(Journal of Toxicological Education, 2013)
Reynolds, Mindy
Only recently has it been adequately recognized that substances present in the environment can
have adverse effects on developing organisms. Now, with environmental pollutants accumulating
at an unprecedented rate, and with pharmaceuticals dominating western medicine, it is
particularly important that we understand the effects of the substances to which we are exposed.
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a widely used model system for the study of vertebrate
development. This system is particularly amenable for use in the undergraduate laboratories
because of the ease of collection and manipulation and the rapid rate of development. In this lab,
students use zebrafish to examine the effects of nicotine, ethanol, and retinoic acid on normal
development. Students first examine normal development and compare it to overall growth, dry
weight, and behavior of zebrafish exposed to these chemicals. The students may also collect
data on LC50 and notochord length. The quantitative data is evaluated for statistically significant
differences between treatments. Finally, students write a research proposal for an independent
experiment in which they expose embryos to a toxicant of their choice, carry out the experiment,
and present their findings. This lab introduces students to the use of animal models and
incorporates experimental design and data analysis. More importantly, it introduces