My name is Jasmine James
and I am a junior, biology major and data analysis minor. This semester I am
participating in URSP to answer a question I have been wondering about for
years. The question stems from something my mother used to tell me a lot, “When I
was pregnant with you, I couldn’t get a relaxer”.
There
are many factors which can affect pregnancy, one of which is a chemical
compound called retinoic acid. It is a naturally occurring chemical, which in
regulated doses promotes the development of the spine. However, it is also
known to have negative effects when introduced in excess. There are also multiple
chemicals which are very similar to retinoic acid, such as retinol and retinol
palmitate. Retinol is a major portion of Vitamin A and is how retinoic acid
exists prior to its conversion after being taken into the body. Retinol palmitate
is the synthetic version of retinoic acid which is used in cosmetics such as sunscreen
and hair relaxers. I began to wonder if these two compounds have the same
effect on the embryos as retinoic acid.
To
determine the effects, we used the model organism of zebrafish. They are the
prime model for studies involving embryo development due to how rapidly they
develop, and how easy they are to care for. I have been working with Dr. Olmo to study the
zebrafish embryos until they reach 72 hours of life before imaging them and
analyzing the images. We analyze how their tails are bent based upon exposure
group: retinoic acid, retinol, retinol palmitate, or negative control. Through
this process I hope to delve as far into my research as I can to gain a better
understanding of vitamin A derivatives, and the complex nature that is
developmental biology.
