NAME:

LAB SCHED: DAY: TIME: DATE:

Activity 4: Nervous System

Procedure:

- this lab should enhance your understanding of the lectures on these topics and give
you a visual explanation of events, so you have to open the web site below and watch
the video:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snBVFnwHqWE ( For short Introduction for this
activity)
- Since it is still prohibited to conduct a activity with your classmates, you can seek help
to your brother, sister, parents or friends within your home (e.g. Taking photo to you,
assisting you while conducting this activity)
- You should be the main character in conducting this activity (for the photo that will be
shown in this activity).

Reflexes and Senses

Reflexes are rapid, predictable responses to stimuli. The pathway along which the
electrical signals travel is called a reflex arc. There are five parts to a reflex arc:

1. The receptor detects a stimulus.

2. The sensory (afferent) neuron sends an electrical signal to the CNS.
3. The integration center consists of one or more synapses in the CNS, and processes
the information.
4. The motor (efferent) neuron sends an electrical signal from the CNS to the effector.
5. The effector, which may be muscle tissue or a gland, responds appropriately.

A monosynaptic reflex has only one synapse. An example is the patellar or knee-jerk
reflex. Most reflexes, however, are polysynaptic, involving more than one synapse.
The more synapses involved, the longer the reflex takes. A spinal reflex needs only the
spinal cord to function, while other more complex reflexes require brain participation.
Somatic reflexes involve skeletal muscle stimulation by the somatic division of the
nervous system. Autonomic reflexes are dealt with through the autonomic division and
activate smooth muscle, cardiac muscle or glands. Reflex testing is an important
diagnostic tool for assessing the general health of the nervous system. Distorted,
exaggerated or absent reflexes may indicate pathology. If the spinal cord is damaged,
reflex tests can help pinpoint the level of damage.

Activity 4.1: The Patellar Reflex

The patellar (or knee-jerk) reflex is called a stretch reflex because it is initiated by
tapping a tendon, which stretches the muscle, stimulating the muscle spindle (the
proprioceptor inside the muscle) and causing reflex contraction of the quadriceps
muscles. Stretch reflexes generally act to maintain posture, balance and locomotion.
While this reflex is occurring, the antagonistic muscle group, in this case the hamstrings,
reflexively relaxes to prevent interference with the patellar reflex. The brain will also
receive information and the subject will be consciously aware of what is happening,
although this is not necessary for the reflex to operate. Stretch reflexes tend to be
absent or hypoactive with peripheral nerve damage or ventral horn disease, and
hyperactive in corticospinal tract lesions. They are absent with deep sedation or coma.

In this figure the quadriceps

muscles are on the front of the
thigh and the hamstrings are on
the back. The reflex arc involving
the quads (patellar reflex) is a
monosynaptic reflex. The reflex
arc involving the hamstrings is
polysynaptic, and is an example of
reciprocal inhibition. That is,
when the quads contract in the
patellar reflex, the hamstrings
must reflexively relax, because
they would otherwise oppose the
action of the quads.
1. The subject should sit on the lab bench with legs hanging freely. Tap the patellar
ligament (see figure above). This assesses the L2-L4 level of the spinal cord. Test
both sides. This will represent the baseline response. (take photo of the subject).

2. Have the subject add several numbers together as you test again. This tests the
effect of mental distraction. Is the response greater than or less than the baseline?

3. Test again while the subject pulls up on the lab bench with the arms while relaxing
the lower limbs. This tests the effect of other simultaneous muscular activity. Is the
response greater than or less than baseline?

4. Which is more likely responsible for the changes you observed - nervous system
activity or muscular system activity?

Activity 4.2: Crossed Extensor Reflex

This is more complex than the patellar reflex. It involves a withdrawal of one limb
followed by extension of the other limb. This would work if a stranger suddenly grabbed
your arm as you walked down the street - you would pull away with the grabbed arm
and push with the other. It rarely works under laboratory conditions because people
typically do not feel threatened in lab, but try it.

1. The subject should sit with eyes closed and one hand resting, palm up, on the lab
bench. With a sharp pencil prick the subject's index finger. What happens? (Take
photo of the subject).

