Introduction

– Caffeine is a stimulant, and normally found as a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid. However, this form is not how the majority of the population of the world finds caffeine. This substance is found in a vast amount of drinks and foods, some of which include such popular favorites as tea and coffee, even chocolate! Caffeine's properties are recorded as causing stimulation of senses and nerves, meaning that it excites specific processes, one of which is heart-rate. Even with this knowledge, how does caffeine specifically affect heart-rate? This is what our group set out to find. 

-This is where our special guest, Daphne, comes in. Daphnia Magna is a perfect example of something we scientists call, a model organism. A model organism is used to simplify observations that would otherwise be difficult to study in humans, or when certain procedures would be unethical to involve humans. Daphne's heart is clearly visible through her transparent skin, which makes recording her heart-rate easy and simple. The next step involves giving her different amounts of caffeine and seeing how her heart-rate changes!