ABSTRACTS and PROGRAM - Saddleback College | antibiotic resistant bacteria on the rise, alternative methods of sterilization, such as those utilizing the oligodynamic effect, are being

ABSTRACTS

and PROGRAM

Twelfth Semi-Annual Scientific

Meeting

of

The Saddleback College

Biological Sciences Society

4 December 2015

Room 313 SM

Saddleback College

FALL 2015 Annual Meeting Saddleback College Biological Sciences Society Abstracts and Program Page 2 of 17

Schedule of Oral Presentations Spring 2014 Semi-Annual Meeting of the Saddleback College Biological Sciences Society

4 December 2015 SM 313 0800-1440

0800-0830 Refreshments and Load Presentations

0835-0845 Opening Comments

0845-0855 THE INTERACTIONS OF RILUZOLE WITH ITS BINDING POCKET

IN SK2 CHANNELS

Sara Ali

0855-0905 BACTERICIDAL EFFECTIVITIES OF ZINC, COPPER, SILVER, AND

STAINLESS STEEL ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Sean Loh,

Natalie Karapetian

& Wei Gan

0905-0915

THE EFFECTS OF VARYING TEA TREE OIL CONCENTRATIONS

ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS GROWTH

Yasmin

Ghaemmaghami,

Nicole Peters &

Stevie White

0915-0925 TESTING GUIDE RNAS TO ACTIVATE THE MAGP2 PROMOTER ON

MOUSE GENOMIC DNA BY CRISPR/CAS9

Zahra Abbasi

0925-0935 THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTS OF SALICYLIC ACID

CONCENTRATION ON SKIN FLORA (Staphylococcus epidermidis)

Sean Johnson, Rachel

Lee & Felicia Vo

0945-0955 EFFECTS OF ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE ON WATER ABSORPTION

IN THE AMERICAN TREE FROG, HYLA CINEREA

Poupak Fakhrai &

Julnar Selman

0955-1005 CARBON DIOXIDE CONSUMPTION IN DROUGHT-TOLERANT VS.

NON-DROUGHT-TOLERANT PLANTS

Lyndsey Bennett

1005-1020 BREAK

1020-1030 THE EFFECT OF ERYTHRITOL ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS

Jason Rabahieh,

Fayaz Arghandehwal

& Hannah Deiter

1030-1040 THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE ON PYSCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE Catalina Munoz &

Maria Cuevas

1040-1050 EFFECT OF DRINKING ICE COLD WATER ON METABOLIC RATE Gabriel Gamo,

Kimberly Maldonado

& Monica Vivar

1050-1100 THE EFFECT OF VARIANT ELEVATIONS ON THE DORSAL SCALE

BANDING PATTERNS OF THE WESTERN FENCE LIZARD,

SCELOPORUS OCCIDENTALIS

Andrew Favor,

Patrick Stumps,

David Atta & Ishav

Singh

1100-1110 COMPARISON OF PLANARIAN (Dugesia tigrina) REGENERATION

RATE IN CAFFEINE AND Aloe vera SOLUTIONS

Diane Kwon &

Joel Tatum

1110-1120

ORAL BACTERIA INHIBITION WITH THE USE OF LISTERINE®

Donald Fisher,

Jack Spreen &

Kevin Cunningham

1120-1130 THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATION ON PINYON PINECONE (PINUS

MONOPHYLLA) MORPHOLOGY

Irving Granados

1130-1250 LUNCH BREAK & POSTER PRESENTATIONS

1250-1300 Amin Sharif

1300-1310 Effects of Capsaicin Concentration in Peppers on Metabolic Rate

Hussein Aldahan,

Jared Brown

& Haley Scott

1310-1320

THE EFFECT OF MUSIC ON AVERAGE RUNNING HEART RATE

AND LAP TIME

Dara Nahidipour,

Sierra Mazzarini,

Kalina Sepani & Ellie

Khodabandeh


1320-1330 DRUNKEN FLIES AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION

Leyli Beheshti, Kinza

Qureshi & Lili

Razavi

1330-1340 STOMACH ACID AND THE INHIBITORY EFFICACY OF

COMMERCIAL PROBIOTICS CONTAINING Lactobacillus sp.

AGAINST Salmonella typhimurium in vitro.

Faith Zimmerle

1340-1400 BREAK

1400-1410 THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE ON THE RESISTANCE TO HEAT IN

FRUIT FLIES DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Kara Kirkpatrick,

Richard Niederecker

& Samyar Attarian

1410-1420 THE EFFECT OF PH ON THE CLOSING TRAP TIMES IN VENUS

FLYTRAPS (DIONAEA MUSCIPULA).

David Yu &

Haider Alhamawendi

1420-1430 EFFECT OF HIGH CARBOHYDRATE DIET ON THE GROWTH AND

REPRODUCTION OF DROSOPHILA MELANGASTER SPECIES

Annette Massihi &

Arpi Azarian

1430-1440 VARYING CONCENTRATIONS OF TRICHONYMPHA IN THE HIND-

GUT FLUID OF THE SOLDIER AND WORKER CASTES OF

RETICULITERMES FLAVIPES

Samantha Castro,

Zack Stamford &

Michael Kunicki

1440 Closing Remarks, Group Photo & Clean up


BIOLOGY 3B ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS FALL 2015

The meeting organizers do not assume responsibility for any inconsistencies in quality or errors in abstract

information. Abstracts are in numerical order according to the abstract number assigned to each presentation.

Note: author name(s) and abstract titles were printed directly from the abstract form without corrections. The presentation order was

determined by the order in which the emailed abstracts were received. Abstracts that did not conform to the guidelines are printed at the

end of all abstracts

1. THE INTERACTIONS OF RILUZOLE WITH ITS BINDING POCKET IN SK2 CHANNELS. Sara Ali.

Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Riluzole, the only FDA-approved drug for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), works by modulating

multiple drug targets including small conductance Ca2+

-activated potassium (SK) channels. However, the

functional binding site of Riluzole is still unclear. We recently determined the binding pocket of Riluzole in

SK2 channels through crystallography. This study investigates whether this binding pocket of Riluzole in SK2

channels is the functional binding pocket in which the drug exerts its modulation. With combined techniques of

site-directed mutagenesis and electrophysiology, results supported that the binding site identified by

crystallography is the functional binding pocket. Mutations A477V/L480M, which mimic the corresponding

residues in SK4 channels, were introduced into SK2 channels to test the hypothesis. The mutant channel was

then co-expressed with Calmodulin in HEK293 cells. Inside out macro-patch recordings were performed to

measure the SK channel current as a function of Riluzole concentration (μM). Dose response curves for the

potentiation of SK2 channel activity were constructed. The half maximal effective concentrations (EC50), were

significantly different (p = 9.17 x 10-5

, one tailed unpaired t-test) between the mutant and wild type cells. The

data supports that the binding site identified by crystallography is the functional binding site through which

Riluzole exerts positive modulation of SK2 channels.

