The Effects of Tobacco on Goldfish Metabolism
Introduction
Tobacco is connected with a number of negative effects in humans and a few other organisms. For example, the long list of negative effects range from birth defects and lessened lung capacity, to sexual impotence. All of the previously mentioned result from extended tobacco exposure in varying mediums and although they are negative effects associated with tobacco, it has also been proven that tobacco to acts as a stimulant to some animals (Nice 135). In studying how tobacco effects the body of any living being and its uses, over time new developments may progress that would allow us to use tobacco only for its positive effects while bypassing its negative ones.
In using Goldfish in experimenting with tobacco’s stimulating effects, we are able to measure tobacco’s stimulating effect by closely monitoring the fish’s metabolism indirectly through its rate of oxygen consumption. The null hypothesis for this experiment is that there is no difference between the Goldfish’s exposure or non exposure to tobacco while the alternative hypothesis is that there is a difference between the two treatments.
Materials and Methods
To begin the lab, the variable treatment was prepared as the Loggerlite probe, used to later measure oxygen consumption, warmed up for approximately 10 minutes. To prepare the variable treatment, 200ml of Sodium and Ammo-lock water was measured in a container and a pre-prepared “tea bag” of tobacco was steeped in the room temperature treated water until a light yellow color was visible. After preparing the tobacco solution the preparation for the live goldfish began as two beakers were filled with 100 ml of treated water. Each beaker was weighed before addi...
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...-value indicate that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected and the presence of tobacco in the Goldfish water may not have had an effect on the metabolism of the fish. These results indicate that there may not have been an effect in exposure for 10 minutes with a very slight amount of tobacco present in the water. For future experimentation, the concentration of tobacco, medium in which the tobacco is delivered, or exposure period prior to recording data may have provided us with different results. Beside the experimental factors, the numbers may have also been skewed in the presence of two outliers in both the control group and experimental group. To identify which fish may be the outlier or to offset the effect of an outlier, it may be beneficial for future experimentation to test each fish individually to increase the sample size.
For this experiment, it is important to be familiar with the diving reflex. The diving reflex is found in all mammals and is mainly focused with the preservation of oxygen. The diving reflex refers to an animal surviving underwater without oxygen. They survive longer underwater than on dry land. In order for animals to remain under water for a longer period of time, they use their stored oxygen, decrease oxygen consumption, use anaerobic metabolism, as well as aquatic respiration (Usenko 2017). As stated by Michael Panneton, the size of oxygen stores in animals will also limit aerobic dive capacity (Panneton 2013). The temperature of the water also plays a role. The colder the water is, the larger the diving reflex of oxygen.
The controlled group was left with 0 nicotine applied. The 4 treatment groups were treated with 4 different levels of nicotine concentrations: 25 µm, 50 µm, 75 µm, and a 100 µm. The treatment concentrations were applied on top of the pond drop that the Daphnia Magna’s were trapped in on the depression slide; a minute was given for Daphnia Magna acclimation with the treatments. Then, the heart rate of each of the 3 Daphnia Magna’s in the 5 groups was measured, 3 Daphnia Magna’s were tested in each group to attain the mean so that more accurate results were reached. The technique used was that we counted the number of heartbeats in a 10 second interval and then multiplied that number by 6 to attain Beats/min; an initial (before treatment) HBR and after treatment HBR were recorded for each Daphnia Magna. The raw data were written down in a table and were later moved for demonstration on a graph for the final preview. The data collected matched the expectations, for the controlled group: the heart beat rate was dropping slightly (becoming slower), the reason behind that was most likely the cooling chamber because there was no treatment applied or any other external
The procedures for this experiment are those that are referred to in Duncan and Townsend, 1996 p9-7. In our experiment however, each student group chose a temperature of either 5 C, 10 C, 15 C, or 20 C. Each group selected a crayfish, and placed it in an erlenmeyer flask filled with distilled water. The flask’s O2 levels had already been measured. the flask was then placed in a water bath of the selected temperature for thirty minutes, and then the O2 levels were measured again.
