RESULT
The amount of neural discharge due to stimulation of tactile sensilla receptor is posted on figure 1.
FIGURE 1: Mean action potential activity of tactile sensilla receptors in femural of cockroach.
In this experiment, it was found that there exists a spontaneous resting activity within the cockroach tibia even though tactile sensilla receptors have not yet been stimulated. From figure 1 it can be observed that the mean spontaneous resting activity of the cockroach leg is (42+/-9.7) action potentials/sec. After the tactile sensilla receptors were stimulated by moving the receptor with and against direction of growth there was an increase of action potentials. From figure 1 it can be seen that tactile sensilla receptors are least sensitive when stimulated with their direction of growth which resulted in mean of (94+/-9.9) action potentials/seconds. However, from figure 1 it can be observed that tactile sensilla receptors are most sensitive when stimulated against their direction of growth which resulted in mean of (197+/-12) action potentials/second.
After performing Mann-Whitney U statistical tests it was found that the results are statistically highly significant as seen on table 1. When tactile sensilla receptors are stimulated in any direction, there is a significant change in action potential activity with a statistical p value of less than 0.01. Also the results found about the sensitivity of tactile sensilla receptors are statistically highly significant (p<0.01).
TABLE 1: Neural discharge activity within femoral of cockroach and statistical significance:
INDIVIDUAL #
SPONTANEOUS (SPIKES/SEC)
WITH DIRECTION OF GROWTH (SPIKES/SEC)
AGAINST DIRECTION OF GROWTH (SPIKES / SEC)
STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
1
34
80
198
Between spontaneous and with direction of growth:
P<0.01
Highly Significance
2
56
88
178
3
23
90
208
4
45
79
201
5
32
100
206
6
34
101
198
7
36
88