TarunRaj Purohit

Exploring the Implications of Pyrethrin on Zebra Danios

Started June 9, 2023

Abstract or project description

The zebra danio (Danio rerio), more commonly the zebrafish, is often cited as a model organism for neurobiology studies because of its physiological assimilation with humans. This paper will explore, through experimentation on zebra danios, how commonly used insecticides can affect zebrafish's neural response and behavior. The experiment will consist of an at-home ecosystem containing two batches of zebrafish in two distinct water tanks, one with naturally preferable water and one contaminated with a noteworthy insecticide, pyrethrin, which specifically targets the nervous systems of small insects. To test what, if any, behavioral defects are orchestrated by the addition of pyrethrin, I will expose adult fish to varying levels of the chemical and see if, and to what extent, they develop behavioral intricacies, doing so once the fish are moving ideally within the ecosystem. Together, these experiments will simulate the potential psychological and environmental effects of common chemicals within a tropical oceanic environment, the primary habitat of non-captively bred zebrafish worldwide. By raising and collecting data on qualitative and quantitative observations, I will monitor reactionary development before, during, and after the experiment takes place to compare and contrast the two ecosystems. Once the data is collected, I will then use previous experiments to determine the cause of the observed symptoms and assess how the human brain reacts under the same conditions. While how much can be observed is limited due to the practical situation of the experiment, we can nonetheless determine a lot under the light and ultimately signify the effects of pyrethrin concentrate on zebrafish and the corresponding message on human physiology.