2644 - CSUN ScholarWorks - California State University, Northridge

2842
journal of Student Research Abstracts · 87
A GOLDFISH'S USE OF ITS OLFACTORY SENSES TO FIND FOOD.
Rachel Monterrubio and Steve DeGusta (teacher). John F. Kennedy High School, 6715 Gloria Drive
Sacramento, CA 95831. '
To test weather a goldfish can use it's olfactory senses to find food I created a maze to run the fish through
so as to take away the option of using it's vision. For the first half of my experiment I used a sample group A
of five goldfish. I placed three pellets of fish food at the end of one hall of the maze and placed one goldfish
from group A in to the starting room of the maze. I gave each fish one chance to find the food under five minutes
where I would then change the placement of the food to a different hall of the maze and time them again.
Each fish had a total of four runs. For the second part of my experiment I attempted to manipulate the olfactory
senses of the goldfish so as to imprint upon the fish the pathway to the food which remained in one stationary
position. I did this by leading each of the five fish of group B to the food, four individual times, by
using the negative presence of a spoon to discourage the goldfish from going in the wrong direction. I then
allowed each fish one trial to find the food under five minutes. Finally I removed the food and allowed each
fish one trial of five minutes to reach the spot where the food had previously been placed. For the first part of
my experiment the results of the goldfish finding its food under five minutes were below average, as where the
results of the imprinting trials, suggesting that a goldfish does not use its olfactory senses to find it's food.
2843
HOW HERMIT CRABS LIVE AND INTERACT IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT WHEN
IT IS TIME TO MOVE TO A NEW SHELL.
N.C. Flores, B. Harrington, C. Ronglie, and Engelmann (teacher). Palisades Charter High School, 15777
Bowdoin St., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
From a series of selected shells from different species of snails, which shell is preferred by the hermit crab?
Different types of snail shells were placed in front of unshelled crabs. Two larger crabs and two smaller ones.
Three out of the four chose the hard dark extremely bumpy shells. The last one, the smallest one, chose a
smooth light colored one.
2845
THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON THE LEARNING AND ABILITES OF MICE.
Steven Fong and Steve DeGusta, (teacher). John F. Kennedy High School, 6715 Gloria Drive, Sacramento,
CA 95831.
At the biochemical level, learning still is not completely understood, but it is generally believed that chemcials
known as neurotransmitters play an intergal part in our ability to learn. Caffeine is known for its ability
to block the action of a chemical known as phosphodiesterase (PDE). This chemical causes the breakdown of
secondary neurotransmitters in the body. Because the secondary neurotransmitters are not broken down, the
effects of the primary neurotransmitters are greatly amplified, which can cause an increase in physical abilities,
alertness, and possibily the an increase in the learning abilities of female mice. The experimental was subjected
to 0.15 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of a human drinking 2.5 cups of coffee) 2 hours prior to being run
through a maze 4 times. It was found that caffeine does play a significant role in mouse learning, and differences
between the control and experimental groups was significant (p < 0.02).