Experiment to investigate the effect of caffeine

Introduction
I would be studying the effect of caffeine on the heart rate of daphnia over different period of
time. Daphnia is the ideal medium because it is a tiny aquatic invertebrate which is
transparent, so I see its internal organ and can monitor its heart rate (number of heart beat) by
observing through a microscope.
Equipment
➢ A collections of daphnia in a pond of water
➢ A light microscope
➢ Caffeine solution
➢ Pipette
➢ Cavity slide
➢ Stop watch
➢ Tissue paper

Method
➢ Using a pipette suck out a daphnia with a bit of and place it into the dimple of cavity
slide.
➢ Place the cavity slide onto the stage of a light microscope.
➢ You can place a tissue paper loosely on the slide to help keep the daphnia still.
➢ Record the heart beat of the daphnia every 2 minutes for 20 seconds.
➢ Using the same daphnia add a small drop of caffeine.
➢ Then record its heart beat every 2 minutes for 20 seconds.
➢ Repeat the process with another daphnia.

Table of results
 Length of 0 2 4 6 8 10
time
Control 1 45 44 40 47 49 43
Control 2 36 37 34 41 37 38
Control 3 42 41 38 44 45 40

Caffeine 1 50 60 50 52 50 51
Caffeine 2 45 52 43 47 50 57
Caffeine 3 49 58 52 50 53 49