The Effects of Dextrose of the Lumbriculus Variegatus

Abstract
This study was performed on the Lumbriculus variegatus (also known as the
California blackworms) to test the pulsation rates, chemotatic, and their ability of
locomotion. We have hypothesized that Dextrose, a sugar, would increase the heart rate
and locomotion of the worms; we also hypothesized that the worms would have a positive
reaction to the chemotatic drop test. The worms were subjected to three different solutions:
spring water, 1% dextrose, and 10% dextrose. First for the pulsation we put the worms into
the different solutions for 15 minutes and then looked at them under the microscope and
counted their pulsations per minute. For the locomotion test we put the worms into
individual wells of solution and then one by one took them out and tested how far they
would move in 30 seconds. Finally for the chemotatic, drop test, we put a drop of dextrose
at the tail of the worm and tested the reaction they had to the solution. Essentially, we
found that our hypotheses were all confirmed and the performance of the worms has
increased.

Introduction
With the lack of study that is out there, my group and I decided to use dextrose in the
experiment with the Lumbriculus variegatus, also known as California Blackworms. Our
independent variable was the solution of dextrose we subjected the California Blackworms
to. The dependant variables of our experiment were the pulsation rate, locomotion, and the
reaction to the chemotatic (drop test). Our hypothesis was if the Lumbriculus variegatus is
put into the solutions of dextrose then their pulsation will speed up, they will go faster on the
track than those in the control, and finally they will be attracted to the dextrose in the drop
test.

Hypothesis
Our hypothesis was that if the Lumbriculus variegatus is put into the solutions of
dextrose then their pulsation will speed up, they will go faster on the track then those in the
control, and finally they will be attracted to the dextrose in the drop test.

Methods
Our first experiment was to test the effect that dextrose had on the California
Blackworm’s pulsation rate. We began the experiment by creating a design that helped us
in keeping track of how many worms go into what solution. Next, we added 1 gram of
dextrose to 100 mL of water, this was the 1% solution of dextrose. After that, we added 10
grams of dextrose to 100 mL; this was the 10% solution of dextrose.
After making the solutions, we placed ten worms in each solution for fifteen minutes.
When the fifteen minutes was over we put the individual worms under the microscope and
counted the pulsations for one minute. We then determined the average, standard
deviation, and T-test for both the control and the different percentages of dextrose.
For our second experiment, we subjected the worms to the same control and
treatment, this time five were in the solutions for ten minutes and five in the solutions for
fifteen minutes. While the worms were in the solutions we made a “race” track to test the
locomotion of the worms. We then, after the time was up, took out one worm at a time and
put them on the track. We watched them for thirty seconds and measured how far they
went on the track. During the thirty seconds we probed them every six seconds. We then
recorded the average of all thirty worms, the standard deviation, and a T-test.
 Our third experiment we tested the chemotatic of thirty worms using the same
solutions as the previous experiments. The chemotatic experiment tested the positive and
negative reaction to the solutions and control. We put one worm at a time into a dry Petri
dish and put one drop of solution on the tail end of the worm. If the worm immediately went
into the bubble of solution it was a positive outcome, but if it was automatically repelled by
the solution it was a negative outcome. Then we made a chart of the positives and
negatives.

This is the chart that my group made of the outcomes of the pulsations, As you can
see the 10% dextrose had a higher significant effect on the worms than the control and the
1%.

60
Pulsation Chart
50

40

30

20

10
rm
p
n
tio
e aP
u
ls

0
1% 10%
1

=significant
P=0.0469 control dextrose dextrose
This chart is the locomotion test results, as you can see the 10% dextrose also had a higher
significant effect on the worms than the control and the 1%.

Locomotion Chart
10
=Significant
9
8
P=0.0412
7
6
10. Min
5 15Min.
4
3
2
1
0
Control 1% 10%

This last chart is the chemotatic test that tested the positive or negative reaction to the drop
of solution. As you can see from this chart we had an overall positive reaction to the test,
some had a negative reaction but not enough to disclaim our hypothesis.

ChemotaticDextrose Drop Test

Control 1%of Dextrose 10%of Dextrose
1.) + + +
2.) + + +
3.) + - +
4.) + + +
5.) + + +
6.) + + +
7.) + - +
8.) + + -
9.) - - +
10.) + + +

Positive Response: 9/10 7/10 (70%) 9/10 (90%)

(90%)
Negative Response: 1/10 3/10 (30%) 1/10 (10%)
(10%)
Discussion/conclusion
We used Dextrose to see if it has an effect on the California Blackworm’s
pulsations rate,
locomotion, and chemotatic rate. These experiments helped in the understanding of the
effect of dextrose on the worms, and later this might help in the understanding of it in the
human body. This experiment does come with a few limitations; the amount of solution is
not to scale with the tiny body of the Lumbriculus variegatus. The concentrations of dextrose
are simply an educated guess of what we felt would not kill them but still have the same
effect of them as a human.