how does caffeine effect euglena? Pleaz help!!?

Question

I am doing an experiment on the effect of caffeine on euglena. I already started it and recieved euglena in AGAR. That made my project confusing b/c i didnt know how the AGAR affected the EUGLENA. It made the euglena hibernate. I observed the euglena after the AGAR EUGLENA BEING IN 2 HRS IN DISTILLED WATER, and few of the euglena were moving. Euglena is suppossed to be oblong, but most of them were circular and not moving much. Then i took the agar euglena( with an inoculating loop) and put it into 1% solution of caffeiene in distilled water.I waited 2 min and observed the euglena under a microscope, but they looked just like the euglena without CAFFEINE!! is it htat they are still hibernating, so they wont be affected by the caffeien? Also, ithink with caffeine, the euglena will form a cyst. HOw will i recognize the cyst when the euglena forms one? DOes the euglena become circular? Becuz alot of them are kinda circular rite now. Plez help b/c i need finish this...THANKS!!!!!

Answer 1

Here's a part of the Abstract from an article that might be useful for your project:

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) released Ca2+ from microsome fraction prepared from Euglena gracilis in dose-dependent manners. Caffeine, which also induced Ca2+ release from the microsomes, caused desensitization of the Ca2+ response to cADPR, although the Ca2+ response to InsP3 was not affected by caffeine.

Comp Biochem Physiol C Pharmacol Toxicol Endocrinol. 1997 Nov;118(3):279-83.
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and cyclic ADP-ribose mobilize Ca2+ in a protist, Euglena gracilis.

Answer 2

You killed the Euglena when you put them in distilled water (read about osmosis.)