FUNDAMENTAL MEDICAL

SCIENCE III
Physiology laboratory report
(week-1)

Asis Mirchandani (07120110051)

Steven Matuali (07120110055)
Ivan Triangto (07120110056)
Julius Tanaca (07120110058)
Andrew Lienata (07120110066)

Universitas Pelita Harapan

Faculty of Medicine
1

2012

Objectives
Experiment 1

To measure the oral (mouth) temperature properly and

accurately using a maximum thermometer.

To understand the factors that affects

the

results

of

measurement of the oral (mouth) temperature of a person.

(Such as: breathing through mouth and rinsing with ice water).

Experiment 2

To measure the axillary and antecubital space temperature

properly and accurately using a maximum thermometer.

To understand the difference between temperature reading of

the axillary and the antecubital space.

To determine the effect of exercise on the axillary temperature
of a person.

Experiment 3

To understand the difference of the wet and dry thermometer.

To calculate the relative humidity of the room.

Materials and Methods:

Experiment 1
The first part of the experiment is done to measure the oral
temperature of a student using a maximum thermometer. At first, a
maximum

thermometer

is

taken

and

cleaned

using

either

tissue/cotton dipped in alcohol. This is done to ensure that the

previous readings do not interfere with the results of this
experiment. The student then swings the thermometer forcefully for
several times to ensure that the mercury meniscus is below the
35C scale to set the starting point of measurement for the
thermometer. The student then placed the reservoir of the
thermometer under his tongue and closed his mouth for three
minutes. After three minutes, the student then removed the
thermometer and observed the reading on the thermometer. The
reading was recorded. The thermometer is then placed back under
his tongue for another three minutes without cleaning or swinging it.
When the minimum time of three minutes was reached, the student
again observed the reading and recorded. The first and the second
reading were compared.
The second part of the experiment is done to observe the effect of
breathing through ones mouth has on his body temperature (oral
temperature). Firstly to avoid all inaccuracies, the maximum
thermometer was cleaned using tissues/cotton and some alcohol.
The thermometer was also swung forcefully several times to get the
mercury meniscus below the 35C on the thermometer. The same
student who measured his oral temperature in the first part of the
experiment had to breathe calmly through his mouth only for doing
this experiment. While doing this, he had to ensure that he covered

or closed his nose to avoid breathing from it. After doing this, the
student placed the thermometer under his mouth for another six
minutes. After these six minutes, the student observed the reading
on the thermometer and recorded it.
The third part of the experiment was done to determine the effect of
rinsing the students mouth with ice water on the oral temperature
of the student. Like the previous parts, the maximum thermometer
was cleaned and wiped with tissue dipped in alcohol. To lower the
mercury meniscus to lower than 35C, the thermometer was swung
forcefully for several times. Once this was done, the experiment
could begin. The same student as the ones in part one and two of
the experiment rinsed his mouth with ice water several times. He
then places the reservoir of the thermometer under his tongue and
closed his mouth for six minutes. The temperature reading on the
thermometer was then observed and recorded.

Experiment 2
For the second experiment, another student volunteers for his
temperature to be recoded. In the first part of the experiment, the
main objective is to compare the temperatures of the axilla with the
one in the antecubital space. At first, the maximum thermometer
was wiped with tissue dipped in alcohol. The mercury meniscus of
the thermometer was also lowered to a height below the 35C level
by swinging it forcefully for several times. The student then ensured
that his axilla was dry and that it was wiped with tissue. The student
then placed the thermometer on his axilla firmly for six minutes.
After six minutes, the student noted the temperature and recorded
it. Step one was then repeated by the student, which was cleaning
the thermometer using alcohol and lowering the mercury meniscus
by swinging the thermometer forcefully. He then ensured that his
antecubital space was wiped with tissue and dried of any moisture.
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He then placed the thermometer on his antecubital space and flexes

his arm for six minutes. After that, he observed and recorded the
reading comparing it to that of his axillary temperature.
For the second part of this experiment, the aim is to determine the
effect of exercise on the axillary temperature of the student. Firstly,
the thermometer is cleaned using alcohol and swung forcefully to
bring back the mercury meniscus to the 35C level. Another student
used this thermometer to measure his axillary temperature by
placing the thermometer on his axillary for six minutes. The reading
was observed and recorded.

After this the student cleaned the

thermometer and brings back the mercury meniscus to the 35C

level. He then did a stationary run of 120 steps per minute by
following a metronome for two minutes. After the two minutes, he
wiped his axillary with tissues to ensure it is dry and placed the
thermometer in his axillary for 6 minutes. He then observed
recorded and compared the result to his axillary temperature before
exercising.

Experiment 3
The third experiments object is to calculate the relative humidity of
the air. This was done by observing the reading that was there on
the wet and dry thermometer. After the readings were taken, they
were plotted to a psychometric graph to calculate the relative
humidity.

