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Introduction
Planaria is the widely used term to describe non-parasitic freshwater flatworms
(Planarian, 2008). Planaria are able to reproduce asexually and sexually which can
contribute to their regenerative capabilities (Leeches, worms, & planaria, 2010). In
addition, most planaria live in shallow ponds and they are abundant in number (Planaria,
2010). Also, planaria are housed in the Kingdom Animalia and specifically the Dugesia
tigrina is most common species worked with (Planaria, 2010).
To begin with, planaria are bilaterally symmetrical due to both sides of their body
being identical images (Planaria, 2010). On the surface, the anatomy of planaria is not a
very complex matter (Planaria, 2010). For example, planaria do not contain a circulatory
system, they do not have any lungs or gills to breathe, and they do not have an interior
space to house organs (Planaria, 2010). Due to lungs or gills not being in planarians, they
acquire oxygen through diffusion over their bodies (Planaria, 2010). Planaria have cilia,
which are hair like structures that allow them to move wherever they please (Mithra,
2010). One of the most unique traits for a planarian is its eye spots which act as
photoreceptors to light (Maurice, 2010). Also, planaria contain auricles on both sides of
their head that act as sensory organs (Planaria: a window on regeneration, 2010).
Most planaria have phototaxis that makes them move away from light (Maurice,
2010). A planarian’s digestive system is also not very complex because it is only made up
of a central mouth, a pharynx, and a large gastro vascular cavity (Mithra, 2010). In
addition, small flame cells are present to help aid in the removal of wastes from planaria
(Planaria, 2010). A planarian’s anatomy includes a straightforward nervous system in
which the ganglion acts as a type of brain (Planaria, 2010).
Furthermore, planaria have an amazing ability of regeneration which makes them
a popular specimen to test to this day (Bogdanova, 2010). Planaria are able to regenerate
due to their spread out cells called neoblasts that act like stem cells in humans
(Thompson 2007). Neoblasts and stem cells are seen as alike because they are both not
focused on a certain function (Thompson, 2007). In addition, researchers at the
University of Nottingham have discovered that the gene that triggers regeneration is
called ‘Smed-prep’ (The secret to tissue regeneration… in the body of a worm, 2010).
On another note, in society today, sports drinks have become immensely popular
in the market today (Reents, 2007). Usually during or after a strenuous exercise, many
people have to get a sip of these rejuvenating beverages. However, are they really all they
are cracked up to be?
Sports drinks originated at the University of Florida in 1965 when an assistant
Gator coach realized that his players were not being replenished after games (Mayo &
Kravitz, 2010). At the school, physicians concocted a beverage (now Gatorade) filled
with carbohydrates and electrolytes which helped the Gators go on to win the Orange
Bowl (Mayo & Kravitz, 2010). Ever since then, the sports drink business was officially
born (Mayo & Kravitz, 2010).
In definition, a sports drink is a beverage that replenishes lost fluids or
electrolytes after a certain period of time (Cohen, 2008). When dealing with sports drinks
in general, there are three major types: hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic (Sports
Drinks, 2010). Depending on the type of activity or sport that is performed, a certain type
is more preferred (Sports Drinks, 2010). For example, isotonic sports drinks are better
suited for the average athlete because they replenish fluids very quickly (Cohen, 2008).
Although hypotonic sports drinks also hydrate rapidly, they are best suited after less
strenuous exercises (Sports Drinks, 2010).On the other end of the spectrum, hypertonic
drinks are mostly used to replenish athletes who work out for long enduring exercises like
a marathon runner (Sports Drinks, 2010).
The main components that make up many sports drinks are different types of
sugars, carbohydrates, and sometimes protein (Carbohydrates & sports performance,
2010). All of these elements are necessary for our body to function normally every single
day (Carbohydrates: good carbs guide the way, 2010). Carbohydrates provide us with
basically the will to live by providing our bodies with vivacious energy (Carbohydrates,
2010), while proteins give structure and form to our body’s makeup (Proteins, 2009).
The controversy however, results with the question as to which one improves the
endurance or activity level of humans the best. Countless experiments have been done as
to whether the amount of protein or the amount of carbohydrates affects a person’s
performance during exercise. For example, John Ivy from the University of Texas
concocted an experiment in which he tested whether a carbohydrate drink vs. a protein
and carbohydrate drink would be better for athletes’ performances (Burfoot, 2004). In the
end, he concluded that athletes repeatedly sprinting with a carbohydrate plus protein
drink, lasted about thirty six percent better than those with the carbohydrate only drink
(Burfoot, 2004). Many scientists have not fully accepted his findings and the race still
goes on (Burfoot, 2004). In contrast, in a study done at McMaster University by Martin
Gibala, researchers found that adding protein to a regular sports drink did not improve
cycling performance against a regular sports drink (McMaster University, 2006). Overall,
the researchers claim that consuming protein in the sports drink did not give rise to any
benefit (McMaster University, 2006).
