ETHANOL DECREASES HEART RATE OF DAPHNIA COMPARED TO WATER

Abstract

Various substances can have multiple effects on the number of action potentials taking place in a neuron, which can directly impact the heart rate of a myogenic organism. Does ethanol alcohol decrease or increase action potentials in a neuron? We tested this question using daphnia as our organism, making it unique because daphnia are a myogenic organism, just like humans. Throughout five trials, we tested these organisms and 5% ethanol combined with aquarium water, we found that ethanol alcohol caused the heart rate of the daphnia to decrease, in this case, due to a decrease in action potentials in the organism.