Abstract

Marlena Fox

The purpose of this experiment was to find out if oxygen's radical role has an effect on aging. The hypothesis states that oxygen's radical role does have an effect on aging. Based on background information and previous experiments performed by scientists, oxygen's radical roles do effect the aging process.

The fruit flies were put to sleep, using triethylamine, so that the males could be clearly distinguished from the females. Five male fruit flies were then placed into each of the four vials. Four groups were created by varying the food mix. The control group's food mix contained only water. Group 1 had a three percent solution-- ninety-seven percent water and three percent hydrogen peroxide. Group 2 had a one percent solution- ninety- nine percent water and one percent hydrogen peroxide. Group 3 had a 0.5 percent solution-- ninety-nine and a half percent water and one-half percent hydrogen peroxide. Time saw the effect of the hydrogen peroxide by seeing the Order in which each vial's fruit flies died. The process was the repeated a second time.

On the first day of Trial A, all of the fruit flies remained alive, except two in the three percent solution. By the third day, two more fruit flies died in the one percent solution. One day later, one fruit fly was dead in the control, two in the three percent, two in the one percent, and one in the half percent. Each day more fruit flies died and by the tenth day only one fly was dead in the control group, while all five were dead in each of the other vials. When the experiment was repeated, the process occurred more rapid. This may have been caused by the decrease in the size of the vials. On the first day of Trial B, six fruit flies had already died- two in the control group, two in the one percent, and two in the half percent. The second day, two had died in the control group, two in the three percent, three in the one percent, and three in the half percent. Gradually the flies died and by the fifth day three fruit flies had died in the control group, while all five were dead in the other three vials. This experiment proved the hypothesis to be correct. The fruit flies with the hydrogen peroxide mixed into their food died before the control group, therefore showing that radical roles in oxygen do have an effect on the aging process.