Nikoleta Fani Efthyvoulou

Georgia Karatsi
Effect of caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia Andreas Marios Georgakis
Natalia Alkistis Georgiades
The English School Nicosia Yiannis Christopher Fellas
Introduction:
 Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that improves attention Antennae

and alertness. A number of plants contain caffeine, a bitter, white

crystalline purine, in their seeds, fruits, nuts, or leaves.(6) When caffeine
Eye
is consumed it increases the release of noradrenaline and
Heart
norepinephrine. These hormones, among other things, raise blood
pressure and heart rate. Additionally, caffeine can influence heart-
contracting enzymes, causing the heart to contract more forcefully.(7) Carapace
Risk Assessment:
Brood chamber with eggs
 Daphnia is one of the several microscopic aquatic crustaceans known as Legs
water fleas. Many species have exoskeletons that are translucent or At least 2 risks mentioned and how each
virtually translucent, making them good microscope subjects because it
is possible to see the beating heart and how it pumps blood cells
Intestine
risk is minimized.
throughout the circulatory system. (8)
Ethical issues:
Note: the risks should be related to the
Daphnia, as small and less developed nervously as they experimenter 
Hypothesis: are, they still are animals and debatably have rights.
We would expect an increase in caffeine concentration Sources of error: They cannot communicate or give consent. The animals’
to increase the heart rate of daphnia(more bpm). We welfare should be considered and their suffering should
can conclude that with our general and prior GCSE 1. Too high caffeine concentration may end up killing the be as minimal as possible.​
knowledge that caffeine is a cardiac stimulant. Also it fleas.
binds to receptors inside the heart preventing an 2. Daphnia may not be completely still. If Daphnia are  Daphnia is a species which is definitely not under
enzyme from working with another enzyme that are moving around, this can make it difficult to count extinction and can be found commonly, in water in
supposed to keep the heart rate within normal levels, heartbeats. nature. Thus, the use of it in this experiment does
thus increasing the pumps per minute. 3. Water used from the extraction of Daphnia may affect not threat the existence of it (3). ​
the caffeine concentration causing alterations which may  Also, daphnia have a less developed nervous
lead to inaccuracies. system than humans, so they are less sensitive to Sources cited:
4. A few heartbeats may have been miscounted as they pain (4).​
were being recorded for 30 seconds in order to calculate
List of apparatus and Method: beats per minute.
(1) Müller, Mara F., et al. “Temperature-driven Response Reversibility and
Short-term Quasi-acclimation of Daphnia Magna.” PubMed Central (PMC), 21
Dec. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303020. [Accessed on
03.01.2023]​
1. First place a few strands of cotton wool on a cavity
slide to restrict the movement of the Daphnia. Then (2) Ebert, Dieter. “Introduction to Daphnia Biology - Ecology, Epidemiology, and
transfer a Daphnia to a cavity slide using a pipette (5) Controlled variables: Evolution of Parasitism in Daphnia - NCBI Bookshelf.” Introduction to Daphnia
Biology - Ecology, Epidemiology, and Evolution of Parasitism in Daphnia - NCBI
2. Remove the water from around the Daphnia by using Bookshelf, 1 Jan. 2005, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2042. [Accessed on
a tissue paper, then add one or 1. Temperature should be kept constant throughout 03.01.2023]​
two drops of distilled water to test for the control variable the experiment as well as in the repeats. It could be (3) Miller, Carrie. “Daphnia Pulex.” ADW: Daphnia Pulex: INFORMATION, 2000,
for a valid comparison. (5) Ways in which the errors can be kept at room temperature, or close to 20 °C which animaldiversity.org/accounts/Daphnia_pulex.[Accessed on 03.01.2023]​
3. Then use water and do not place a cover slit, to help is the optimum for daphnia. (1)​
minimized: (4) Cummins, Julia. “SIWI - Leading Expert in Water Governance.” SIWI -
daphnia maintain sufficient oxygen supply. View the Leading Expert in Water Governance, 1 Jan. 2022, siwi.org/stockholm-junior-
Daphnias heart beat through a microscope, under low 1. In order to avoid killing Daphnia due to high 2. Choose daphnia of size as close as possible to water-prize/alumni-project/why-silver-might-not-be-gold-in-water. [Accessed on
power. (can be seen through transparent body) concentrations, a range of lower caffeine concentrations 03.01.2023]​
each other, as if different sizes are used for each
4. Use a stopwatch to record the number of heart beats can be used instead. (5) Snabbiology (2022) ‘Core practicals’ section. Effect of caffein on daphnia
repeat the results received will not be comparable
per minute (dependent variable) (5) 2. In order to keep Daphnia still, they can be placed in heart rate. https://snabbiology.co.uk/effect-of-caffeine-on-daphnia-heart-rate/
5. Repeat the experiment but rather than using distilled material such as cotton wool in order to minimize and (different SA:V ratio each time), and therefore it will [Accessed on 3 Jan 2023]

water, use 5 different caffeine concentrations for the limit their movement. not be a fair test. Adult daphnia can range from less (6) Wikipedia (1 Oct. 2022) “Caffeine - Wikipedia”
independent variable, such as 0.1M, 3. In order to not affect the affect the caffeine than 1mm to 5mm in length (2).​ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine [Accessed on 2 Jan. 2023]
0.2M,0.3M,0.4M,0.5M. Also repeat the experiment with concentration, an item such as a micro-sieve can be (7)Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, LCC (no date of publication) “How
two other different Daphnias for reliability. (5) used to filter out and remove the pond water. 3. Daphnia should be kept in caffeine solution for Caffeine Can Lead to Palpitations: Ayim Djamson, M.D.: Cardiology.”
https://www.metrocardiovascular.com/blog/how-caffeine-can-lead-to-palpitations
6. Finally calculate the average for each concentration 4. Record the full heart rate for a minute instead of 30 the same amount of time, so the experiment is (Accessed on 2 Jan. 2023)
and then plot a graph. (5) seconds in order to obtain more accurate result as the precise. Since we are not testing for this variable it
7. Compare and construct a conclusion on the effect of heart rate is beats per minute. should be controlled. An example is it could be left (8) Wikipedia (29 Oct. 2012) General information+ “Appearance and
characteristics”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphnia [Accessed on 2 Jan. 2023]
caffeine concentration to Daphnias heart rate.
for 4 minutes each time, to acclimatize. ​