2. Even if the extensor part of the reflex did not work, do you think it should be slow
compared to the reflexes you have observed so far? Why?
Activity 4.3: Pupillary Reflexes
We will test the pupillary light reflex and the consensual reflex. In both, the retina of the
eye is the receptor, the optic nerve holds the afferent fibers, the oculomotor nerve
contains the efferent fibers, and the smooth muscle of the iris is the effector organ.
Many CNS areas are involved. Absence of these reflexes indicates severe trauma or
damage to the brain stem from metabolic imbalance.

1. For the pupillary light reflex, have the subject in a relatively dim area (turn off lights in
lab if helpful) (take photo of the subject). The subject should shield the right eye. Shine
a penlight into the subject's left eye. What happens to the pupil?

2. Also observe the right pupil. Does the same change (called a consensual response)
occur?
_____________________________________________________________________

When a reflex is observed on the same side of the body that was stimulated, that is
called an ipsilateral response. When a reflex occurs on the opposite side of the body
that was stimulated, that is a contralateral response.

3. If there is a contralateral response in a reflex, what does that indicate about the
pathways involved in the reflex?

______________________________________________________________________

4. What is the purpose of the pupillary reflex you just tested?

5. Do you think these reflexes involve sympathetic or parasympathetic pathways? (you

may want to try the next reflex before you answer)
Activity 4.4: Ciliospinal Reflex
This response is somewhat unusual, but interesting.

1. Have the subject stare straight ahead. Look into the subject's eyes as you gently
stroke the skin, or just the hairs, on the left side of the back of the neck, near the
hairline. What is the reaction of the left pupil? Is there any reaction on the right? If you
see no reaction, try a gentle pinch instead of stroking (take photo of the subject).

______________________________________________________________________

2. Do you note a contralateral response?

______________________________________________________________________
The dilation of the pupil you should have noted is a sympathetic response. This can
happen when one pupil receives more sympathetic stimulation than the other for any
reason. Try to explain why dilation is sympathetic while constriction is a
parasympathetic response.

Activity 4.5: Reaction Time of Unlearned Responses

The body's reaction time to a stimulus depends on many things, including sensitivity of
receptors, speed of nerve conduction, number of synapses involved, etc. The type of
response is also key. If the response involves an established reflex arc, response time
will be short. If the response is an unlearned response, as we will demonstrate, then
more pathways and higher level processing will be needed, and response time will be
greater. It is critical that you follow the instructions precisely, or results will not be valid.
You must use the same person as the subject for all three parts.
1. The subject should sit with hand out, thumb and index finger extended. Hold a ruler
vertically so it is one inch above the subject's hand, numbers read from the bottom up.
Drop the ruler, and let the subject grasp it with index finger and thumb. The relative
speed of reaction time is determined by reading the number at the subject's fingertips.
Record five successful trials. If the subject cannot catch the ruler, hold it a bit higher
above the hand before dropping (take photo of the subject).

trial 1_____ trial 2_____ trial 3_____ trial 4_____ trial 5____

2. Test again, this time saying a simple word before dropping the ruler. Designate a
certain word that will be the signal for the subject to catch the ruler. If any other word is
said, the subject must let the ruler pass through the fingers. If the subject catches the
ruler on the wrong word, disregard that trial. Does this increase or decrease the
reaction time?

trial 1_____ trial 2_____ trial 3_____ trial 4_____ trial 5____

3. Do the test again, now with word association. Say a simple word just before you
drop the ruler. The subject must say a response word he/she associates with the
stimulus word, before catching the ruler. If the subject cannot think of a word, the ruler
must be allowed to pass through the fingers. Does this increase or decrease response
time? How many times did the subject miss the ruler?

trial 1_____ trial 2_____ trial 3_____ trial 4_____ trial 5____

There was probably a great deal of variation in this particular set of trials. Why?
The general sensory receptors of the body react to touch, pressure, temperature, pain
and changes in body position. Cutaneous receptors are found in the skin. There is
probably a great deal of overlap in the kinds of stimuli that the receptors respond to.
Unencapsulated receptors include free dendritic endings, which sense mainly pain and
temperature, Merkel discs, which sense light pressure and root hair plexuses, which
sense touch via movement of hairs. The encapsulated receptors are enclosed in a
capsule of connective tissue, and include Meissner's corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles,
and Ruffini's corpuscles. They are all mechanoreceptors, sensing stimuli such as touch,
light and deep pressure, stretch, and vibration. Density of skin receptors is greater in
areas that are designed to sense our environment.