2. BACTERICIDAL EFFECTIVITIES OF ZINC, COPPER, SILVER, AND STAINLESS STEEL ON

STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS. Sean Loh, Natalie Karapetian, and Wei Gan. Department of Biological

Sciences. Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.

With antibiotic resistant bacteria on the rise, alternative methods of sterilization, such as those utilizing the

oligodynamic effect, are being researched with the aim of reducing the spread of disease without fostering

antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is of particular importance to hospitals. The investigators predicted zinc

would exhibit the highest level of antibacterial activity and that zinc, copper and silver would all be more

antibacterial than stainless steel. Cultures of Staphylococcus aureus were grown on nutrient agar while exposed

to samples of the four different metals for 24 hours (n=10). The zone of inhibition was measured to determine

which metal was the most effective in inhibiting bacterial growth. Of the four metals tested, zinc (7.343 mm ±

0.232, ̅ ± SEM) was shown to statistically have a significant zone of inhibition (p=0.00, ANOVA; p<0.05,

Bonferroni post-hoc) in comparison to stainless steel (0.166 mm ± 0.071, ̅ ± SEM), copper (0.229 mm ±

0.075, ̅ ± SEM), and silver (0.350 mm ± 0.010, ̅ ± SEM). The investigators concluded that zinc was the only

bactericidal metal due to the highly oxidative nature of zinc, thereby contributing to a strong oligodynamic

effect.


3. THE EFFECTS OF VARYING TEA TREE OIL CONCENTRATIONS ON STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

GROWTH. Yasmin Ghaemmaghami, Nicole Peters, Stevie White. Department of Biological Sciences,

Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Staphylococcus aureus has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. The objection of this study is to

determine the minimum concentration of TTO needed to inhibit S. aureus growth. There will be a statistical

difference in the amount of Staphylococcus aureus in the pure nutrient broth versus the Staphylococcus aureus

in the nutrient broth combined with the Tea Tree Oil at various concentrations. Fifty test tubes were placed into

five different groups based on the TTO concentration used in the experiment: control, 3, 1, 0.5, 0.25 (% v/v).

Absorbance and percent transmittance were used to calculate optical density, which correlated to the amount of

bacteria present. The mean optical density for the control was 0.0105 ± 0.003582 (±SEM), 0.25 M of TTO was

0.0303 ± 0.0058 (±SEM), 0.50 M of TTO was 0.0243 ± 0.004973 (±SEM), 1.0 M of TTO was 0.0247 ±

0.004028 (±SEM), and 3.0 M of TTO was 0.025 ± 0.004624 (±SEM). There was no significant statistical

difference (p=0.055, single factor ANOVA) between the control with S. aureus and the four TTO experimental

groups. This means TTO did not inhibit S. aureus significantly enough to demonstrate that there was a

difference between the control and the various concentrations.

4. TESTING GUIDE RNAS TO ACTIVATE THE MAGP2 PROMOTER ON MOUSE GENOMIC DNA BY

CRISPR/CAS9. Zahra Abbasi. HHMI Research Scholar, Dept. of Biological Sciences, CSU Fullerton,

Fullerton, CA 92831.

Microfibril-associated glycoprotein 2 (MAGP2) is a small protein that is secreted from cells into the

extracellular matrix with different functions like inducing blood vessel formation. MAGP2 is involved in

diseases like the papillary serous ovarian cancer. Previous studies showed that the overexpressed MAGP2 can

bind to microfibrils and be regulated by enzymatic cleavage. We are now interested to see if the endogenous

MAGP2 can act the same after being activated by CRISPR/Cas9 system. CRISPR/Cas9 is a method of genome

editing by using a guide RNA, and an Endonuclease (Cas) complex. In this project, two gRNAs, mM2G3 and

mM2G12 were designed and cloned into pX330 plasmids. By transfecting the mouse cells with pX330-

mM2G3, pX330-mM2G12 plasmids, the gRNA and Cas9 genes on plasmids were expressed and targeted the

MAGP2 promoter on genomic DNA. The mutated genomic DNAs were heated and incubated to form

heteroduplexes, and then were tested by T7 enzyme that digests heteroduplexes. After running the T7 assay

samples on a gel, unexpected bands were seen on the gel. If the expected results achieve from T7 assay, the last

step of this project would be testing the designed gRNA on mouse genomic DNA to activate the MAGP2

promoter.

5. THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTS OF SALICYLIC ACID CONCENTRATION ON SKIN FLORA

(Staphylococcus epidermidis). Sean Johnson, Rachel Lee, and Felicia Vo. Department of Biological Sciences,

Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit, which is comprised of the hair

follicle, hair shaft, and associated sebaceous glands. Among the many species of bacterial flora present on the

facial skin, Staphylococcus epidermidis is believed to be a probable cause of its development. The most

successful treatment plans will often use a combination of topical agents and oral antibiotics. The study

proposed that a topical agent containing concentrated salicylic acid could exhibit antibacterial effects, even

without the addition of an oral antibiotic. It was predicted that there will be a difference between the

antibacterial effectiveness of salicylic acid and ampicillin against S. epidermidis. A Kirby-Bauer test was

performed on petri dishes containing disks saturated in sterile water, ampicillin, or 1%, 2%, 5%, and 10%

salicylic acid solution. Post incubation, the zone of inhibition around each disk was measured (in mm). An

ANOVA was performed, resulting in a p value of less than 0.0001. While the original hypothesis was accepted,

a subsequent post hoc test suggested there was no difference in the antibacterial effectiveness of the salicylic

acid concentrations to each other nor to water.


6. EFFECTS OF ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE ON WATER ABSORPTION IN THE AMERICAN TREE

FROG, HYLA CINEREA. Poupak Fakhrai and Julanar Selman. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback

College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Terrestrial anurans absorb water through their pelvic region, which is affected by the antidiuretic hormone,

arginine vasotocin (AVT). It was predicted that AVT would increase the rate of absorption in frogs subject to

an isotonic medium and decrease depletion in a hypertonic solution. Prior to measurements, frogs were

dehydrated to 90% of initial weight and bladders emptied. Control frogs were injected with 0.1 mL/g

bodyweight of amphibian Ringer’s and treatment condition were given 0.01025 μg AVT per 0.1 mL

administered. Frogs were placed into petri dishes with hypertonic (425 mOsm) Ringer’s solution, taken out at

10 minute intervals, blotted dry and weighed for 30 minutes. Thereafter, dishes were filled with isotonic (204

mOsm) Ringer’s, and measured for an additional 30 minutes. Control frogs lost water to the hypertonic

medium, at a mean rate of 9.9 μg/minute (n=6), while AVT treated frogs gained water at a mean rate of 0.5

μg/minute (n=6). These results were significant (p= 0.040 one-tailed paired t-test). In isotonic solution,

treatment frogs gained water at a significantly faster rate, 9.7μg /minute than did control, 6.3 μg/minute (p=

0.035 one-tailed paired t-test). These data suggest that AVT regulates rate of water absorption and depletion.

