Biological Sciences 300/301, Smith College | NeurophysiologyChecklist for Lab 4: Action Potentials in
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UPDATED: February 25, 2016. |
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1.
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From the Web instructions for Lab 4, review:
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2. Procedures |
A. Briefly check the controls of the stimulator, and then remove the extra cable. B. Anesthetize an earthworm in dilute alcohol. See the Web pages for precautions about this method. C. Pin out the worm and make an incision to reveal the nerve cord. See the video for guidance. D. Put the suction electrode in place. E. Attempt to elicit spikes in the giants mechanically, by stroking or gently prodding the worm. (Don't linger on this step.) F. Electrically stimulate the nerve cord through pin electrodes at one end of the worm. (1) Capture a good screenshot of an action potential. |
3.
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At the end of the lab, post a single summary page that you make in Pages or Word, with all authors' names on it, showing:
Also post the strength-duration graph you plotted in part (3), with all authors' names. |
4.
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Rinse and dry your tools and dissecting dish. Turn off power to all equipment, including the stimulator and the DAM-50 preamplifier. |
Strength-Duration Graph