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Daphnia Pulex Water Fleas

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Wilson Hasty

The Effect of Nyquil on Daphnia Pulex Water Fleas

Research Questions

What kind of food does the subject typically eat?
Will the subject’s behavior change from the dosage?
Will reproduction be affected either negatively or positively?
What is the best possible environment for the subjects to live in?
How often do they reproduce?

Hypothesis

If the Daphnia Pulex water fleas consume Nyquil then it will dull the flea's senses over time, and will slowly cause adverse effects, as to drowsiness and dizziness is a common side effect in humans. I will study and measure the reproduction and/or death rates from the subjects as well as erratic behaviors they exhibit.

Background Research

Nyquil

Generic name is acetaminophen/dextromethorphan/doxylamine/pseudoephedrine (a-seet-a-MIN-oh-fen/dex-troe-meth-OR-fan/dox-IL-a-meen/sue-do-eh-FED-rin)
Nyquil is a brand name used by Vicks for relieving symptoms of the common cold and allergies. It works by blocking the action of histamine, thus the term of antihistamine.1 Nyquil may cause dizziness, drowsiness and blurred vision. It may also cause increased sensitivity to sun. Nyquil may cause liver damage if it is abused, due to the alcohol included. Pregnant …show more content…
Genetic variation is hard to monitor in Daphnia Pulex because of this unusual reproduction method. Parthenogenesis occurs mainly in the summer and creates an entire population of females so this may effect what reproduction is occurring during the experiment time. In the winter, the sexual reproduction typically occurs. The eggs can resist freezing and drying out where they can remain in an a state of arrested development for almost 20 years before hatching. For this experiment, we should see the reproductive cycle being ideal with a generation time being 5-10 days. Under optimum conditions, a female may produce more than 100 eggs per brood, repeating every 3

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