7. CARBON DIOXIDE CONSUMPTION IN DROUGHT-TOLERANT VS. NON-DROUGHT-TOLERANT

PLANTS. Lyndsey Bennett. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA,

92692.

Global warming is a growing concern for Earth, and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a

major contribution. With many parts of the country falling into a state of drought, individuals are replacing

their gardens with plants that consume less water. This experiment is to prove non-drought-tolerant plants are

more effective at consuming carbon dioxide from the environment than are drought-tolerant plants. Six carbon

dioxide (CO2) probes were individually placed into airtight terrariums containing one of three drought-tolerant

plants of the same species, and one of three non-drought-tolerant plants of the same species. Concentration

readings of CO2 levels were recorded hourly, on three separate occasions. Over twenty-four hours, drought-

tolerant plants consumed on average 361.1 ± 23.06 SEM parts per million (ppm) of CO2, while non-drought-

tolerant plants consumed on average 804.78 ± 17.87 SEM ppm, proving to be significantly more efficient (p =

5.54 x 10-5

). These results predict that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere will increase at a greater rate than

currently occurs due to a lower abundance of efficient CO2 eliminating non-drought-tolerant plants.

8. THE EFFECT OF ERYTHRITOL ON GLUCOSE BLOOD LEVELS. Jason Rabahieh, Fayaz Arghandehwal,

and Hannah Deiter. Department of Biological Science. Saddleback College. Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Glucose is an essential fuel that the body utilizes to create energy to undergo various activities. This energy

comes from substances ingested into the body containing carbohydrates, which are converted to glucose inside

the intestines, accumulating energy for the cells. This experiment measures the effects of dextrose, stevia leaf

extract, and Erythritol on blood glucose levels. Erythritol is found in fruit and is formed as a sugar alcohol,

predicting that it will not affect glucose levels. The 10 experimenter’s blood levels were recorded with test

strips after fasting for 12 hours in the following increments; before taking the sugar, 15 minutes, 30 minutes,

and an hour after taking the sugar. The results presented that the null hypothesis was accepted, demonstrating

that there wasn’t significant differences between Erythritol, dextrose, and stevia leaf extract on glucose blood

levels.


9. THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE ON PYSCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE. Maria Cuevas and Catalina Munoz.

Dept of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.

Caffeine is known to be central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that can improve alertness and treat

drowsiness. In this study, three products containing caffeine, non-caffeine, and water are tested to see if

caffeine has a positive effect on reducing reaction time. The products included a Coca-Cola can with caffeine, a

Coca-Cola can without caffeine, and water. Both Coca-Cola cans contain the same ingredients with the

exception of caffeine. Since caffeine is known to be a stimulant it was expected that the Coca-Cola with

caffeine would have a decrease in reaction time. Each product was tested by having a participant, in the study,

drink Coca-Cola, non-caffeine Coca-Cola, and water over a course of three days. The participant took a

reaction test prior to consuming the specific drink. Then from the time the drink was finished and waiting 10

minutes they took the reaction test again. The p-value for the average difference among the 3 groups was 0.057

which is greater than 0.05. Thus this meant that there was no significant difference between the groups, so the

results do not support the hypothesis that caffeine decreased reaction time.

10. EFFECT OF DRINKING ICE COLD WATER ON METABOLIC RATE. Gabriel Gamo, Kim Maldonado, and Monica

Vivar. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

A healthy lifestyle has rapidly become a priority in modern culture and an easy jumpstart to that lifestyle is daily

consumption of water. One of the important beneficiaries of regular consumption of water is an increase in metabolism

since the body must burn calories to heat the water to the core temperature of thirty-seven degrees Celsius. The amount

of energy utilized to compensate for the consumed water is dependent on the temperature of the water. Therefore, it was

predicted that consuming ice-cold water would yield a higher increase in metabolic rate than the consumption of room-

temperature water since more energy is required to heat up a cold water sample to the core temperature. Ten subjects

fasted for 8-10 hours and a basal metabolic rate was taken. Subjects drank 500 mL of room-temperature water (20.0oC)

and forty-five minutes later, a final reading was taken. The same procedure was repeated but with 500 mL of ice-cold

water (3oC). The difference in metabolic rate between the ten subjects was averaged for room-temperature water (92.8 ±

17.3 mg/L/s) and ice-cold water (87.6± 40.8 mg/L/s). Ice-cold water does not increase metabolic rate more than room-

temperature water (p = 0.4539, paired t-test for means).

11. THE EFFECT OF VARIANT ELEVATIONS ON THE DORSAL SCALE BANDING PATTERNS OF THE

WESTERN FENCE LIZARD, SCELOPORUS OCCIDENTALIS. Andrew Favor, Patrick Stumps, David Atta,

and Ishav Singh. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

In nature, species undergo adaptive changes in both form and physiology in order to facilitate survivability

in a given environment. Elevation gradients present variance in climates that stimulate adaptive divergence

among species through induced changes in both temperature and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. These

factors strongly influence the physiological nature of ectotherms, due to their dependence on environmental

temperature sources for thermoregulation. In this project, lizards were gathered from various locations around

southern Orange County, which spanned three different elevation-groups. Group 1: less than 100 meters above

sea level. Group 2: 100-149 meters above sea level. Group 3: 150 meters above sea level and higher. The

percentages of lizards found possessing white scales in groups 1, 2, and 3 were: 62.5%, 64.3%, and 84.6%,

respectively (p = 0.0007). The percentages of lizards found possessing blue scales in groups 1, 2, and 3 were:

62.5%, 57.1%, and 53.8%, respectively (p = 0.4561). These results suggest that Sceloporus occidentalis found

in coastal regions exhibit more blue scales in lower elevations in order to improve heat absorption, and exhibit

more white scales in higher elevations in order to prevent excessive heating.


12. COMPARISON OF PLANARIAN (Dugesia tigrina) REGENERATION RATE IN CAFFEINE AND Aloe

vera SOLUTIONS. Diane Kwon and Joel Tatum. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College,

Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Dugesia tigrina, commonly known as planarians, are triploblastic flatworms that have unique regenerative

abilities, which make them an ideal specimen for investigating regeneration and stem cell biology. Planarians

can regenerate into new and complete organisms after up to a staggering 279 cuts. Caffeine is a stimulant

derived from plants, which, as some studies reveal, may inhibit cell growth or proliferation. Aloe vera is a

succulent plant that has fleshy leaves containing mucilage tissue (or Aloe vera gel), which contains

polysaccharides that stimulate skin growth and healing. By observing changes in a transected tail portion of

planarians exposed to nonlethal concentrations of caffeine and Aloe vera, it was predicted the planarian

regeneration rate would decrease compared to that of the control group in spring water. For this study,

planarians were transversely cut anterior to the pharynx and regeneration rates were observed for 23 days.

