Mice Environment and Diet Science Fair Projects

Mice science fair projects squeak out a win...

Mice

Mice can be very interesting to observe. While they are low on the food chain they are actually very intelligent.

Objectives/Goals

My goal was to determine if placing mice in varied environments and different diets would affect the weight gained or lost.

Methods/Materials

Twenty-four mice were placed in four cages with six mice per group. Groups One and Two were in a night/day environment. Groups Three and Four were placed in a twenty-four hour light environment. One group from each environment was given high carbohydrate food (Frosted Flakes), while the others were given regular mouse food. I weighed each mouse individually on a triple beam balance scale every 3 days for 15 days. The results were recorded and graphed.

Results

Group Four (regular mouse food with twenty-four hour light) gained the most weight, while group One(Frosted Flakes with night/day environment) lost the most weight. Group Three (Frosted Flakes with twenty-four hour light) lost the second most amount of weight, while group Two (regular mouse food with night/day environment) gained the second most amount of weight.

Conclusions/Discussion

In conclusion, I believe that group Four gained the most weight because their diet was adequate and the 24 hour the light exposure may have stressed the mice. From my previous year project, I found that stress causes weight gain in mice. I also believe that group One lost the most weight because Frosted Flakes doesn't have the proper amount of fat, nutrients, and vitamins needed to produce a balanced diet for mice. Due to their high metabolism, the effect was dramatic. 3rd party contributor