...el and formation of thrombi. Over 7000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke cause breathing difficulty, wheezing, lung infections and chest pain. The long-term effects of smoking can cause many cancers as it contains many carcinogens. It is the leading cause of cancer affecting the lungs, mouth, throat, kidney, stomach and many other areas. Not only do tobacco products affect the user, but also the ones around them. Second-hand smoke can increase lung cancer, heart and breathing problems, as well as a premature death. In pregnant women, the unborn baby may be subject to health problems. By eliminating tobacco products, not only do previous smokers reduce the risk of developing cancer, but also can reduce their chance of dying prematurely by a very large percentage. For example, quitting at the age of 30 can reduce their chance of dying prematurely by over 90 percent.
More reliable data can be obtained if more techniques are used to measure metabolic rate. By measuring the heat flow from an organism to its surroundings using a calorimeter, a more accurate metabolic rate can be measured (De V. Weir, 1949). The ratio of the quantity of food an animal consumes and the amount it excretes can also indicate the metabolic rate of that animal (Paradis et al., n.d.). Determining the water flux in animals with tritium labelled water is another valid method of measuring metabolic rates (Paradis et al., n.d.).
The experiment measured the survival rate, the growth rate, and the size of the brine shrimp at the time harvested in various environments. To obtain these measurements, three environments were created: sea water, brackish water, and freshwater. For this experiment the scientists used 5 liter plastic buckets. Every two days, half of the water from each bucket was discarded and new water, of each respective salinity, was added into each bucket...
Although there have been some experiment that disprove nicotines adverse effects, most studies point to nicotine as a very toxic agent. Nicotine is not essential to tobacco products. It is a naturally occurring slightly basic alkaloid with a pyridine and a pyrrolidine ring. It is estimated that the average smoker inhales with each puff, a dose of nicotine equivalent to .1mg nicotine given intravenously. Nicotines pKa is 9. Its half-life is two hours. Nicotine is converted to its metabolites by the P450 enzyme system and by aldehyde oxidases. Nicotine and its metabolites, such as cotinine, Nnitrosomornicotinine (NNN), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)1-butanone (NNK) are toxic to humans. As is shown in P4, many people in the United States smoke. The average mg of nicotine per cigarette has declined in the United States in the1980...
Cigarettes are a type of tobacco product which contain several hundred ingredients. Although the majority of these ingredients have not been proved to be harmful, the cigarette smoke which results from these ingredients burning have over four hundred toxins, about forty of which are carcinogenic. Three of the best known ingredients that cause negative side effects are nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is an addictive substance, which is lethal in large quantities. Tar causes a sticky buildup to form on the lungs, which reduce the elasticity that is necessary for the alveoli in the lungs to be able to be an effective respiratory surface. Carbon monoxide competes with oxygen to bind on hemoglobin in red blood cells, which makes it difficult for cellular respiration to occur. These are onl...
Novak, Kris. "Passive smoking: Out from the haze." Nature. 447.7148 (2007): 1049-1051. Academic OneFile. Web. 25 Nov 2013.
Parsons, A., Daley, A., Begh, R., & Aveyard, P. (2010, January 22). Influence of smoking
Carcinogenic effect of tobacco was the most important discovery in the history of cancer epidemiology. Lung c...
Encyclopaedia of Children’s (2013) stated that smoking is a form of inhalation of smoking from different forms of tobacco which include cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Cancer Research (2012) and the World Health Organisation (2013) have confirmed that most tobacco products contain very high level of nicotine which can have additive effect and are made from tobacco leaf which are s...
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“Dangers of Smoking Cigarettes for Smokers” healthliteracy.worlded.org. Copyright 1995 by Marjorie Jacobs revised 1997, n.d web 14 April 2011