Planarians (n=30) were divided into three groups: spring water (control group), 0.00001 M caffeine solution,

and 0.00019% Aloe vera solution. There is no statistical difference in planarian regeneration rate from initial

cut to eyespot differentiation at stage 4 of regeneration, based upon solution medium as determined by single-

factor ANOVA (F(2,25)=2.919, p=0.0726, Bonferroni Correction).

13. ORAL BACTERIA INHIBITION WITH THE USE OF LISTERINE®. Donald Fisher, Jack Spreen, Kevin

Cunningham. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

In addition to brushing teeth, dentists recommend the use of a daily oral antiseptic mouthwash to reduce

levels of bacteria in the mouth. Listerine® brand mouthwash claims that 25% of bacteria are eliminated with

brushing and that the other 75% can be rid with their mouthwash. The experiment was run to test whether

using Listerine® after brushing did in fact reduce the oral bacterial count. Four swabs were taken per test

subject; one before brushing, and one after brushing on the first day, and then one before brushing, one after

brushing and using Listerine® on the second day. Swabs were refrigerated then taken to lab and individually

placed in test tubes with sterile water. Dilutions were performed twice on each sample and the final dilution

was added to a nutrient agar using the pour plate method. The agar plates were incubated for 48 hours and then

visual bacteria colony counts were performed. Bacteria count in brushing only was reduced by 34.6%, and

brushing and Listerine® bacterial counts were reduced by 42.3%. Listerine® was found to remove a greater

percentage of bacteria than brushing alone, yet their claim that it removes 99.9% of bacteria was found to be

untrue.

14. THE EFFECT OF ELEVATION ON PINYON PINECONE (PINUS MONOPHYLLA)MORPHOLOGY.

Irving Granados. Department of Biological Science, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

There are distinctions amongst pinus monophylla between elevations of 6270 and 9270 feet in the White Mts.

of California. The pinyon pines can have different respiration and photosynthetic rates in different elevations. It

was hypothesized that at a lower elevation the pinyon pinecones would be greater in size than at a higher

elevation due to a more extreme condition. Twenty samples of pinyon pinecones (n=20) were collected to

measure the height, thickness of the scale and the diameter of the from different elevation points. The starting

elevation was 6270 feet and every other 500 ft. a new sample was collected. The average height measurement

were statistically smaler at a higher elevation compared to the lower elvation ( SEM, N=140), (p=0, one-

tailed ANOVA, Boneferroni Correction). The average scale thickness were statistically less in size at a high

elevation compared to the lower elevation ( SEM, N=140), (p=0, one-tailed ANOVA, Boneferroni

Correction). The average of the diameter was statistically less at high elevation compared to lower elevation (

SEM, N=140), (p=0, one-tailed ANOVA, Boneferroni Correction). Possible explanations might be the type of

fertilization and soil nutrients concentration that allow the pinyon pinecones to fully develop at lower

elevations, whereas, in a higher elevation the weather are more extreme.


15. ELEVATION HAS NO EFFECT ON THE MASS OF PINYON PINE CONES. Amin Sharif. Department of

Biological Sciences. Saddleback College. Mission Viejo, CA 92692

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between elevation and the mass of pinyon pine

cones. Research of pinyon pine cones was conducted at Sierra Nevada’s Black Mountain Range. Utilizing a

smart phone that contained an altimeter allowed the researcher to efficiently track and record the elevation of

where the seven different sites pinyon pine cones were gathered and collected for further examination. The

cones were precisely weighed using a scientific scale and inputted into Microsoft Excel for data analysis.

Performing a one-way (single factor) ANOVA test, it determined there was no statistical difference. As a

result, the null hypothesis which stated that elevation does not have an effect on the mass of pinyon pine cones,

was accepted.

16. EFFECTS OF CAPSAICIN CONCENTRATION IN PEPPERS ON METABOLIC RATE. Hussein Aldahan,

Jared Brown & Haley Scott. Department of Biological Sciences. Saddleback College. Mission Viejo, CA

92692

A number of health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases are significantly

associated with being overweight and obese. For the purpose of this study, metabolism, defined as the

breakdown of molecules to obtain energy, has a strong correlation with weight management. In addition to

physical activities, many foods have an effect on increasing metabolism, thereby burning more calories and

increasing weight loss. Recent studies have discussed the long term effects of spices in the diet on metabolic

rate. This study examined the short term impact of capsaicin consumption on metabolic rate. Analysis of

carbon dioxide consumption via the use of a spirometer, determined that only the peppers with a Scoville rating

above 2,500 (jalapeno and chipotle) had a significant impact on metabolic rate in the short term. This, in

conjunction with previous studies, suggests that not only will long term spice consumption promote an

increased metabolic rate, but that there is a nearly immediate boost in metabolic rate following consumption of

concentrated capsaicin. These results along with previous conclusions could have significant, economically

favorable impacts on public health and weight management.

17. THE EFFECT OF MUSIC ON AVERAGE RUNNING HEART RATE AND LAP TIME. Daria Nahidipour,

Elahe Khodabandeh, Kalina Sepani, and Sierra Mazzarini. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback

College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.

Music has been a recommended method for enhancing physiological performance during exercise. For this

reason, music has been prohibited from many athletic competitions. In our study, the effect of electronic dance

music (EDM) tested the physical response of participants and was compared that of classical music. The

investigators predicted that EDM would increase the heart rate and decrease lap time. The study was conducted

on college students (n = 12). Each participant ran three laps around the Irvine Valley College tennis courts. The

first lap was the control; the second and third laps alternated between EDM and classical music for

randomization. The results for lap time differences were 2.70 ± 3.26 s (Mean±SEM) for the classical music and

-6.61 ± 2.00 s for EDM. The average heart rate, during classical run was -5.92 ± 6.15 bpm (Mean±SEM) and

for EDM was 6.33 ± 2.49 bpm. There was a statistically significant difference in lap times (p=0.012, one-tailed

paired t-test) and average heart rate while running (p=0.039, one-tailed paired t-test). Therefore, the results

supported the hypothesis that listening to EDM music would increase the average heart rate and decrease

running times more than classical music.


