Lumbriculus Variegatus Pulse Rate in a Stimulant Introduction

Lumbriculus Variegatus Pulse Rate in a Stimulant Introduction Nicole Gramlich and Josué Serafin Results How can a stimulant effect the pulse rate of Lumbriculus variegatus? Lumbriculus variegatus, or the California blackworm, is found throughout North America and Europe in shallow habitats, such as the edges of ponds, lakes, and marshes. In order to exchange gas between the air and the pulsating dorsal blood vessel, the blackworm stretches it’s tail above the water. The blackworm’s skin is transparent, making pulsation rates easy to observe. Also, drugs quickly pass through the skin, immediately affecting the pulse of the worm. If Lumbriculus variegatus is placed in a stimulant, then it’s pulse rate will increase from the blackworm’s plain water pulse rate. Methodology First, we gathered the materials: 5 blackworms, a microscope, a petri dish, a pippete, a well slide (make with a regular slide and tape), and a cover slip. After having all of the materials, we measured and collected data on the pulse rate per minute of five different blackworms placed in plain water. We then collected data on five different blackworms’ pulse rates placed in a stimulant. When the data was collected we figured out the mean and compared the two different groups. 25, 8 Plain Water Data Stimulant Data Pulse Rate per minute 1 Pulse Rate Worm per minute 24 1 2 26 2 22 3 23 3 33 4 25 4 23 5 25 5 28 Worm Pulse Rate per Minute 25, 6 http: //albionapbiology. pbworks. com/w/file/44 658638/Lumbriculus%20 variegatus%20 profil e. docx http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lumbriculus_vari egatus Discussion The stimulant did not effect the blackworm’s heart rate. This is surprising seeing as how stimulants would increase a human’s heart rate. Also, it was surprising how the heart rate differed between the five blackworms placed in the stimulant. Our data does not support the hypothesis at all. 25, 4 25, 2 25 24, 8 24, 6 Abstract 24, 4 24, 2 24 Worm In Stimulant Bibliography 22 The control group, the blackworms in plain water, had an average heart rate of 24. 6 pulse rate per minute. The rates were all very similar, all very near the average. The blackworms placed in the stimulant had an average pulse rate per minute of 25. 6, with more uneven results. Two of five blackworms had very high heart rates, while the other three had lower pulse rates around 22 pulse rate per minute. The pulse rate of a blackworm in a stimulant ended up being higher than the pulse rate in plain water. Worm in Plain Water In this experiment we gathered 10 different blackworms and studied the effects of a stimulant on the blackworm under a microscope. In the control group we recorded the pulse rate of five different worms placed in plain water. In the experimental group we recorded the pulse rate of five different worms placed in the stimulant. We predicted the pulse rate of a blackworm in a stimulant would increase from the pulse rate of a backworm in plain water. According to the results the hypothesis was proved wrong. The blackworm’s pulse rate did not increas, but instead remained the same.