Caffeine and acetylcholine decrease Daphnia magna heart rate

Abstract

We are researching why some cells produce more or fewer action potentials than others. Substances that people ingest may affect the activity of specific cells and therefore may affect their health. We are studying the effects of caffeine and acetylcholine, which are known to influence cardiac function in humans. We conducted four trials using a 1% caffeine solution and a .01M acetylcholine solution on Daphnia magna, measuring their change in heart rate from before and after 7 minutes of exposure. Our results may influence future research on caffeine, as well as future research on Daphnia magna.