding water. The reason why the heart rate of the daphnia increases when it is given
a dose of caffeine is the same reason as for a human's rise in heart rate due to its intake. Caffeine
belongs to a group of compounds called methylxanthines and among its effects are two that
result in a higher heart rate. It blocks a receptor, called an adenosine receptor, on the surface of
the heart muscle, which produces an enzyme called adenosine. One of the effects of adenosine,
and the one that is relevant here, is that it slows down the heart rate. Indeed, in humans,
adenosine results in sleepiness, one of the causes being a slower heart rate. Therefore, if this
receptor, which regulates the heart rate by controlling the level of adenosine, is blocked and thus
the level of this enzyme is lowered then the heart rate rises. One of the important reasons why
such a noticeable change in heart rate takes place due to an increased concentration of chemicals
surrounding the daphnia is its physical makeup. As was mentioned previously, the daphnia is
unique in that it absorbs any chemicals in the water surrounding it straight into its body.
Therefore any chemical that has a physiological effect affects the daphnia almost
instantaneously. For this reason, the daphnia is actually used as an indicator for toxicity of
chemicals. Its heart rate is measured to find out how toxic a liquid is. EVALUATION: There are
many factors, which affect the results. The most obvious factor with the method ...

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Caffeine is classified as a central nervous system stimulant. Ingested in moderate doses, caffeine
can increase alertness; it also can increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, cause
headaches and nervousness, and reduce fine motor coordination.

Caffeine enters the bloodstream via the stomach and small intestine. Its effects can begin as
quickly as 15 minutes after it is ingested. Caffeine stays in the body for hours ? only about half
of the caffeine is eliminated in the first 6 hours.

Some studies show that caffeine can cause a physical dependence if someone takes the
equivalent of four or more cups of coffee per day. One way to tell if there is a physical
dependence is if someone feels the ?need? for caffeine, and has withdrawal symptoms such as
headache, fatigue and muscle pain 24 (or more) hours after their last cup of coffee or bottle of
coke.

Caffeine can also be fatal to those who overdose to the extreme. Medical literature contains
several reports of people who died after submitting to unorthodox practices such as caffeine
injections or coffee enemas. However, the lethal caffeine level is very high ? more than 10
grams, or the equivalent of 80 to 100 cups of coffee at one sitting.

During the past 40 years, a number of studies have been conducted to determine whether there is
any link between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease. To date, the weight of
scientific evidence has established no causal link between coffee consumption and
cardiovascular disease. The lack of a causal relationship is strongly supported by well-controlled,
prospective studies, including the extensive Framingham Heart Study.

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 Among the participants of the Framingham Heart Study were 717 people who
began the study with some type of cardiac disease. Over the course of the study investigators
tracked these individuals' cardiovascular health, including occurrence of heart attack, and then
analyzed risk factors that led to recurrence. They concluded that there was no association
between coffee intake and recurring heart attack episodes.
   
„ „ In 1990, researchers at the University of Tennessee concluded that
moderate daily consumption of coffee does not elevate blood pressure. Many studies show that
any change in blood pressure on first drinking coffee is minimal. There is no strong evidence that
caffeine intake increases the risk of being classified or treated for sustained hypertension.

c  Irregular heartbeats are experienced as "skipped," "flutters," or "palpitations."

There is little evidence that caffeine can induce such arrhythmic episodes. In 1987, research
published in the American Journal of Cardiology concluded, "caffeine does not increase the
frequency or severity of ventricular arrhythmias." A 1990 study also concurs with these findings.

 „ „ „„  Most studies involving U.S. style filter-brewed coffee have not found an
association between caffeinated or decaffeinated filtered coffee and increased risk of cholesterol-
related heart disease. The best evidence to date shows neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated
coffee consumption contributes significantly to the risk of heart disease or estimated risk based
on serum cholesterol levels.

„„ „ „  For most adults who have been caffeine-free for about 24-hours, a 200 mg dose of
the stimulant - approximately the amount contained in two cups of coffee - can fight off fatigue.
It can also extend the time necessary to pass through the early stages of slumber into deep sleep.
Given caffeine's long half-life, if you drink several cups of coffee to ward off midday sleepiness,
you may find yourself awake at 10 p.m.

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 It is possible to become habituated to caffeine. Ê 









 

  describes caffeine-induced anxiety as characterized by
rambling speech and thought and periods of inexhaustability. It notes that caffeine intoxication
can be mistaken for manic episodes or panic attacks.

Caffeine can also be fatal to those who overdose to the extreme. Medical literature contains
several reports of people who died after submitting to unorthodox practices such as caffeine
injections or coffee enemas. However, the lethal caffeine level is the equivalent of oer 80 cups of
coffee.