With all of this in mind, this is a real world problem. For instance, many active
people and athletes are affected by the use of sports drinks constantly because they
interact with them daily (Quinn, 2009). Sports drinks are undoubtedly a huge part of our
society today and to truly maximize exercise performance, the debate of carbohydrates
vs. carbohydrates + proteins needs to be solved today (Reents, 2007).
Purpose
In today’s world, the consumption of sports drinks is on the rise (Reents, 2007).
Some people use sports drinks such as Gatorade or Vitamin Water as a way to quench
their thirst after a strenuous workout while others drink these beverages solely as a way a
life. The real question however, is which sports drink on the market would is the most
beneficial?
Sports drinks are liquid refreshments that renew lost electrolytes and fluids
(Cohen, 2008). The three common types of sports drinks are isotonic, hypertonic, and
hypotonic (Sports Drinks, 2010). Depending on a person’s activity level, a certain sports
drink is better for him/her. The most common sports drinks would be those with an
isotonic solution because they are very good at replenishing fluids at a quicker pace
(Cohen, 2008).
In addition, sports drinks are composed of mainly carbohydrates and sugars
(Carbohydrates, 2010). Protein has been added in certain sports drinks and it is very
controversial as to if it helps to improve a person’s performance during exercise (Burfoot,
2004). Numerous experiments have been done testing the fact and the issue is still
unsolved today (Burfoot, 2004).
For my experiment, I will test the activity level in planaria by using different
concentrations of two different sports drinks, Gatorade vs. Vitamin Water. Both drinks
will have different levels of carbohydrates and protein and the decision to whether the
amount of protein affects the planaria will be shown by clearly represented data and one
step closer to being figured out.
Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis: If a sports drink has a high carbohydrate and protein
solution, then there will be no significant change in the level of activeness
in the planaria.
Alternative Hypothesis: If a sports drink contains a high carbohydrate and
protein solution, then there will be a significant change in the level of
activeness in the planaria.
Materials
60 planaria from Carolina Biological Supply(54 are used)
Petri Dishes
2 Dropping Pipets
Plastic Spoons
Stopwatches
40mL Beaker
16 fl oz. Gatorade :Recover (Strawberry Kiwi)
20 fl oz. Vitamin Water : Energy (Tropical Citrus)
Tube of Distilled Water
Paper Towels
Dish or Container to place used planaria in
Gatorade: Recover (Strawberry Kiwi) Nutrition Facts
Vitamin Water: Energy (Tropical Citrus) Nutrition Facts
Methods
In the first step of the experiment, petri dishes were washed with water and
cleaned off with a napkin. After the petri dishes were cleaned, a 100% 40mL solution of
Gatorade: Recover, Vitamin Water: Energy, and Distilled Water were added in three
separate petri dishes. Next, three planaria were put into each container with a dropping
pipet which allowed the planaria to settle into the new temporary environment. After a
minute, four stopwatches were used for each set of planaria with a master timer that went
five minutes. While the master timer went for five minutes, three other timers were used
and each planarian’s activity level was closely monitored. For example, every time the
planarian stopped, the stopwatch was stopped and every time the planarian moved again,
the timer was started again. After five minutes were over, the time for each planarian was
recorded and written down. In addition, after the planaria were used, the planaria were
placed into a container where they stayed during the rest of the experiment. The same
process was repeated for the other trials except when the different concentrations were
concerned. For instance, for the 75%/25% solutions of Gatorade: Recover or Vitamin
Water: Energy, 75% of the 40mL solution contained a sports drink and the other 25%
was distilled water. This meant that 30mL of the solution was a sports drink and 10mL of
distilled water made up a solution. In the 50%/50% 40mL solution, 20mL were the
choice of sports drink and the other 20mL were distilled water. In the last trial (25%,
75%), 10mL of the 40mL solution were the sports drink of choice and 30mL of distilled
water were used.