Results
Experiment 1
a. Measurement of mouth temperature
Trial 1

Trial 2

(C)

36.5

36.9

Time (sec)

180

180

Temperature

b. Measurement of breathing through mouth temperature

Temperature
(C)
Time (sec)

37.5
120

c. Measurement of mouth using ice water temperature

Temperature
(C)
Time (sec)

36.3
360

Experiment 2
a. Measurement of axilla and antecubital temperature
Antecubital
Axilla

space

36.6
360

36.3
360

Temperature
(C)
Time (sec)

b. Measurement of exercise on axilla temperature

Axilla

Axilla

(Normal)

stationary run)

36.8
360

36.5
360

(After

Temperature
(C)
Time (sec)

Experiment 3
a. Measurement of relative humidity
Wet
(C)
22

Bulb Dry Bulb Humidity

(C)
25

Level (%)
78

Discussion
After having obtained the following results, it could be easily
compared within different trials of the experiments. Although these
results have came up, there are several factors that may affect the
data, in which such affects could be the heat production mechanism
created by the body, as well as heat loss mechanism. The heat loss
mechanism took place as soon as the skin has detected heat, in
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which signals were then transmitted to the anterior lobe of

hypothalamus located in the brain, allowing vasodilation, less
muscular contraction and more sweat gland activity by the
production of sweat as a cooling mechanism. Similarly, the heat was
produced the body when skin has detected cool temperature and
the mechanism is continued by signal transmission to the posterior
anterior lobe for arterioles to constrict (vasoconstriction), activity of
sweat gland was reduced and production heat through skeletal
muscle activity, which is shivering.
In order to complete this experiment, a crucial apparatus was
needed while doing the experiments that was the thermometer. The
maximum thermometer was filled with mercury to measure,
whereas the laboratory thermometer was filled with alcohol. Both
the thermometer had different temperature range. The maximum
temperature had its lowest temperature at 35C and maximum at
42C. The laboratory temperature had a wide range and it could
even be under 0C. The maximum temperature was specialized to
do monitoring of body temperature, where as the laboratory
temperature was mainly used for other laboratory experiments,
such as measuring temperature of specific liquid.
In experiment 1, the results have varied due to one of the
mechanisms

mentioned

previously

that

have

taken

place.

Experiment 1a showed that the two trials of mouth temperature

measurement with the final result of 36.50C and 36.9C that
showed an insignificant temperature change by 0.4C since the
procedure and the time temperature being measured was the same.
The possible cause that the temperature of the second trial was
higher than the first trial was due to which the mouth was already
closed for 180 seconds and immediately a second trial was done
after having noted down the temperature that made the heat
accumulate (by closing the mouth) more than the first trial. If the

time taken to measure the temperature for 360 seconds, there

would be a slight temperature change or could be none as well.
Comparing both the experiments of 1a and 1b showed a
different result, in which temperature of 1a was lesser than 1b that
was 37.5C. The reason was because by breathing more with mouth
allows water vapor to be produced. Thus, more water vapor, more
heat was being produced. Therefore there was an increase in
temperature. Experiment 1c showed a similar result with experiment
1a with a result of 36.3C, that was the temperature of mouth with
ice water for a duration of 360 seconds. In fact, the final result of the
temperature measured was supposed to be lower than both the
experiments (1a & 1b) since with cooling results in a lesser
temperature. Since the time of measurement was quite long, that
was for 360 seconds, thus the body allowed homeostasis to take
place by heat production mechanism. Eventually, the temperature
was made to increase to a normal temperature. Thus, there was
similarity between the result of experiment 1a and 1c.
Experiment

2a

was

done

by

comparing

temperature

measurement taken from both axilla and antecubital. What changes

that was expected was that the temperature taken from the axilla
would be warmer or higher than the temperature taken from the
antecubital. The final result came up to be as expected, in which the
axillary temperature was 36.6C, where as antecubital temperature
was 36.3C. The cause of the following result was due to which,
taking the temperature measurement from the axilla would be more
accurate since axilla itself is closer to the body comparing to
antecubital. Therefore, axillary temperature gave a more accurate
result.
Experiment 2b was an experiment between temperature
measurement without any movement in the axilla and with
movement in the axilla. What was expected was that the
temperature taken after the stationary movement would give a
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higher temperature result, but instead it was lower than without

movement. The difference was caused by the heat loss mechanism
that was sweating that gave a lower temperature reading.
In experiment 3a, the wet bulb showed a temperature of 22C,
whereas the dry bulb showed 25C and humidity of 78%. Thus a
room with air conditioning causes a cooler temperature and a less
humid. Therefore, without air conditioning becomes hotter and more
humid. The result showed that the room was quite high in its
humidity level.

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Conclusion
While doing the experiment, several inaccuracies have taken
place due to the body mechanism itself and due to human errors as
well. While the first experiment was done, the mouth may not be
fully closed allowing heat to be released and mouth wasnt
completely rinsed with ice water of quite a low temperature. The
second experiment inaccuracies mainly caused by the production of
sweat that was actually a cooling mechanism and affected the
thermometer. Thus the result could be inaccurate. The last
experiment shows a high humidity level that could be caused by the
presence of many students in the room. As the student interacted
with one another, it releases water vapor that could increase the
humidity level. The experiment itself requests several students to do
it. This may cause an inaccuracy since each student wouldnt be the
same. Some could be prone to more sweating than the others. Some
may be more adaptable to cooler temperature and some were more
adaptable to hotter temperature. Eventually this could change the
result. The problem with the results obtained was that the gap
between the temperatures was too less that might result in an
inaccuracy while doing the experiment. If the result would have
shown a higher difference of at least 1C, the experiment could be
examined much better.

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References
i.

Human Physiology. From Cells to System. 6th Edition. L

ii.

Sherwood. Thomson. 2007. Page 641-649.

Differences between Maximum and Laboratory Thermometer:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37660910/Termometer

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