Activity 4.6: Two-point Discrimination Test

1. Using calipers, test the ability of the subject to differentiate two distinct sensations
when the skin is touched simultaneously at two points. If calipers are not available, use
two blunt probes (or forceps) and a metric ruler. Start with the points right together, then
gradually increase the distance apart. Record the distance at which the subject first
reports feeling two distinct points of contact with the skin (the two-point threshold). Test
the areas of the body as listed in the chart below. Of the tested areas of the body,
which ones seem to have the greatest density of receptors (smallest two-point
threshold)?
(take photo of the subject)

Body area Two-point threshold (mm)

Face
Back of hand
Palm of hand
Fingertips
Lips
Back of neck
Back of calf

Activity 4.7: Tactile Localization

Tactile localization is the ability to determine exactly which portion of the skin has been
touched. Some areas of the body have a high density of touch receptors, and a strong
ability to localize a stimulus. Other areas have a lower density of receptors and less
ability to localize a stimulus.

1. The subject should sit with eyes closed. Touch the palm of the subject's hand
with a colored marker or pen. The subject then tries to touch that exact point
with a different colored marker or pen. Measure the error in millimeters. Test all
the areas three times, recording the results in the table below. (Take photo of the
subject).

Body area Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average

Upper back
Fingertip
Anterior forearm
Anterior arm
Palm of hand

Which areas seem to have a greater density of receptors? Does this agree with your
findings in the two-point discrimination test?

Does the ability to localize the stimulus consistently improve over all three trials?
Explain.

Activity 4.8: Adaptation of Touch Receptors

The number of signals sent by the sensory receptors may change with the intensity of
the stimulus and the length of time the stimulus is applied. When the awareness of a
stimulus decreases, it is called adaptation. Some receptors adapt rapidly, such as
certain types of touch receptors, and others, such a pain receptors, may not adapt at all.
1. The subject should sit with eyes closed, arm resting on the lab bench. Place a coin
on the anterior surface of the subject's forearm. Time (in seconds) how long it takes for
the sensation to disappear. (take photo of the subject).

2. Now stack three more coins on top of the first one. Does the sensation return? How
long does it take for the sensation to disappear?

Do you think the same receptors are being stimulated by the four coins as with the one
coin?

3. Using the tip of a pen or pencil, slowly bend back one of the tiny hairs on the
subject's forearm. This is being sensed by the root hair plexus. If this type of receptor
did not adapt, what would be the consequences to a person wearing their hair in a
ponytail?

The special senses are vision, hearing, smell, taste, and equilibrium.

Activity 4.9: Demonstration of the Blind Spot

A portion of the retina (the sensory part of the eye) does not have any photoreceptors,
because this is where the neurons head out of the eye via the optic nerve. Use the
procedure below to demonstrate the existence of the blind spot. Take photo of the
subject)
1. Hold the figure of the  
and about 18 inches from your eyes, straight out in
front of your face. Close your left eye, and keep your right eye focused on the , which
should be directly in line with your right eye. Move the figure slowly toward your face.
The spot should disappear at some point, then reappear as the figure is moved closer.
You can try it with the left eye as well, but you'll look at the n.




Observations:
______________________________________________________________________

Activity 4.10: Afterimages

When light bouncing off an object strikes the rhodopsin pigment in the rods of the retina,
the rhodopsin is split into its colorless precursor molecules. This is called bleaching of
the pigment, and it ultimately results in a signal being sent along the optic nerve. When
bleaching occurs, the pigment must then be remade before the rod can be stimulated
again. This takes a bit of time. Both the stimulation of the rods and the following
inactive period can be demonstrated. (take photo of the subject).

1. Stare at a bright light bulb for a few seconds, then close your eyes.

First, you should have seen a positive afterimage caused by the continued firing of the
rods after you first closed your eyes. Then, a negative afterimage (a dark image of the
light bulb on a lighter background) is seen. This is because the pigment in the rods had
been bleached.

