Control of heart rate

Investigate how heart rate changes with temperature, or under the influence of other chemicals that are physiologically active in mammals and other vertebrates. There are details here of a procedure for investigating living Daphnia, and also a detailed report of a study of a frog’s heart for discussion.

Experiments

• Monitoring the body’s reactions to stress
  Use the Leiden Public Speaking Task to apply stress to students. Observe and evaluate physiological changes before, during and after the test.
• Investigating factors affecting the heart rate of Daphnia
  Observe Daphnia under a microscope and count its heart rate in different conditions – as temperature changes or as chemicals such as ethanol are added to the water.
• The vertebrate heart in action
  Results from an investigation into the factors controlling the action of a frog’s heart are provided for discussion.
• Observing the effects of exercise on the human body
  Measure heart rate before, during and after exercise of different intensities. Consider why heart rate changes and how the changes are controlled.