Concentration of

caffeinesolution
(%)The Number
of Heart Beats
of Daphnia in15
secondsHeart rate
of Daphnia( Beats
/minute)Re a di n
g 1Re a di ng 2
Ave r a ge Control
(pond water
of original
habitat)4 5
4 4 4
4 . 5 1
7 8 0
. 1
5 4
5 6
5 5
2 2
0 407 words


0 .
2 7
4 7
3 7
3 .
5 2
9 4
0 .
3 8
0 7
7 7
8 .
5 3
1 4
0 .
4 7
5 7
6 7
5 .
5 3
0 2
0 .
5 6
0 5
9 5
9 .
5 2
3 8
2)Graphs:
The graph below
shows the Graph
of Heart Rate of
Daphnia Against
Concentration
of Caffeine
Solution.
Discussion:
1.As the
concentration
of the
caffeine solution
increases from
0.0% (control)
to0.3%, the
graph shows an
upward trend.
After
concentration of
0.3%,
further increase
in concentration
of caffeine
solution, that is
0.4% and 0.5% of
caffeinesolution,
results in a
decrease in heart
rate of the
Daphnia.2.As the
concentration of
caffeine increase
s, heart rate
of Daphnia
increases for caff
eine concentration
up to 0.3%
because caffeine
is a stimulant
which raises
theheart rate of
animals.
Assumption that a
similar effect
would result in
human can be
made.3.However,
there is a drop in
the heart rate for
0.4% and 0.5%
of caffeine
solution.This is
an anomaly
shown in the
experiment.
Reference to
other research
papersand the re
sults from other
students doing t
he same experim
ent as well ascon
sultation to
experienced
lecturers reveal
that the heart rate
of the
Daphniashould
increase from
0.0% up to 0.5%
of caffeine
solution. This is
because 0.0
0.5% of caffeine
solution is still
within the
concentration
range which a
typicalDaphnia c
an tolerate. The
probable explana
tion to this occur
rence is that the
Daphnia selected
for this
experiment is a
weak one and
thus has a
narrower concent
ration range
which it can
tolerate, most
probably from
0.0-0.3%.
Another explanati
on to this
anomaly is that
throughout the
experiment, the
same Daphniais
used instead of
using fresh
Daphnia for each
different caffeine
solution
of different
concentration.
Due to the fact
that caffeine is
primarily an
antagonist
of the central ner
vous system's
receptors
for the neurotrans
mitter adenosine,
the body of Daph
nia which regula
rly consume caff
eine adapt to the
continual presen
ce of the drug b
y substantially i
ncreasing the nu
mber of adenosi
nereceptors
in the
central nervous
system. This incr
ease in the numb
er of theadenosi
ne receptors ma
kes the body mu
ch more sensitiv
e to adenosine.C
onsequently, the
stimulatory effect
s of caffeine are s
ubstantially reduc
ed, a phenomeno
n known as a
tolerance
adaptation, thus
the heart rate
reduces
eventhough the
concentration of
caffeine solution
increases.4.The
experiment for
each
concentration
of caffeine
solution is
repeated
twice inorder to
obtain higher
accuracy. Rando
m errors could be
minimised in this
way.

100 words