18. DRUNKEN FLIES AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION. Leyli Beheshti, Kinza Qureshi and Lili Razavi. Department of

Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Alcoholism is a serious problem around the world. Alcoholism can lead to many neuron damages if consumed in large

amount. Due to the resemblance, fruit flies were used as a model to study the alcohol effects and also alcohol related

behaviors in humans. It was hypothesized that there is an increase in alcohol tolerance throughout generations after fruit

flies being exposed to ethanol. Fifty five fruit flies were introduced into the inebriometer to measure the sensitivity of

Drosophila to alcohol vapor. The time for the flies to fall down to the bottom of the column was noted for each

generation. The mean time for the parent fruit flies were 28.69 3.080 minutes ( SEM, n=10) and for the first generation

were 10.60 0.0341 minutes ( SEM, n=45). A one-tailed unpaired t-test (p-value=6.33x10-6

) revealed a significant

difference in the average time between the two generations. Our hypothesis says that there is an increase in alcohol

tolerance throughout generations after fruit flies being exposed, but the result shows that there is a lower tolerance toward

alcohol for the first generation. Possible explanation might be that the fruit flies were exposed to the alcohol too

frequently leading to them still being intoxicated when the next dosage came.

19. STOMACH ACID AND THE INHIBITORY EFFICACY OF COMMERCIAL PROBIOTICS CONTAINING

Lactobacillus sp. AGAINST Salmonella typhimurium in vitro. Faith Zimmerle. Dep. of Biological Science. Saddleback

College. Mission Viejo, CA92692

The effectiveness of commercial probiotics advertised to treat and prevent gastrointestinal illnesses is under scrutiny.

The main concern with these products is whether or not they are able to survive the acidic pH of the stomach in order to

reach their target, the small intestine. Due to the vague nature of probiotic legislation, it was predicted that the inhibitory

efficacy against Salmonella typhimurium exhibited by three probiotic brands containing Lactobacillus sp. would have a

direct relationship with the concentration of probiotic used after exposure to an artificial stomach environment (C (-) 0.1,

0.01, 0.001 g/mL where n=30 for each brand). It was also predicted that there would not be a statistical difference

between the efficacies of the brands at a constant concentration. A modified version of the disc diffusion method was

used to analyze the probiotics’ ability to persist in an acidic environment as well as how efficiently they inhibited the

growth of S. typhimurium post-acid exposure. An ANOVA was run within each brand comparing concentration groups as

well as between the brands at 0.1 g/mL. These statistics were run on two manipulations of the same data. One

manipulation included the diameter of the diffusion discs in order to analyze acid-resistance (NOW: p=1.2x10-11

, CL:

p=5.2x10-16

, 365: p=4.9x10-8

, all: p=2.4x10-8

) while the other did not in order to analyze inhibitory efficacy (NOW:

p=8.2x10-8

, CL: p=1.0x10-17

, 365: p=6.6x10-8

, all: p=2.4x10-8

). Comparison between the difference sources for the two

data sets within brands supported part one of the proposed hypotheses. However unanalyzed factors may have

contributed to the difference observed between brands, prompting rejection of the null hypothesis proposed in part two.

20. THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE ON THE RESISTANCE TO HEAT IN FRUIT FLIES DROSOPHILA

MELANOGASTER. Kara Kirkpatrick, Richard Niederecker, Samyar Attarian. Department of Biological

Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.

The production of heat shock proteins (HSPs) is known to increase under stress. HSP is a chaperone protein

responsible for renaturing, denatured proteins. Caffeine has been shown to induce production of HSPs

(Hagmann, 1986). Therefore caffeine, a stressor, will induce heat shock factors (HSFs) to produce more HSPs,

and extend the lifespans of Drosophila melanogaster in heat, compared to the lifespans of those without

caffeine. Drosophila melanogaster were split into control groups and test groups. Test groups were

introduced to a caffeinated medium and control groups were given uncaffeinated medium. Two tests were

performed: the first measured lifespans of flies beginning at the pupal stage, and the second measured the

lifespans starting from the larval stage. The average lifespan of the caffeinated flies introduced at the pupal

stage was 6.73±0.26 days, and uncaffeinated fruit flies’ average lifespans were 8.43±0.53 days. The average

lifespan of the caffeinated flies introduced at the larval stage was 2.49±0.12 days, and the average lifespan of

uncaffeinated fruit flies was 4.85±0.27 days. Based on one-tailed unpaired t-tests caffeinated flies had a

significantly shortened lifespan compared to uncaffeinated starting from the pupal stage (p=0.00473, N=60), as

well as from the larval stage (p=1.45x10-13

, N=120). In conclusion caffeine was found to be an independent

stressor to heat on Drosophila melanogaster.


21. THE EFFECT OF PH ON THE CLOSING TRAP TIMES IN VENUS FLYTRAPS (DIONAEA

MUSCIPULA). David Yu. Haider Alhamawendi. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College,

Mission Viejo, CA 92692. The poorly understood trap closure mechanism of the Venus Flytraps still irk scientists today. A highly

complex plethora of mechanisms occur simultaneously to close the terminal leaves of the Carolina native plant

in order to trap prey. One of the fastest movements recorded in the plant behavior measuring about one-tenth of

a second. In this experiment, the acid growth theory is tested as Dionaea muscipula (n=15) are placed into

three separate pH values (3, 5, 7). The hypothesis tested whether or not the pH 3 group would result in the

fastest trap closing times. Experimentation found that the pH 3 group’s average closing time was 1.48 ± .0689

(± S.E.M., n=5). The pH 5 group’s average closing time was 1.134 ± .065 (± S.E.M., n=5). The pH 7 group’s

average closing time was 1.44 ± .078 (± S.E.M., n=5). This study found statistical significance (P<0.01,

ANOVA) between the three groups. The pH 5 group (Bonferroni Post-Hoc) was found to be significant

between the pH 3 and pH 7 groups which rejects the

original hypothesis

22 EFFECT OF HIGH CARBOHYDRATE DIET ON THE GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF

DROSOPHILA MELANGASTER SPECIES. Annette M. and Arpi A. Department of Biological Sciences,


The project focuses on the effect of high carbohydrate diet on the reproduction/survival rate of Drosophila

melanogaster. Hypothesis tested is that fruit flies with regular diet have greater reproduction and survival rate.

For conducting the experiment 360 wingless fruit flies were divided into two groups of 180 where the first

group had high carbohydrates (with maple syrup) and the other group had regular nutrient diet. For four weeks

each group was kept in nine different vials of 20 (10 males and 10 females). Light microscope was used for

data collection. Through statistical analysis a comparison of larva, pupa and adult rate was conducted. The

average rates of regular diet group for larva, pupa and adult production for the first generation (Figure 1) was

(130±126, 81±77, 67±64), and (112±108, 69±65, 47±44) for high carb diet. For the second generation (Figure

2) the values were (161±158, 96±92, 80±76) for regular food diet, and (101±98, 45±41, 26±23) for high-carb

diet. The result showed that the reproduction and development rate of the group with regular diet had higher

rate of survivals in different life stages compared to the group with high carbohydrate diet.

23. VARYING CONCENTRATIONS OF TRICHONYMPHA IN THE HIND-GUT FLUID OF THE

SOLDIER AND WORKER CASTES OF RETICULITERMES FLAVIPES. Samantha Castro, Zack Stamford and

Michael Kunicki. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

The colonial structures of social insects has been an area of biology that has been studied and observed

extensively. Insects such as an ants and bees are common examples if organism that sustain this kind of lifestyle

and habitat. One species that has been studied less so is the termite, Reticulitermes flavipes. The mystery around

these animals is the protosymbiont Trichonympha that lives in the digestive hind-gut of the termite and is found

nowhere else. Their purpose, digest and break down cellulose from the substrate they eat with cellulose, an enzyme

they produce. The termite and the Trichonympha have co-evolved and have a large influence on the activities of

the termite, even its lifespan. This study looked at two castes of a single termite colony, worker (n=20) and soldier

(n=20), and quantified the Trichonympha present in their hind-guts. Knowing that workers do most of the work

such as building tunnels, chambers, feeding the colony, they would need to possess more of the protozoan

compared to the soldier whose only purpose is to defend against intruders. The results indicated a significant

difference (p=0.00194) between the number of Trichonympha present in 0.314µL of hind-gut fluid from the

worker caste (mean=74.55±8.23) and those from the soldier caste (mean=47.0±3.45). These numbers can be used

to do further study into Trichonympha’s effect on the caste determination with in a colony.


BIOLOGY 3A POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS FALL 2015

The meeting organizers do not assume responsibility for any inconsistencies in quality or errors in abstract

information. Abstracts are in numerical order according to the abstract number assigned to each presentation.

Note: author name(s) and abstract titles were printed directly from the abstract form without corrections. The presentation order was

determined by the order in which the emailed abstracts were received. Abstracts that did not conform to the guidelines are printed at the

end of all abstracts

1. THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON THE STOMATAL DENSITY OF A PLANT (Arctostaphylos patula).

Alexa DeSilva, Andrew Grabmiller, Kara Langley, Paola Miranda. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback

College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

During photosynthesis, plants utilize carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The rate of this gas exchange depends

on the size and density of stomata on the underside of the leaf. The density of leaf stomata can vary depending on

plant species, location, and other environmental factors including altitude, O2 concentration, and CO2

concentration. We predicted that the stomatal density on the leaves of Arctostaphylos patula would be greater in

plants growing at higher altitude. In this experiment, sixty leaves of Arctostaphylos patula were collected at both

high altitude (2127 m) and low altitude (113 m, N=120). Each leaf was super-glued to a microscope slide in order

to create an impression, which allowed the stomata to be easily observed and counted using a compound

microscope. A one tailed t-test showed that the average number of stomata per unit area was significantly greater

in leaves collected at high altitude (30.03 stomata/mm2

± 0.57 SEM) than those collected at low altitude (19.13

stomata/mm2

±0.72 SEM, p = 7.46x10-19

). We believe that this difference is a compensation for lower partial

pressure of carbon dioxide at high altitude.

2. THE EFFECT OF Borago officinalis TEA ON THE METABOLIC RATE OF Homo sapiens. Melika Ghalehei,

Arjun Corey Bakshi, Mai Nguyen, Nalinee Banarsee. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College,

Mission Viejo, CA, 92692

Borage tea has been traditionally consumed by Persians to alleviate stress and anxiety. The high content of

gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) found in Borago officinalis may attribute to this effect. It was hypothesized that the

consumption of borage tea would reduce the metabolic rate in humans due to its GLA content. Metabolic rate was

indirectly measured by heart rate, blood pressure, and skin surface temperature of twelve (N=12) participants.

These parameters were measured before and after the consumption of borage tea and three paired one-tailed t-tests

were conducted. There was no significant decrease in systolic (p=0.13, >0.05) and diastolic (p=0.97, >0.05) blood

pressures, and heart rate (p=0.2893), > 0.05). However, there was a significant increase in skin temperature

(p=4.23x10-4

,<0.05). Insignificant results may have been attributed to an unprecedented stimulating environment

and interactions among the participants which could have increased their blood pressures and heart rates. The

increase in skin temperature may have been due to simply consuming a hot beverage.


3. EFFECT OF BLUE LIGHT, RED LIGHT AND WHITE LIGHT ON DEVELOPMENT OF

CHLOROPLASTS IN LEAF TISSUE (Elodea canadensis). Joseph Delgadillo, Austin Nguyen, Andrea Orozco,

Michael Rossi, Saddleback College, Biological Sciences Department, Mission Viejo, CA 92693

We conducted an experiment to determine the usefulness of blue light for the development of chloroplast in

water weeds, Elodea canadensis. We tested the hypothesis that the concentration of chloroplasts of E. canadensis

in blue light only conditions is significantly greater than E. canadensis kept in white or red light. Prior to the

experiment cells of E. canadensis containing chloroplasts were examined by microscope, the mean was 37.08

chloroplasts ± 1.15 chloroplasts, N= 90 cells. The plant was separated into three different photosynthesis bowls

with individualized compartments. The outer compartment of the bowl was diluted with a colored dye. The

variable groups were colored red and blue, and the control group was filled with clear tap water representative of

white light. The average concentration of chloroplasts in E. canadensis subjected to 168 hours of red light

treatment was 19.2 chloroplasts ± 0.908 chloroplasts, N= 30 cells. The results show the average concentration of

chloroplasts in E. canadensis subjected to 168 hours of blue light was 47.13 chloroplasts ± 2.37 chloroplasts N= 30

cells. A one-tailed t-test revealed that the mean concentration of chloroplasts in E. canadensis after 168 hours of

blue light treatment was significantly greater than the mean concentration of chloroplasts in E. canadensis after

168 hours of red light treatment (p<.001, one-tailed t-test).

4. THE EFFECT OF A CARROT (Daucus carota subsp. stavius) DIET ON THE MASS AND LONGEVITY OF

THE HOUSE CRICKET (Acheta domesticus) COMPARED TO COMMERCIAL CRICKET FOOD. Kathryn

Lussier, William Saenz, and Asal Vazeri. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo,

CA, 92692.

Commercial cricket food is specially designed to provide a diet full of nutrients to Acheta domesticus and to

provide extra vitamins and minerals for the pet eating the crickets. There has been evidence that a diet of carrots

(Daucus carota subsp. stavius) aids in larger masses and longer lifespans in Acheta domesticus. Two hundred

equally sized crickets were divided evenly into two groups and were either fed a diet of carrots or Fluker’s

commercial cricket food. Their masses were weighed individually before the start of the thirty day experiment and

daily upon death. The final average mass showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.048). The carrot fed

weighed at 0.3754g of the 63 remaining and the commercially fed weighed at 0.3397g of the 30 remaining. The

average death rate of each group was run in an unequal variances t-test and showed a statistically significant

difference with carrot fed crickets at 1.23 deaths/day and Fluker’s fed crickets at 2.33 deaths/day (p=0.031). The

results showed that the diet of carrots prolongs the life and increases the mass of Acheta domesticus.

5. THE EFFECT OF SERTRALINE ON CANNIBALISTIC BEHAVIOR IN THE COMMON GUPPY (Poecilia

reticulate) TOWARDS THEIR FRY. Zachary Farber, Caitlin Mondt, Elizabeth Strain, and Sereen Suleiman.

Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Sertraline (brand name Zoloft) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression and

anxiety in humans, but has adverse effects on aquatic life such as decreased predator avoidance and predation

abilities. The adult guppy (Poecilia reticulata) demonstrates aggressive cannibalistic tendencies towards their own

fry immediately after the female has given live birth. In this study, we investigated the effect of short, high dose

exposures to sertraline on this cannibalistic behavior. Timing and dosage was based on previously published

studies either using sertraline or fluoxetine on freshwater fish. A sertraline concentration of 50.0 µg/mL was then

placed into a glass container mixed with tank water where adult guppies were held for five minutes. Nine adult

females, two of which appeared to be in late pregnancy stages, and four males were then placed back into a ten

gallon tank following the release of guppy fry. All guppy fry in the control group (i.e. tank water only) were

consumed within an hour, while all guppy fry in the sertraline experiment survived. Sertraline at the administered

dose prevented cannibalistic tendencies towards guppy fry entirely.


6. EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN CONSTRICTION ON BLOOD LACTATE LEVELS IN HUMANS

USING AN ALTITUDE MASK (Homo sapiens). Andrew Baker, Trevor Penner, Megan Perea. Department of

Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Glucose and other sugar molecules are broken down to generate energy molecules in cells by an enzyme

complex called glycolysis. In anaerobic respiration, without oxygen present, pyruvate accumulates after glycolysis;

this build up can be harmful to cells so it is reduced by lactate dehydrogenase. In humans, and most animals, the

lactate builds up in the blood and is expelled through the urinary tract. It was hypothesized that lactate levels

would be a function of oxygen availability during anaerobic activity. To test this, seven individuals were chosen to

exercise under anaerobic conditions comparing relative oxygen saturation and lactate levels. The individuals were

run later with an altitude mask with the same measurements. The altitude mask induces hypoxia while undergoing

exercise. While wearing the mask, post run oxygen percentage was on average 2% lower than not wearing it, the

lactate level however was not significantly greater running with the mask on (mask: 15 +/- 2.6 mmol/L mean

without mask:13 +/- 1.3 p value: 0.24 for 1 tailed paired t-test). Oxygen constriction appears to not affect the

lactate level directly due to body compensating for lower oxygen levels by deeper breaths and higher heart rate.

7. MAPPING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INVASIVE BROWN ANOLES, INDO-PACIFIC GECKOS, AND

COQUI FROGS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (Anolis sagrei, Hemidactylus garnotii, Elutherodactylus coqui).

Bryce D. Perog, Tiffany T. Cao, Sarah E. MacMillan, Mujtaba Kambiz. Department of Biological Sciences,

Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692

Invasive species have the ability to alter an ecosystem. Once introduced, they can decrease the population of

native species and possibly force them into extinction through resource competition and disrupting the food chain.

The objective of this investigation was to determine if the invasive species Anolis sagrei, Hemidactylus garnotti,

and Elutherodactylus coquí could be found at the same locations as the plant distributor OC Succulents in Southern

California. The experiment took place at four different locations: Orange, Irvine, Vista, and Lake Forest. The

species were mapped to study how their population has expanded. Research on these organisms was conducted

during the day and night because the Indo-Pacific gecko and Coqui frog are nocturnal, but the brown anole is

active during the daytime. Each time the species were spotted, the precise location was recorded on a map. There

was sufficient evidence of an established population of brown anoles only at the Orange location. Overall, the

hypothesis was not supported because there were no sightings in Vista, Irvine, Lake Forest, or Orange for both the

Coqui frog and Indo-Pacific gecko.

8. EFFECTS SUCROSE AND SUCRALOSE ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN HUMAN SUBJECTS.

Francisco Ambriz, Nicole Becerra, Diba Maleki, and Bryce Robinson. Department of Biological Sciences,


Variation in blood glucose levels (mg/dL) is largely attributed to the ingestion of carbohydrates. Sucrose and

Sucralose are two variants of sugar, which are typically consumed. Because sucrose can metabolize in the body, it

was speculated to have a greater impact on blood glucose levels as opposed to artificial sweeteners, such as

sucralose. Prior to the experiment, participants were asked to fast in order to get a baseline reading. Using a

randomizing technique, participants were either asked to ingest sucrose or sucralose. After an hour, the

participants’ blood glucose levels were measured again. The mean change in blood glucose after ingestion of

sucrose was 15.4 ± 1.48mg/dL (±se). The mean change in blood glucose after ingestion of sucralose was 1.48 ±

1.56mg/dL (±se). A one-tailed, paired t-test revealed that the change in blood sugar after ingestion of sucrose is

significantly different from that of sucralose (p=1.3 x 10-4

) Sucralose was artificially created, using selective

chlorination of sucrose, in order to bypass metabolism. These variations were reflected in the mean change in

blood glucose. Thus, it is evident that sucrose has a greater impact on blood glucose levels.


9. THE EFFECT OF PH ON BACTERIAL GROWTH FOUND IN YOGURT (Lactobacillus sp.). Shane R. O’Rear,

Leela Safavi, Roni Veksler, and Bruce Woods. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo,

CA, 92692

The human intestines are home to a large number of bacteria. The microbiome which lines the gut has been found to

help with digestion and strengthen the immune system. In order for consumed bacteria to reach the small and large

intestines, they must pass through the acidic environment of the human stomach, which has a pH of 1.5 to 3.5. Various

strains of Lactobacillus are commonly found in yogurt. Yogurt is therefore marketed as a healthy source of probiotics.

Since Lactobacillus is widely considered a healthy probiotic, it was predicted that it would survive an acidic environment

just as well as a neutral environment in order to later reach the intestines. To test this, the investigators exposed

Lactobacillus to acid (pH=2.30) to simulate stomach-acid digestion. Lactobacillus in a neutral environment was able to

survive, and proliferated into thousands of colonies after a week of incubation. Lactobacillus exposed to acid had an

average proliferation of 15 colonies per plate after a week of incubation. There is a significant difference in survival of

Lactobacillus when exposed to an acidic environment and a neutral environment.

10. DETERMINING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FACIAL SYMMETRY AND FINGER LENGTHS IN

MALES AND FEMALES (Homo sapiens). Hibah Khan and Brittany Hull. Department of Biological Sciences,

Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA 92692.

The second-to fourth digit ratio in Homo sapiens is known to exhibit a sexually dimorphic pattern with males

having a ratio less than one and females having a higher ratio in comparison. The primary cause of this digit ratio

is exposure to testosterone and estrogen during fetal development, which also shapes facial features. It was

predicted that there would be a positive correlation between facial symmetry and finger lengths in both males and

females. Photocopies of left and right hands and headshot portraits of fifty-one subjects were used to assess this.

Average male 2D:4D ratio (0.9535 +0.005139) and facial symmetry score (7.6432 +0.1235) were lower than

average female 2D:4D ratio (0.9744 +0.006252) and facial symmetry score (8.2772 +0.0854). Males with lower

2D:4D ratios had significantly higher facial symmetry scores, (p=2.45x10-24

, one-tail). Females with higher 2D:4D

ratios had significantly higher facial symmetry scores, (p=1.13x10-35

, one-tail). These results consist with the

hypothesis that females have a positive correlation between facial symmetry and 2D:4D digit ratio, however our

results show a negative correlation between facial symmetry scores and 2D:4D digit ratio in males.

11. THE EFFECTS OF PHENIBUT ON THE REACTION TIMES OF COMET GOLDFISH (Carassius auratus).

Ghazaleh Daneshmand, Ipsit Shah, Eileen Shima, and Naveed Yazdi. Department of Biological Sciences,


The disposal of pharmaceutical drugs through our waterways, toilets, and other sewage draining appliances has

become a threat to aquatic environments. Since recent studies have found that fresh waters diluted with anti-

anxiety drugs cause significant behavioural changes in native fish, it was hypothesized that the reaction times of

Carassius auratus will be significantly altered when exposed to Phenibut (Phenibut is an over the counter drug used

to treat anxiety, and it has been reported by some researchers to neurological function). Fifteen fish were placed

into two separate ten liter tanks, one of which was diluted with Phenibut at 1.0 µg/L. After 60 minutes, fish were

tested at random by dropping an object into the tank. Both drugged and undrugged fish reaction times were

measured by analyzing video recordings taken at 240 frames per second. Mean reaction times of five randomly

selected drugged and undrugged fish were 0.240±.017 and 0.331±.017 seconds, respectively. The difference

between the reaction times of the two groups were statistically significant (p = 0.002, one-tailed t-test). The

significant alteration of behaviour increases concerns for aquatic environments which are being exposed to such

drugs. This is alarming as fish that are exposed to drugs may have a competitive edge over others and may disrupt

the ecosystem.


12. THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON STOMATAL DENSITY IN TWO COMMERCIAL ROSE VARIETIES

Rosa x odorata var. 'Perfume Delight' AND Rosa x ordorata var. 'Pumpkin Patch'. Sanaz Taghizadeh, Jazmin

Mendoza, Leslie Ibarra, and Philippe Daniel. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission

Viejo, CA, 92692.

Studies indicate that plants alter stomatal density as a physiological response to atmospheric CO2 concentration.

This response in plant structure affects two major physiological parameters: the rate of CO2 uptake and water

secretion. Because plants play a vital role in the global carbon budget through photosynthetic fixation of CO2,

understanding their responses to changing environmental conditions is essential. Two types of roses were used to

assess the effects of within-species responses to low altitude (28m) and high altitude (1,249m) conditions. In Rosa

x ordorata var. 'Perfume Delight', stomatal density increased with an increase in altitude, presenting a significant

difference (N=40, p = 1.61 x 10-10

, unpaired t-test, two-tailed). Although Rosa x ordorata var. 'Pumpkin Patch'

showed the same effects, the result was not significant (N=40, p = 0.603, unpaired t-test, two-tailed). These

outcomes expand on past studies by illustrating a variation in plant physiological responses within unique strains

of a single species, rather than only between different species. Investigating plant responses to elevated levels of

carbon dioxide are helpful in predicting future productivity of vegetation.

13. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ACCLIMATION ON THE ACTIVITY OF LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE

I IN COMET GOLDFISH (Carassirus auratus). Bong Jeon, Jasmine Mohaghegh, Megan Masler and Jerid

Pandita. Department of Biological Sciences, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

Enzymes are optimized at specific conditions such as temperature and pH. Deviation from the optimal zone

results in decreased enzymatic activity and efficiency. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is necessary for the reduction

of pyruvate into lactate in the absence of oxygen. Using NADH as a reducing agent, the cell can regenerate NAD+

in order to continue glycolysis. It was hypothesized that LDH from fish acclimated at one temperature would show

decreased activity at the other temperatures. To determine if temperature acclimated enzymes work equally well at

another temperature, LDH activity was measured in crude muscle from comet goldfish acclimated for four weeks

at 10℃ and 25℃. Activity was measured spectrophotometrically as the disappearance of NADH over time. As

hypothesized, the 10℃ acclimated enzymes worked best at 10℃ and had low activity at 25℃. The hypothesis also

held true for the 25℃ acclimated enzymes; the enzymes from each respective tank temperature worked best at their

optimal temperature.

14. THE EFFECT OF A KETOGENIC DIET ON THE METABOLIC RATE OF FEMALE MICE, Mus

Musculus. Jacob Lewis, Matt Hoshiko, Karolyn Tran, Andrew Lee. Department of Biological Sciences,


A ketogenic diet is widely thought to aid in weight loss. Our experiment will observe the differing resting

metabolic rates of female mus musculus, one ketotic population, our dependent variable, and the other not in

ketosis, our control. Fats offer 9 kilocalories/gram, while carbohydrate have 4 kilocalories/gram. Therefore, ketotic

mice should require less food than normal mice. Since ketotic mice spend less time searching for food, their

overall energy expenditure should decrease. Eating less food suggests that the mice won’t need to spend as much

energy metabolizing their food; therefore, it was hypothesized that ketotic mice have lower metabolic rate than

those on regular diets. Four of our mice were fed a normal diet, while the other four were fed a ketogenic diet. The

oxygen consumption of each mouse was recorded in a sealed chamber attached to a Fox-box. We calculated the

mass specific metabolic rate by the equation: O2 consumed= Volumeexpired * (FinspiredO2 - FexpiredO2) / (1 – FinspiredO2)

(adjusted to STPD). The metabolic rate of the ketotic mice decreased significantly(p-value= 0.03). The mean

metabolic rate of the mice fed a regular diet decreased from 3.52 ± 0.24(±SEM) to 3.13 ± 0.15(±SEM) and the

mean metabolic rate of the mice fed a ketogenic diet decreased from 3.63 ± 0.11(±SEM) to 3.27 ± 0.28(±SEM).

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