Modified Ames Test for Mutagenicity of Pepsi-Cola in Escherichia coli
I. Introduction
Certain substances have been avoided because of their potential harmful effects on the body. One way a substance has affected cells was by changing their genetic material. A substances’ potential to cause changes in genetic information was the mutagenicity of the substance. If it caused changes in the DNA sequence, it was considered a mutagen. The altering of a DNA sequence was a concern because the modification of DNA can lead to cancer. Mutagens may act as cancer causing agents, commonly known as carcinogens (Biology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008). As a result, there was a large amount of research done focused on identifying mutagens. There was an emphasis on substances that people regularly come in contact with, often through eating. Certain substances found in a large portion for a typical human diet have been studied for mutagenicity. One of these substances was Pepsi-Cola, a common drink sold and consumed across the world.
Pepsi-Cola was concerning because people consume it worldwide. Scientists who have studied Pepsi-Cola focused on the caffeine contained in the soda. A 12-ounce Pepsi-Cola contains 38.4 mg of caffeine (Lamarine, 1994). Caffeine was also readily found in many other substances regularly consumed by people including coffee, chocolate, tea, Coca-Cola and other beverages (Lamarine, 1994). Many researchers have done studies on the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of caffeine. One such individual, Margaret Lieb studied the mutagenic effect that caffeine had on Escherichia coli that which had been treated with ultra-violet radiation. The results of her study reveled a greater number of mutant E. coli in the sample where...
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...ology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008).
III. References
Biology 214 Laboratory Handout 2008. Ames testing: are chemicals, mutations, and cancer linked?
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. 5 pp.
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Lamarine, R.J. 1994. Selected Health and Behavioral Effects Related to the Use of Caffeine. Journal of
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Lieb, M. 1961. Enhancement of Ultraviolet-Induced Mutation in Bacteria by Caffeine. Zeitshrift für
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“Java Man” by Malcolm Gladwell is an essay describing caffeine, its uses, and social standing. The essay describes how this particular stimulant has been widely accepted by society throughout time. Malcolm Gladwell recounts how caffeine appeals to different classes when used in different beverages; gives examples of how this legal stimulant affects the body for different individuals and gives examples of a very short and unconventional study, which showed the harmless affects of caffeine; and is consumed by a variety of age groups in many ways. Malcolm Gladwell says it best in his essay, “Java Man”: “At one moment, in one form, it is the drug of choice of café intellectuals and artists; in another, of Zen monks; and yet another, of children enthralled by a fat man that slides down chimneys” (233). The setting and
Yew, D. M. (2014, March 31). Caffeine Toxicity. (A. M. Tarabar, Editor) Retrieved June 18, 2014, from Medscape: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/821863-overview
By this definition, and after knowing the effects of caffeine upon the human body, I have come to the conclusion that drinking caffeine is a sign of a lack of respect for oneself, and of an unappreciative attitude toward the life that each of us has been blessed with. Furthermore, it shows of either our inability, or unwillingness to learn to think clearly.
Caffeine raises your blood pressure when you drink/eat it, raising your blood pressure in general is not a good thing but imagine drinking and/or eating caffeine daily, and your blood pressure constantly rising. Another negative aspect is that caffeine can have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the caffeine is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. It can help you stay awake during the day but can also make you stay awake during the night when you are trying to fall asleep. You can also have withdraws from caffeine, going back to the story “Java Man” the author Malcolm Gladwell considered it a drug and remember you can get addicted to drugs (you can really get addicted to anything). There are plenty more negative ways caffeine can disrupt your lifestyle but you know what they say for every negative thing you can say there can be some
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
An example is the Aspartame found in diet soda. Focusing on diet soda, it is shown that it is linked to even more diseases and causes more side effects than regular soda. Furthermore, “Numerous studies over the past several years have reported links between diet soda and weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, and other health issues. Most recently, headlines sounded alarms about a higher chance of dementia and stroke among diet soda drinkers” (Is Drinking…). The aspartame that is used in the diet soda is the main culprit for diet sodas effects. In fact, “Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death” (Aspartame…). Aspartame is a man-made chemical that is made up of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. With, aspartic acid making up 40%, phenylalanine making up 50%, and methanol making up 10%. Taking in consideration the phenylalanine in diet soda,” Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression” (Aspartame…). With the methanol, that is found in aspartame, it “…breaks down into formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin… With a recommended limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit” (Aspartame…). The effects of methanol are caused by the formaldehyde. “Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects” (Aspartame…). Overall it is shown that the aspartame that is found in diet soda is linked to a number of diseases
B. Too much consumption of caffeine can cause risk of heart disease and may possibly even raise cholesterol levels if too much is
Mary C. Dufour, "Twenty-five Years of Alcohol Epidemiology: Trends, Techniques, and Transitions," Alcohol Research and Health Spring 1995: 77-84.
