Tipsy Worms

Overview

Objectives/Goals I think that alcohol, which is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant in humans, will also have a depressant effect on worms. I wanted to design a simple bioassay to test this. Methods/Materials Groups of 10 night crawlers each were dipped for 30 seconds in 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, or 13% ethanol solutions made with vodka.The time it took each member of each group to bury themselves completely in loose potting soil was measured. A lamp was placed over the soil to encourage them to bury themselves. Results There was little or no difference between average burrowing time in the in the 0%, 2.5%, and 5% alcohol groups. The burrowing time increased linearly in the 7.5%, 10%, and 13% groups. Conclusions/Discussion i conclude that alcohol impairs the CNS in worms just as it does in humans, leading to a decrease in coordination and longer burrowing times. This is a simple and inexpensive bioassay for CNS depressants.

Competition history

• CSEF 2002 Pharmacology/ Toxicology · Entry J1424

Resources

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