Lab Report- Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses
Introduction Neurons (also known as neurons, nerve cells and nerve fibers) are electrically excitable and the most important cells in the nervous system that functions to process and transmit information. Neurons have a large number of extensions called dendrites. They often look likes branches or spikes extending out from the cell body. It is primarily the surfaces of the dendrites that receive chemical messages from other neurons.
One extension is different from all the others, and is called the axon. Although in some neurons, it is hard to distinguish from the dendrites, in others it is easily distinguished by its length. The purpose of the axon is to transmit an electro-chemical signal to other neurons, sometimes over a considerable distance.
Longer axons are usually covered with a myelin sheath, a series of fatty cells which have wrapped around an axon many times. They serve a similar function as the insulation around electrical wire.
At the very end of the axon is the axon ending. It is there that the electro-chemical signal that has travelled the length of the axon is converted into a chemical message that travels to the next neuron. (Dr. C. George Boeree, 2009).
Axons are what make up nerves. A nerve is a bundle of neurons fibers or processes wrapped in connective tissue that extends to and/or from the CNS and visceral organs or structures of the body periphery (Marieb & Mitchell, 2009). In this experiment we will work with a nerve The action potential we will see on this experiment reflects the cumulative action potentials of all the neurons in the nerve, called a compound nerve action potential. Although an action potential follows the all-or none law within a single neuron, it does not necessarily follows the all-or-none law within an entire nerve. When you electrically stimulate a nerve at a given voltage, the stimulus may result in depolarization of most of the neurons but not necessarily all of them. To achieve depolarization of all of
One extension is different from all the others, and is called the axon. Although in some neurons, it is hard to distinguish from the dendrites, in others it is easily distinguished by its length. The purpose of the axon is to transmit an electro-chemical signal to other neurons, sometimes over a considerable distance.
Longer axons are usually covered with a myelin sheath, a series of fatty cells which have wrapped around an axon many times. They serve a similar function as the insulation around electrical wire.
At the very end of the axon is the axon ending. It is there that the electro-chemical signal that has travelled the length of the axon is converted into a chemical message that travels to the next neuron. (Dr. C. George Boeree, 2009).
Axons are what make up nerves. A nerve is a bundle of neurons fibers or processes wrapped in connective tissue that extends to and/or from the CNS and visceral organs or structures of the body periphery (Marieb & Mitchell, 2009). In this experiment we will work with a nerve The action potential we will see on this experiment reflects the cumulative action potentials of all the neurons in the nerve, called a compound nerve action potential. Although an action potential follows the all-or none law within a single neuron, it does not necessarily follows the all-or-none law within an entire nerve. When you electrically stimulate a nerve at a given voltage, the stimulus may result in depolarization of most of the neurons but not necessarily all of them. To achieve depolarization of all of
References: Marieb, E. N, & Mitchell, S. J. (2009). Human Anatomy & Physiology laboratory manual. (9th ed., pp. 125-131). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education , Inc. Martini, F. H., Nath, J. L., & Bartholomew, E. F. (2012). Anatomy & Physiology. ( 9th ed., pp. 386-400). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc. Curare. Retrieve from http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/curare.htm Lidocaine. Retrieved from http://www.drugs.com/pro/lidocaine.html