Researched by Sierra S.
2000-01

• PURPOSE 
• HYPOTHESIS 
• EXPERIMENT DESIGN
• MATERIALS 
• PROCEDURES 
• RESULTS 
• CONCLUSION 

• RESEARCH REPORT 
• BIBLIOGRAPHY 
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION
Nutrition is an important factor in human health. Aspartame is used as a sweetener in low- calorie diets because it has very few calories, but the issue of its safety is controversial. Using ants to test the effects of aspartame versus sugar on their health can help judge whether or not it is safe for human use.

Introduction
Ants are insects, whose relatives include wasps and bees. They come in many species, sizes and colors. They live in colonies made up of a queen, several male ants, many soldier ants, and mostly workers. The queen's job is to mate, start a colony, and lay eggs. She will live up to 16 years. The male ants job is to mate with the queen then die. The soldier ant's job is to defend the colony, and the worker ants groom other ants, care for eggs and larvae, and gather food.

Types
There are over 35,000 known species of ants including honey, carpenter, leaf-cutter and weaver ants. Ants vary in size, some being as large as 3 inches long or as small as 1/25 of an inch. They will also vary in color, most commonly seen are red, black or brown ants, but ants can also be yellow, green, blue and purple.

Diet
Ants survive mainly on sweet liquids such as nectar, honeydew, and juices from flowers, fruits and vegetables. Yet, a few certain species of ants eat leaves, grass, fungi, and seeds.

Body Structure
Ants have three basic body parts: the head, abdomen and thorax. On their head are their mouth, eyes and antennae. Antennae are used to sense moisture, vibration, to tell the temperature, and smell. These make up for the ant's poor vision. On the abdomen are the legs, which have 5 joints on each of 2 forelegs, and 4 back legs, and 2 tiny claws on the end of each so they can hook them in tiny crevices and enable them to walk up walls and ceilings. Also on their abdomen, there are spiracles for taking in air.

Metamorphous
Ants start out as small white eggs laid by the queen. They then hatch from the egg into white, grub-like larvae. Then, they spin themselves a cocoon. While in the cocoon, they are called pupa. Later, the pupa emerges from the cocoon as an adult ant.

Predators & Defense
Predators of ants include lizards, birds, beetles, antilions, other insect-eating mammals and humans. Ants defend themselves by biting, stinging and spraying an unpleasant, vinegar-like scent.

Introduction
Sugar is made up of carbohydrates, which serve as the main energy source of the body and help form proteins. Sugar is what created the taste, body, color and texture in baked food. It is safe for consumption and does not cause any problems, except for contributing to tooth decay, cavities, diabetes and obesity. It is mainly found in sugar cane and sugar beets. Sugar beets make up 40% of the world production of sugar, and sugar cane makes up the other 60%.

Sugar Cane
Sugar cane (saccharum officinarum is a perennial herb classified as part of the grass family. The sugar cane's stalks contain "cane juice" which is later used for making sugar, in them.

Sugar cane grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas, and requires up to 120 inches of rainfall per year. The sugar cane is planted in the winter, and harvested around 8 months later in sub-tropical areas. In the tropical areas, it is also planted in winter, but is not harvested until 1-1.5 years after planting. The stalks are harvested by hand using a sickle (large steel blade) or with a cane-cutting machine.

Sugar Cane Processing
First, the field is burnt to remove leaves and twigs. The sugar cane stalks do not burn because of the large amount of water they contain. Then, the sugar cane stalks are harvested and brought to a factory. There they are washed and sliced, and sent to a machine that crushes the cane. When the cane is crushed, it releases a sugary liquid called "cane juice". Water is then squirted on the stalks to dissolve the remaining juice. The cane juice is then heated and lime is added to remove impurities. Carbon dioxide is also added to remove excess lime. The juice is then heated again to remove excess water, then large crystals form in the syrup. The crystals are separated from the syrup in a centrifuge. The crystals are then dissolved through water and poured through filters. The liquid is evaporated and the crystals form again and are spun in the centrifuge. This is then sent to the drying drums to have excess moisture absorbed, then packaged and sent to stores.

Sugar Beet
Sugar beets are grown for the sugar in the roots. They grow best in places with rich soil and sunny days and cool nights. Sugar beets require a large amount of water. The roots will weight 1.5-3 lbs., and grow 2-5 ft. long. The beets are harvested in about September through October by being dug out of the ground. They are then sent to the factory to be processed. 

Sugar Beet Processing
First, the beets are thoroughly washed and separated from the leaves and other dirt debris. They are then cut into thin slices, and soaked in hot water for 1 hour in the diffuser. Then screw presses squeeze the beet slices. The dry pulp is sent to an animal food pellet plant. Next, the juice is carbonated, where pieces of chalk are thrown in the juice, which sucks up non-sugars. The juice is then evaporated using steam. The juice is then put in a pan where more water is boiled off. Crystals then grow, and these and the liquid are sent to the centrifuge to be separated. The crystals are then dried and stored or packaged.

Introduction
Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener used in food, beverages and many medications. It is also produced and sold under the name of "NutraSweet" "Equal" and "Sweet'n'Low". Using aspartame rather than sugar, the amount of calorie intake can be substantially reduced in many foods. This can be helpful for people trying to avoid sugar in their diet, including diabetics and those who are overweight.

History
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aspartame in 1981 for use in powder mixes and as a tabletop sweetener. It had been tested for over 8 years and officials had refused to approve it because it caused seizures and brain tumors in lab animals. Later, in 1996 it was approved for use in all food, beverage, and medication.

Safety
The safety of aspartame, although affirmed by the FDA and other health groups, is still controversial. Many food scientists and doctors still question its safety, especially when taken in large quantities, and claim it can cause damage to the optical nerve, central nervous system, and active organs, or even death.

Sugar is made up of carbohydrates, which serve as the main energy source of the body. It is safe for consumption and does not cause problems, except for contributing to tooth decay and obesity. Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener. Using aspartame rather than sugar, the calorie intake can be reduced in many foods. Many food scientists and doctors still question its safety, especially when taken in large quantities, and claim it can cause damage to the central nervous system and active organs.
Ants are insects, whose relatives include wasps and bees. They live in colonies made up of a queen, several male ants, many soldier ants, and mostly workers. Ants survive mainly on sweet liquids such as nectar, honeydew, and juices from flowers, fruits and vegetables. 

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O'Toole, Christopher. Insects and Spiders. New York, NY: Facts On File Inc., 1990. Pp. 74-77.

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