Jessica Dador
Suzanne Hizer
BIO215

ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON THE GROWTH OF MARIGOLD FLOWERS
ABSTRACT:
Marigold Snow Drift flowers begin to sprout within one to two weeks and grow anywhere from six inches to three feet in length. Caffeine acts as a stimulant that temporarily increases alertness and energy. The purpose of this experiment is to determine if caffeine has an effect on stimulating and accelerating the growth of Snow Drift Marigold flowers. Fifty Marigold flowers were grown; half of the experimental units were planted with caffeine and the remaining half set as the control. The marigold’s growth rates are then monitored to observe whether there are significant changes in development due to the exposure of caffeine. After …show more content…
Caffeine uses the same biochemical mechanisms as the aforementioned drugs to stimulate functions (Brian). What caffeine does is block the effect of adenosine, which is natural regulator in the brain. Adenosine is built up throughout the day and when it reaches a certain concentration threshold, they combine with receptors to make one feel tired (Fredholm). The molecular structure of adenosine and caffeine look very similar, therefore the can bind to the same receptors, which can block adenosine, then allows for caffeine stimulants bind to keep someone energized (Figure 1). Marigolds are beautiful flowers that have similar flower head like a carnation and are typically produced in bunches. These particular flowers are very popular because of its ability to bloom brightly throughout the summertime. Marigolds thrive in full sun and prefer well-drained soils (Specialty Produce). The flower should begin to sprout within a week and a half, but it takes approximately six weeks to grow and bloom. Considering caffeine seems to give humans more energy, it would be logical for it to possibly have effects on the developments of plants at a faster rate than normal. Producing beautiful marigolds a lot …show more content…
The Marigold flowers were chosen from a packet of 30 “Burpee Marigold Snow Drift” seeds. The 50-cell tray was filled with 2 centimeters of Miracle Gro. A grid was created on poster paper, two seeds placed in each numbered cell, and a random number generator utilized to help distribute each seed randomly throughout the cell tray. Again, a random number generator application is used to help distribute the control and variable groups within the tray to avoid selection bias (Figure 2). The treatment group is the marigold snowdrift planted with crushed caffeine pills applied to soil. Once treatment groups were made, the rest of the cell is filled with more fertilizer until it reached the top of the