Observations:
Activity 4.11: More Eye Reflexes
1. Test the accommodation pupillary reflex by having the subject stare at a distant
object (not a light source). Observe the subject's pupils. Then hold up printed material
several inches in front of the subject and have him/her focus on it (Take photo of the
subject). What happens to the pupils? Why is this change useful?

2. Test the convergence reflex by having the subject stare at a distant object (not a light
source). Observe the subject's pupils. Then hold up a pen or pencil and have the
subject focus on it. How does the position of the eyeballs change? Why is this
important?

Activity 4.12: Sound Localization

The tests should be performed in a relatively quiet area. If the room is too noisy, you
may step outside. (Take photo of the subject).

1. The subject should close the eyes. Hold a watch with an audible tick (if one is not
available, click together two blunt probes to make a noise) and move it to various
locations around the subject's head (front, back, sides, above). Have the subject locate
the position of the noise by pointing toward it. Is the sound localized equally well at all
positions?

The ability to localize a source of sound depends on the difference in loudness of the
sound reaching each ear and the time difference in the arrival of the sound at each ear.
How does this help explain your results?

Activity 4.13: Tests of Balance and Equilibrium

The equilibrium apparatus, sometimes known as the vestibular apparatus, is part of
your inner ear, but separate from the structures of hearing. The following tests
demonstrate proper functioning of these structures. (take photo of the subject).

1. Have the subject walk in a straight line, placing one foot directly in front of the other.
Does the subject experience wobbling or dizziness? If not, this indicates a properly
functioning equilibrium apparatus.

2. Have the subject stand with his/her back to the blackboard. Draw parallel lines on
each side of the subject's body. Subject should stand straight, eyes open, for about two
minutes while you observe. Do you note any gross swaying movements?

3. Now repeat the test, this time with the subject standing with one side of the body
toward the blackboard.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, this time with the subject's eyes closed. What difference do
you note with eyes closed?

5. Have the subject stand on one foot for about one minute, eyes open. Then try it with
eyes closed. What is the difference?

Do you think that the subject's equilibrium apparatus was working equally well in all the
tests? Were the subject's proprioceptors working? What conclusions can you draw
about which factors are necessary for maintaining balance and equilibrium?
Activity 4.14: Effects of Smell and Texture on Taste
Obtain samples of the foods available. The subject should not be allowed to know what
is available beforehand. Anyone with food allergies should not be a subject in this test.
(Take photo).

1. Subject should have eyes closed and nose pinched shut. Place a cube of food in the
subject's mouth and record with a check mark the point at which the identification was
made. First the subject should manipulate the food with the tongue and try to identify it.
If no identification is made the subject should chew and again try to identify. If no
identification is made the subject should continue chewing with nostrils open and try to
identify the food.

Food Texture only Chewing with Chewing with Not able to

nostrils nostrils open identify
pinched

Was the sense of smell equally important in all cases? Explain.

2. Obtain fresh cotton swabs dipped in three different scented oils. Place the swabs on
a paper plate or paper towel to keep them clean and do not dip a swab back in the
bottle of oil after it has touched any surface. The subject should not know what oils are
available beforehand. Have the subject sit with eyes closed and nostrils pinched shut.
Apply one of the oils to the subject's tongue. Can the subject identify the oil (or at least
describe the taste)?

3. Now have the subject open the nostrils. Can the subject identify the oil?

4. Use the other two oils for this step. Simultaneously place one swab near the
subject's nostrils and the other on the tongue. Which oil is identified first?

Do you think smell is important in what we generally call taste?

Activity 4.15: Olfactory Adaptation

You will need two swabs dipped in scented oils for this test. They may be different from
the previous ones used if you wish. (Take photo of the subject).
1. Place one swab near the subject's nostrils while the subject breathes through the
nose, and record the time it takes for the scent to disappear (if it does not completely
disappear, record the time it takes for the sensation to significantly decrease). Once the
sensation has disappeared or decreased, immediately place the new oil at the subject's
nostrils. Is the new scent detected?

What can you conclude about olfactory adaptation?