Tetrahymena Essay

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Molly Turnquist Biology 121 Final Lab Report November 29, 2007 Effects of Hoodia extract on feeding habits of Tetrahymena After researching the effects of the dietary supplement Bitter Orange on humans and predicting its effects on Tetrahymena, it was not possible to obtain this substance in order to be tested. The desired effects of Bitter Orange on humans is suppression of the appetite and through researching previous studies, these effects are probable in certain circumstances. In order to effectively suppress the appetite, Bitter Orange was usually combined with caffeine and some type of green tea extract. As most supplements containing Bitter Orange also contain these additives, this did not seem to be an obstacle. However, as it was not possible to obtain a supplement containing Bitter Orange, a similar product was substituted for the purpose of an experiment on its effects on Tetrahymena. This product is known as Hoodia and is used as an appetite suppressant. Hoodia’s active ingredient is derived from an African cactus plant known as Hoodia Gordonii. The pharmaceutical company Phytopharm controls the distribution of the products containing Hoodia extract. Along with extracts from the plant itself, other active ingredients on the label of the supplement used in this experiment include caffeine and green tea extract. Since Hoodia is a fairly new product, there are not many reliable studies published on the effects of Hoodia on human appetite. Since it is coupled with similar products as Bitter Orange, it is assumed the products’ effects on the appetite are very similar. Therefore, a hypothesis and prediction similar to that concerning the effects of Bitter Orange can be formed. The hypothesis reached before experimentation was that since Tetrahymena lack a nervous system, which is the main body system involved in producing the desired

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