ZOO 120 Animal Physiology

EXERCISE 2. Nerve Conduction

Name Josephine D. Carandang
Section/Group # ST-2L/ Group 1
A. FORMS OF STIMULATION
Tracings:
Electrical

Date August 26, 2016

Score______________
Mechanical

Chemical

Thermal

1. Describe the nerve impulse stimulation by each form of stimulus. How are they different from each
other?
The response of a muscle to a single brief threshold stimulus is called a muscle twitch. There are three
phases in a muscle twitch: the latent period: it follows the stimulation, the excitation-contraction coupling is
occurring and no response is seen on the kymograph; the period of contraction; and the period of relaxation.
As seen in the figures above, all stimuli applied induced muscle movement/response/twitch. Chemical
stimulus produced the highest excitability reaction (wherein period of contraction occurred) and followed by
electrical and mechanical stimuli wile thermal stimulus achieved the lowest. Figuratively, the electrical
stimuli has the longest relaxation phase.
2. What are the structures and the events that lead to the stimulation of a nerve impulse?
The sciatic nerve is composed of thousands of individual axons grouped together and enclosed in a
connective sheath. The nerve contains sensory, motor and autonomic axons that individually vary in
diameter, myelination, threshold and speed of conduction.
Skeletal muscle excitation occurred in the following series of events enumerated in the illustration:
The binding of acetylcholine from a somatic motor neuron to chemically gated ion channels on the motor
end plate (subsynaptic membrane) triggers an action potential in the sarcolemma; The action potential
propagates down the length of the muscle fiber; When the action potential reaches the openings of transverse
tubules, the depolarization is conducted down these tubules and into the interior of the cell; the
depolarization of the transverse tubules induces the opening of Ca2+ ion channels in the sarcoplasmic
reticulum, and Ca2+ is released into the cytosol.

N1 neuronal nicotinic sodium channels are ligand-gated channels and open up in respond to
acetylcholine. Therefore there would be influx of Na+ ions going inside skeletal muscle cells. Increasing
positivity causes net depolarization which generates an action potential or impulse. Depolarization also
triggers Ca2+ movement from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol. There is T-tubule (T for
transverse) which contains voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Influx of Ca2+ across the T-tubule membrane
triggers opening Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, allowing rapid release of Ca2+ ions
throughout the cell. This is made possible because T-tubule is physically/mechanically coupled up with
Ca2+ release channels in the membrane of sarcoplasmic reticulum. The release of high concentration of
Ca2+ sarcoplasmic reticulum results muscle contraction.
B. CHARACTERISTICS OF STIMULUS
Tracing (label the subliminal, threshold, and maximal voltages):

3. How did the stimulus strength affect the gastrocnemius contraction? Describe the events occurring
during each stimulus strength.
A nerve is a bundle of nerve fibers. The nerve impulse evoked by stimulation of a nerve is a
collective event recorded as it engages as many fibers as may be recruited by the intensity of the stimulus.
As seen in the figure above showing the subliminal (30 A), threshold (40 A) and maximal (130 A).
As stimulus strength increases, more fibers are involved, meaning more action potentials, therefore the
stronger muscle contractility. The first visible contraction was seen 40 current (threshold), the current
slightly below is subliminal stimulation (30 A). The stimulus strength was increased continuously until
there were no longer tracings or response with the increases current, hence maximal stimulation has been
attained.
Polarization refers to the membrane potential. When the nerve is resting, it has a membrane
potential of about -75 mV or is "polarized". When the nerve receives excitatory signals, the membrane
potential becomes less negative, so we say it "depolarizes" from its resting "polarized" level. Depolarization
occurs when sodium channels open and Na+ ions enter the cell. The depolarization can drive the membrane
potential as high as +50 mV. Eventually, though, the Na channels close and the membrane potential starts to
"repolarize" - that is, heads towards it resting value. In addition, additional potassium channels open
allowing K+ ions to exit the cell. This contributes to the "repolarization" phase. The addition K channels
stay open even when the membrane potential reaches the resting level. So, the potential goes even more
negative than resting. This is "hyperpolarization". It may goes as low as -90 mV, close to the Nernst
potential for K ions. Eventually, the extra K channels close and the membrane potential goes back to its
resting, "polarized" level.
Essentially, depolarization occurred in from the subliminal and threshold stimulation, while
repolarization started in the maximal stage and hyperpolarization was in 150 current and higher.
C. CHEMICAL BLOCKING OF NERVE CONDUCTION
Contraction of gastrocnemius muscle in reaction to anesthesia
Anesthesia
Condition
Time (min)
Present
Anesthesia reached
2
Absent
Recovery time
6
4. How did the chloroform block the muscle response to nerve stimulation? List/describe the events.
As shown in the table above, anesthesia or state when there is no longer contraction of
gastrocnemius muscle, was reached two minutes after.
Acetylcholine is the substance the nervous system uses to activate skeletal muscles, a kind of
striated muscle. They are directly controlled by motor neurons located in the spinal cord or, in a few cases,
the brainstem. These motor neurons send their axons through motor nerves, from which they emerge to
connect to muscle fibers at a special type of synapse called the neuromuscular junction.
When a motor neuron generates an action potential, it travels rapidly along the nerve until it
reaches the neuromuscular junction, where it initiates an electrochemical process that causes acetylcholine to
be released into the space between the presynaptic terminal and the muscle fiber. The acetylcholine
molecules then bind to nicotinic ion-channel receptors on the muscle cell membrane, causing the ion
channels to open. Sodium ions then flow into the muscle cell, initiating a sequence of steps that finally
produce muscle contraction. (Explanation is almost the same as A part #2).

D. SENSORY AND MOTOR FIBERS

Responses of gastrocnemius muscles to different stimulations
Stimulated part
Current used
Contracting muscle
Intact right nerve
20
Homolateral
100
Homolateral
Proximal
20
Neither
100
Neither
Distal
20
Homolateral
100
Homolateral
5. How is contralateral and homolateral efferent systems controlled? Discuss the effects of different
currents used and the responses in each stimulated part.
The sciatic nerve is a large bundle of many nerve fibers. It originates at the spinal cord all the way
to the gastrocnemius mucscle. Distally along the nerve, from the plexus, fibers can be found leaving the
main trunk and entering muscles and skin. Therefore, having fewer fibers, the distal end of the nerve is of
smaller diameter than the proximal end at the plexus. The fibers that normally carry impulses from the
central nervous system (CNS) outward to the periphery to muscles and skin are efferent or motor. Impulses
normally move toward the CNS along afferent or sensory fibers from peripherally located sensory receptors
in muscle and skin. Impulse propagation can be induced to proceed equally well in either direction along a
nerve fiber.
As reflected in the table above, 20 and 100 current was enough to induce muscle contraction in the
intact and distal end of sciatic nerve homolaterally. However, in the experiment, the proximal end has no
reaction to stimuli. This may due to unintentional damaged in the sciatic nerve while it is being dissected.