The Effects of Potassium Chloride and Calcium Chloride on the Contraction of Muscle Tissue Treated with and without Ibuprofen
The purpose of this experiment was to find how calcium in calcium chloride (CaCl2) and potassium in potassium chloride (KCl) and the interaction of these two factors effect the contraction of a muscle treated with ibuprofen and a muscle treated without ibuprofen. Another objective was to compare how ibuprofen affected the change in length of muscle tissue. This experiment applies to both athletes and non athletes alike. This research helps in discovering how calcium and potassium affect muscle contraction which is important with muscle cramping.
For the research, small sections of muscle tissue were measured with a micrometer scale using a microscope. After the initial length was measured, a solution of potassium and calcium was placed on the muscle and the muscle was re-measured for the final length. Then the initial length was subtracted from the final length in order to find the change in length. This value was used for all comparisons in the research. This procedure was used to collect data for both of the DOEs and the two sample t-test. It was found for both the ibuprofen and glycerol DOE and the glycerol only DOE that none of the individual factor effects or the interaction effects had any significant change in length. The two sample t-test found at a p-value of nearly zero that the muscle tissue soaked in ibuprofen experienced a significantly smaller change in length than the muscle soaked exclusively in glycerol.
Research Done By:
Brittany Morrell
Center Line High School
Katie Oughton
Warren Mott High School
Warren Consolidated Schools