Methods
In the first step of the experiment, petri dishes were washed with water and
cleaned off with a napkin. After the petri dishes were cleaned, a 100% 40mL solution of
Gatorade: Recover, Vitamin Water: Energy, and Distilled Water were added in three
separate petri dishes. Next, three planaria were put into each container with a dropping
pipet which allowed the planaria to settle into the new temporary environment. After a
minute, 4 stopwatches were used for each set of planaria with a master timer that went
five minutes. While the master timer went for five minutes, three other timers were used
and each planarian’s activity level was closely monitored. For example, every time the
planarian stopped, the stopwatch was stopped and every time the planarian moved again,
the timer was started again. After five minutes were over, the time for each planarian was
recorded and written down. In addition, after the planaria were used, the planaria were
placed into a container where they stayed during the rest of the experiment. The same
process was repeated for the other trials except when the different concentrations were
concerned. For instance, for the 75%/25% solutions of Gatorade: Recover or Vitamin
Water: Energy, 75% of the 40mL solution contained a sports drink and the other 25%
was distilled water. This meant that 30mL of the solution was a sports drink and 10mL of
distilled water made up a solution. In the 50%/50% 40mL solution, 20mL were the
choice of sports drink and the other 20mL were distilled water. In the last trial (25%,
75%), 10mL of the 40mL solution were the sports drink of choice and 30mL of distilled
water were used.
Trial 1: The Effect of Distilled Water on Planaria Activity Levels (Control)
(Motion vs. Sustained Movement) Distilled Water (40 mL)
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving
(min: sec)Avg. Time Spent Moving(min:sec)
1 5:00
2 0:003 4:37
4 5:00
5 4:51
6 0:00 3:15
Trial 2: The Effect of Gatorade: Recover on Planaria Activity Levels(Motion vs. Sustained Movement)
Gatorade: Recover (40mL)
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
Avg. Time Spent Moving(min:sec)
1 4:32
2 4:35
3 4:36
4 5:00
5 4:49
6 4:40 4:49
Trial 3: The Effect of Vitamin Water: Energy on Planaria Activity Levels(Motion vs. Sustained Movement)
Vitamin Water: Energy
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
Avg. Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
1 0:00
2 0:18
3 4:10
4 4:32
5 0:00
6 1:14 1:62
Trial 4: The Effect of Different Concentrations of Gatorade: Recover, Distilled Water and Vitamin Water: Energy on Planaria Activity Levels
(Motion vs. Sustained Movement)Vitamin Water:
Energy(40mL)
(75% VW, 25% DW)DW=Distilled
Water
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
Avg. Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
1 3:40
2 2:46
3 4:02
4 4:34
5 3:31
6 3:05 3:43
Gatorade:Recover(40mL)
(75% G,25%DW)
7 1:35
8 5:00
9 5:00
10 5:00
11 5:00
12 5:00 4:39
Trial 5: The Effect of Different Concentrations of Gatorade: Recover Distilled Water and Vitamin Water: Energy on Planaria Activity Levels
(Motion vs. Sustained Movement)
Vitamin Water: Energy(40mL)(50% VW, 50%
DW)DW=Distilled Water
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
Avg. Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
1 2:53
2 4:58
3 5:00
4 4:54
5 4:43
6 5:00 4:35
Gatorade:Recover(40mL)
(50% G,50%DW)
7 5:00
8 5:00
9 5:00
10 5:00
11 5:00
12 5:00 5:00
Trial 6: The Effect of Different Concentrations of Gatorade: Recover, Distilled Water and Vitamin Water: Energy on Planaria Activity Levels
(Motion vs. Sustained Movement)Vitamin Water: Energy(40mL)
(25% VW, 75% DW)DW=Distilled
Water
Planaria Number Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
Avg. Time Spent Moving (min:sec)
1 5:00
2 5:00
3 5:00
4 5:00
5 4:50
6 5:00 4:92
Gatorade:Recover(40mL)
(25% G,75%DW)
7 5:00
8 5:00
9 5:00
10 5:00
11 5:00
12 5:00 5:00
Observations
Trial 1, 2, 3 Observations:
A) 100% Distilled Water: One planarian was completely not moving and showed no
signs of enjoying the water. On the other hand, the other two planaria were
moving all over and at times one of them even curled into a ball and stayed that
way for a couple of seconds.
B) 100% Gatorade: Recover: In this group, all of the planaria were moving
continuously and looked like they were enjoying the solution. Maybe it has to do
with the amount of protein in the solution because planaria feed on foods with
protein.
C) 100% Vitamin Water: Energy: In this group, when the planaria were first placed
in, they all were moving around spasmodically and frantically. One completely
stayed in a ball the whole time and was not moving while the other two moved
but not as frequent as normal. In addition, one planarian’s proboscis was ejected
which might have been affected by the high sugar intake.
Trial 4 Observations:
A) 75% Gatorade: Recover, 25% Distilled Water: In this section, only one out of the
six curled into a ball and barely moved but the other ones also moved for the
whole five minutes and were moving in a normal undulated motion.
B) 75% Vitamin Water: Energy, 25% Distilled Water: In this group, many of the
planaria immediately curled and stayed still for a while but they were not as
frantic as the first group.
Trial 5 Observations:
A) 50% Gatorade: Recover, 50% Distilled Water: This was the best trial this far. All
of the planaria were moving and gliding through the petri dish and there was no
frantic movement. All of the planaria were also stretched out and moving in an
undulated motion.
B) 50% Vitamin Water: Energy, 50% Distilled Water: The planaria seem to get
better in this one as the solution lessens. Some started to stretch out but there was
still a lot of curling going on and none were swimming around. Most just moved
but still stayed in the same spot.
Trial 6 Observations:
A) 25% Gatorade: Recover, 75% Distilled Water: Once again the Gatorade group
was continuously moving around and some were swimming towards a certain
side. I was wondering if light a factor in that decision was.
B) 25% Vitamin Water: Energy, 75% Distilled Water: In this group, the planaria
were way less spasmodic and they were gliding around for the most part. Some
were stretching out and curling and some where acting in a typhoon shape
manner.
Discussion
To begin with, the results were very interesting. At first, I did not know the
planaria would react to the Vitamin Water: Energy in such a strong manner. Most of them
were spasmodically moving and a few did not even move around at all. In contrast, the
Gatorade: Recover provided the best results with basically all of the planaria responding
extremely well to being put in that solution. I feel that there is a strong correlation
between the amount of proteins and the activity level of the planaria because planaria
usually feed on protein enriched foods such as egg yolk or raw meat.
On another note, my alternative hypothesis was fully supported and the null was
refuted because the Gatorade: Recover yielded the best results with the activity levels of
the planaria. Specifically, the group of planaria in the 50% Gatorade: Recover, 50%
Distilled Water provided the best data because as stated in my observations, the planaria
were actively moving around and it has the reaction and times out of all the trials. In
addition, there is also proof with the way the planaria reacted to the Vitamin Water:
Energy. At first, when they were all put in, they were all crazily moving in one spot and
throughout the five minutes, they barely moved. This in turn, must have some correlation
with the amount of protein affecting the performance in certain organisms’ activity
levels.
Thus, this project began with the idea of protein affecting planaria activity levels
and this experiment has clearly proved that it does have some influence. I hope to
continue with this project in the future and uncover even more groundbreaking results
such as this. It might just bring this issue of protein vs. carbohydrates to rest.
Abstract
Title: Planaria Power
This study’s main focus was on whether or not the amount of protein in a solution
had any effect on the activity level of planaria activity. The experiment basically included
the timing of planaria activity level over a course of five minutes and each with different
concentrations of sports drinks. Every five minutes, the time given to each group was
placed in a different concentration of a sports drink solution or distilled water. The
planaria activeness was recorded along with the observations made about each planaria.
Overall, the alternative hypothesis was supported because the planaria showed a very
increased level of activeness when placed in the Gatorade: Recover. When the planaria
were placed in Vitamin Water: Energy, they did not respond well to the solution by
spasmodically moving around. This proves that there is a strong correlation between the
protein and the activity level in protein. This is most likely due to the planaria diet which
consists of bits of raw meat or egg yolk. These foods are all enriched with protein.
In conclusion, protein is clearly a factor in planaria activity level. These results
confirmed the original hypothesis and there are still other questions to further this study
such as how proteins would affect another organism such as humans. That answer would
ultimately lead to a breakthrough in the sports drink world but it would be extremely
beneficial to the consumers as well.
Conclusion
This experiment has opened up many ideas for me to contemplate. For example,
major realizations are that the amount of protein in a solution is in correlation with
planaria activity levels. In addition, the protein enhanced solution might be better for the
planaria because planaria are used to eating a protein enriched diet with foods such as egg
yolk or bits of raw meat. On the other hand, it seems like a sugar enriched solution
proved to be a terrible environment for planaria to survive in which shows what nutrient
truly makes an impact on planaria activity levels. Also, further questions to consider
would be the fact that if proteins have such an immense effect on planaria, the effect in
humans might be just as great.
In conclusion, ,the main focus of my topic which is whether or nor not protein
enhanced sports drinks would be beneficial to humans and I believe that this proves one
step closer to that theory because proteins essentially do everything in the human body so
why would they stop working overtime now?
Works Cited
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