Studying the Effects of Stress and Nutrition on the Growth Rate of Mice

Overview

Objectives/Goals My goal was to determine if placing mice in varied environments and different diets would affect the weight gained or lost. Methods/Materials Twenty-four mice were placed in four cages with six mice per group. Groups One and Two were in a night/day environment. Groups Three and Four were placed in a twenty-four hour light environment. One group from each environment was given high carbohydrate food (Frosted Flakes), while the others were given regular mouse food. I weighed each mouse individually on a triple beam balance scale every 3 days for 15 days. The results were recorded and graphed. Results Group Four (regular mouse food with twenty-four hour light) gained the most weight, while group One(Frosted Flakes with night/day environment) lost the most weight. Group Three (Frosted Flakes with twenty-four hour light) lost the second most amount of weight, while group Two (regular mouse food with night/day environment) gained the second most amount of weight. Conclusions/Discussion In conclusion, I believe that group Four gained the most weight because their diet was adequate and the 24 hour the light exposure may have stressed the mice. From my previous year project, I found that stress causes weight gain in mice. I also believe that group One lost the most weight because Frosted Flakes doesn't have the proper amount of fat, nutrients, and vitamins needed to produce a balanced diet for mice. Due to their high metabolism, the effect was dramatic.

Competition history

• CSEF 2009 Mammalian Biology · Entry J1403

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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