Processes of exogenous and endogenous are likely to result in mutated genes leading towards cancer. (Schulz 2005, Knowles & Selby 2005). There are three known classifications of carcinogens, which are described to be cancer-causing agents based on the fact that they directly boost effects and thus cause mutations of the alterations already in place. The three classifications include: Chemical carcinogens which can be related to cigarettes and the mutations created as a result of the chemicals involved; Physical carcinogens which involves...
In order to establish a cohort study design a clear research question and hypothesis must be established. In this case our research question was what effects does alcohol consumption have on the development of bladder cancer? The next step would be to choose our source population. The decision on which group will serve as source population depends on numerous factors. This includes expenses, accessibility, traceability and whether or not it correlates with your hypothesis. In this study I have chosen to focus on a cohort of 100,000 men from Germany ages 55-75 and were followed up for a twenty year period. Women were not included in the study because of the fact they have a much lower chance of developing bladder
As the vast majority of Americans are addicted to caffeine, studies show that the effects during post-consumption, can be positive or negative depending on the amount and frequency of caffeine intake. As the demand for caffeine has increased, the caffeine industry has increased its amount of marketing and establishments to help aid this demand. Caffeine addiction can lead to serious health detriments and physiological detriments. It is evident that the primary reason for consumption of caffeinated beverages is due to positive effects, such as alertness. The media has an abundance of marketing to continue to illustrate this main effect. The media fails to project the negative effects of excessive caffeine intake. This literature review will illustrate how excessive caffeine consumption can be detrimental to one’s life, and how problematic caffeine use derives from conditioning by the caffeine industries.
htm medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUarticles/caffeine.htm http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple http://media.highlandernews.net - http://media.highlandernews. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Cola Wars Environmental Analysis 1. Introduction External environmental analysis of US carbonated soft drink (CSD) industry allows concluding that declining CSD sales call for changes in industry operations whereby market players can benefit from the fundamental shift in the industry development and maintain its leadership positions in beverage market. Analyses of macrolevel, industry, and competitive environments suggest that expansion, strong brand recognition, and changes in value chain will be key success factors in the future industry development. 2. What is the difference between a.. External environmental analysis a. Macrolevel environment (PESTEL analysis) i. Political New federal nutrition guidelines identified CSD as the largest source of obesity-causing sugars in the American diet.
Alcohol and tobacco use may lead to major health risks. Alcohol is associated with chronic liver disease, cancers, cardiovascular disease, acute alcohol poisoning, and fetal alcohol syndrome, while smoking is associated with lung disease, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Alcohol and tobacco cause more than 80 percent of cases of mouth and throat cancer in men and more than 65 percent in women. People who smoke and drink at same time, it is dangerous to mouth and throat cancer increases dramatically. In fact, the combined risk is greater than or equal to the risk associated with alcohol multiplied by the risk associated with tobacco. The American Heart Association estimates that more than 34 percent of the United States population has some form of cardiovascular disease. First, cardiovascular disease encompasses a variety of conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, and hardenin...