To investigate the effect on caffeine on heart rate of water fleas and to understand the risk of high level consumption of caffeine to the health of the human circulatory system and nervous system.
Preview
Diagram 1: Chemical structure of caffeine
Image source: http://ismaastricht.wikispaces.com/file/list
The images above show the chemical structure of caffeine which has a chemical formula of C8H10N4O2. Caffeine was named by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) as 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2, 6(3H, 7H)-dione. Caffeine is also widely known by several other chemical names which include 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, trimethylxanthine, methyltheobromine, 7-methyltheophylline, theine, mateine, and guaranine. Caffeine is identified as a bitter, odourless, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid which is a psychoactive stimulant drug.
Caffeine is found in the beans, leaves and fruits of some plant in various quantities. It is most commonly found in the beans of coffee plants and leaves of tea bush. Caffeine was originally used as natural pesticide that paralyses and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. However, scientists have discovered that caffeine causes an effect on the central nervous system (CNS) whereby it acts as a stimulant in the human body.
Diagram 2: Source of caffeine from the extraction of coffee beans
Image source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113203901.htm
Caffeine is considered as a drug that stimulates the body and causes an increased amount of stimulatory neurotransmitter to be released. This temporarily reduces the sensation of being tired throughout the day and increases alertness. At high level of caffeine consumption, it can and has been linked to restlessness, anxiety and insomnia which can cause raised stress and blood pressure and thus, leading to hypertension. This will then lead to a more severe health problem such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). The following diagram shows other common side effects of caffeine, possibly appearing at a lower dosage varying to different individuals.
Diagram 3: Side effects of caffeine
Image source: http://crossfitoneworld.typepad.com/crossfit_one_world/2009/07/coffee-needed.html
Caffeine is now a common ingredient of soft drinks such as cola, originally prepared from kola nuts. Research which was carried out shows that soft drinks typically contain about 10 to 15 milligrams of caffeine per serving. Besides, chocolate bars have a high percentage of caffeine content especially in dark chocolate. Those are some examples of foods and beverages we consume almost every day which contain high caffeine content. Hence, this experiment is conducted to determine effect of caffeine on the human heart rate.
To determine the effect of caffeine in human heart, a suitable substitute of human being is used to carry out this experiment. The most suitable organism to act as the substitute to human is identified as Daphnia sp. which is a water flea. Daphnia are small, planktonic crustacean which the size ranges between 0.2 to 5mm
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the cherries of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut. In humans, caffeine has a stimulant effect, causing increased amounts of stimulatory neurotransmitters to be released. If the consumption of caffeine is…
- 1395 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Caffeine is found in coffee, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and kola nuts. It is used in prescription and over the counter drugs. It increases blood pressure, mental alertness, and gastrointestinal motility. Cardiovascular development with caffeine and other small molecules can be studied relatively easy using zebrafish. The cardiovascular system is complete in two days after fertilization.…
- 552 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Caffeine acts as a stimulant drug, causing increased amounts of stimulatory neurotransmitters to be released. At high levels of consumption caffeine has been linked to restlessness insomnia and anxiety, causing raised stress and blood pressure.…
- 1466 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Caffeine, medically known as trimethylzanthine. Its chemical formula is C8H10N4O2. When in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that taste very bitter. 1The most common way of acquiring pure caffeine is the process of decaffeinating coffee and tea. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects…
- 3335 Words
- 14 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Our hypothesis was that caffeine would increase the heart rate of the daphnia that were exposed to it. As seen on my graph, the control group of daphnia that was not exposed to any levels of caffeine had an average heart rate of 195.9 beats per minute, the group that was exposed to the .5% concentration of caffeine had an average heart rate of 185.5 beats per minute, and the group that was exposed to the 1% concentration of caffeine had an average heart rate of 217.5 beats per minute. As expected, the daphnia that were exposed to the 1% concentration of caffeine had a significant increase in heart rate. Unexpectedly, the daphnia that were exposed to the .5% concentration had a lower average heart rate than that of the control group. This may have occurred because the only two daphnia that died during this…
- 485 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Caffeine is an ingredient that can be found naturally in the leaves, seeds or fruit of more than 60 plants worldwide and is well known for its stimulating effect. Some of the most commonly known sources of caffeine include coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, kola nuts, and guarana plants. Caffeine can also be produced synthetically and subsequently added to various foods and beverages, including tea, coffee, cola, chocolate, energy drinks, and iced coffee.…
- 91 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Caffeine is a stimulant which increases cardiac arrhythmia (improper heart rate) by increasing stress hormone (e.g. adrenaline) secretions. It also increases blood pressure which contributes to the blockage of receptors such as adenosine A1 and A2 receptors. The caffeine blocking receptors also blocks vasodilatory function, in which blood vessels become less dilated. Hence wise, caffeine is also known as a mild stimulant of the central nervous system and also stimulates the cardiac muscle and smooth muscles. Caffeine increases levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine has been shown to increase the metabolic rate.…
- 1281 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
That boost we get from that morning cup of coffee is the result of the caffeine that naturally occurs in coffee. Caffeine is a common stimulant and is found not only in coffee and tea, but also in soft drinks and other foods. It can also be bought over-the-counter in tablet form. Too much caffeine can cause anxiousness, headaches, and the "jitters." Caffeine is also addictive and a person who abruptly stops drinking coffee may experience withdrawal symptoms.…
- 3281 Words
- 14 Pages
Good Essays -
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that nature, acts as a powerful insecticide used by plants to help them deter various insects from eating them. It is commonly found in coffee beans and tea leaves, as well as cocoa beans as well. Experts are now able to isolate this potent stimulant, and not only add it to various health supplements, but also offer it in its raw and natural state. It is especially popular amongst athletes and bodybuilders for the following…
- 603 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Because caffeine is a stimulant, most people use it after waking up in the morning or to remain alert during the day. While it is important to note that caffeine cannot replace sleep, it can temporarily make us feel more alert by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production.…
- 625 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Introduction: I believe the results will comply with my prediction. Caffeine is a compound found in especially tea and coffee plants and acts as a natural pesticide. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant meaning it increases the amount of neurotransmitters released meaning coffee is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system by increasing its activity. In this practical the caffeine should have a noticeable effect on the heart rate of Daphnia as Daphnia absorbs chemicals present in the solution around it without selection. I also predict that there would be an increase in heart rate once placed in decaffeinated coffee as decaffeinated coffee still has caffeine content but significantly lower per milligram than caffeinated coffee. However I will expect the increase of heart rate of the culture placed in caffeinated coffee to be significantly higher than the culture placed in decaffeinated coffee.…
- 1086 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Caffeine, a stimulant found in foods and drinks, is used to promote wakefulness and alertness.…
- 5000 Words
- 20 Pages
Better Essays -
Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant and changes the way the brain and body work, as well as, changes behavior.…
- 470 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
• Increased caffeine levels can result in stomach problems, panic attacks, anxiety, and cardiac arrhythmias…
- 368 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Nehlig, Astrid, Jean-Luc Daval, and Gerard Debry. "Caffeine and the Central Nervous System: Mechanisms of Action, Biochemical, Metabolic and Psychostimulant Effects." Brain Research Reviews 17.2 (1992): 139-70. ScienceDirect. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. .…
- 1795 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays