Activity #2: Ethanol and Tobacco Toxicity in Living Animal Cells
Step 1
Infusion
• Infusion of hay, dry grass, or pond mud
• Opacity Check: try reading a newspaper through the culture jar to check for cloudiness
Step 2 - Treatments
• Add various substances to other culture tubes– Water (leaves one tube untreated as a control)– Alcohol, tobacco– Here we also tested mouthwash and toothpaste
Step 3a – Examine Tubes
Visually
Observe and Note Immediate Effects
(Repeat again after two days)
Wat
er (c
ontro
l)Et
hano
lTob
acco
Mou
thw
ash
Toot
hpas
teCoc
a Col
a
Step 3b Inspect the OrganismsExamine Organisms Under the Microscope
– Initially and Two Days Later
Step 4. Effects of Treatment Over
Time
As seen under a microscope, number and type of protists should change rapidly – in a matter of hours
Step 5DNA Extraction
Wate
r (c
ontro
l)Eth
anol
Tobac
co
Mou
thwas
hToo
thpa
steCoc
a Col
a
DNA
Water (control)
DNA
Mainly Salt
Ethanol
Mainly Salt
Tobacco
DNA
Salt
Mouthwash
DNA
Toothpaste
DNA