4th Annual WML Academic Symposium

Blood flow to tissues can be regulated by dilation and constriction of vessels, and these changes in vessel diameter may be caused by localized or systemic factors. Previous studies on the observations of vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels are common, however most research does not show changes as specific measurements of vessel diameter. This study measured changes in the diameter of arterioles and venules in the tail of the Goldfish, Carassius auratus, using microscopy and Imagej software. Localized changes were caused by variations in temperature, with heat causing an increase in vessel diameter and cold causing a decrease in vessel diameter. Systemic changes were caused by epinephrine or acetylcholine transported through the gills into the bloodstream. Preliminary measurements show that epinephrine increased vessel diameter and acetylcholine decreased vessel diameter. This study is a model for future studies focusing on measuring quantitative changes caused by chemicals in freshwater habitats.