How Does Cigarette Extract Alter The Rates Of Food Vacuole Formation

Phagocytosis in Tetrahymena
Does Cigarette Extract Alter the Rates of Food Vacuole Formation?
Amber Ellis 11/20/2014
Bio 1130 50
Jennifer Dubberke Abstract

Does Cigarette Extract Alter the Rates of Food Vacuole Formation? The objective of the experiment is to visualize tetrahymena cells and vacuole formation, quantify tetrahymena and vacuole formation over a defined time period. Also, investigate if cigarette extract alters the rate of food vacuole formation. The materials needed in completing the experiment are cover slips and microscope slides, a compound microscope, a timer, a pipette, centrifuge tubes, starved tetrahymena cells, 100 L of tetrahymena cells, 150 L of 1% India Ink, 75 L of tobacco, another 100 L of tetrahymena cells,
Make a wet mount of the cells by adding a drop to a microscope slide. Put the slide under the compound microscope lens then observe the behavior of the tetrahymena and vacuole formation. Add an equal volume of 150 L of 1% India ink to the cells. Sample the tubes at 0, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. Count the number of vacuoles in 10 minute increments. Watch for endocytosis (an energy-using process by which cells absorb molecules (such as proteins) by engulfing them) and exocytosis (an energy-using process by which cells discharge molecules). When these steps have been completed, graph the
It was observed that as time moved forward, endocytosis and exocytosis took place as the tetrahymena cell ate. From 0 minutes to 20 minutes, tetrahymena engulfed 4 vacuoles. Switching to exocytosis, the tetrahymena discharged a vacuole, leaving the tetrahymena with 3 vacuoles.

Experiment Group Without tobacco, the tetrahymena cells were able to eat more vacuoles. This is due to the cilia being able to perform better without the harsh resistance on the airways. Just like humans, without tobacco, breathing enables you to do more, in this case- eat. With tobacco, the tetrahymena cells ate less vacuoles because the breathing was slowed and much harder to regulate. Just like in humans, tobacco affects the cilia which causes restrictions.

Discussion The data collected supported the alternative hypothesis. Tobacco affected the amount of ink vacuoles in the tetrahymena cell. The tetrahymena cell that did not have any tobacco in it, consumed more ink vacuoles than the tetrahymena cell that had tobacco. Also, a starved tetrahymena cell is more likely to consume more ink vacuoles than a well fed tetrahymena