The effects of valerian root on Lumbriculus variegatus Introduction: Lumbriculus variegatus also know as the California Blackworm. The body of the worm has a transparent skin; because of the skin being transparent you can observe the blood flow. The blood of the worm flows through a closed system of vessels and capillaries. We decided to use Valerian Root because it is a depressant and we want to see how the Valerian Root affects a Blackworm’s pulse rate. Valerian is a plant most commonly found in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Valerian Root is a herbal supplement that is used to help with insomnia, mood disorders, anxiety, menstrual cramps, and psychological stress conditions. Valerian slows down the central nervous system and helps human fall asleep. Common side effects include headaches, depression, and dizziness. The effects of valerian root on Lumbriculus variegatus By Brittany Francis and Sara Maxon Albion High School, GCC Bio100 Procedure: Set up the control with 10 worms Each worm will spend 5 minutes in 10 mL of Spring Water. Test each worm’s pulse rate Put worms in a recovery dish Record data and repeat Set up solution with the same 10 worms Each worm spends 5 minutes in 10 mL of the solution Put worms in the recovery dish Record data and repeat Materials: 10 Blackworm ,400 mg Valerian Root, Microscope, 100mL Spring Water, Dishes, Slide, Cover Slide Timer, Gloves, Safety Glasses, Beakers, Graduated Cylinder, Filter, Flask, Recovery Dish Conclusion: Our hypothesis was supported by the data. The pulse rate in some cases were very slow. In some cases the worms were going crazy in the V. Root. The median was only a point off and the mean had a difference of 1.4. We take the problems from Humza and Gary's experiment and we created our experiment. They let their worms be in the solution for too long of a time. Their worms were stressed when they did their testing's. We decided to change the amount of time the worms would be in the water. Over all we had lower scores but some improvements can be made. The amount of Valerian Root can be increased, with more of the drug the solution should be stronger and the results even lower. Hypothesis: We predict the worm’s in the Valerian Root solution will have a slower pulse rate than the worms in the spring water. Independent Variable: Valerian Root solution Dependent Variable: Pulse Rate Control Setup: Spring Water Constants: temperature of the water, microscope, amount of Valerian Root, time in solution Results: Overall the Blackworm’s pulse rate in Valerian Root was slower, with a mean of 11.8 and median of 12. The pulse rate in the Spring Water the mean was 13.2 and the median was 13. In trials 1 ,2,6 & 9 the worms were moving around a lot in the V. Root. Resources: Valerian. (n.d.). In WebMD. Retrieved October 9, 2014 Quinn H., Williams G., (2011) The effect of a valerian solution on the Bpm of Lumbriculus variegatus in comparison to the effect of plain water, [Albion High School PowerPoint Shared Folder]