Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period: _______

2
SashaSmall
Title: Skin Exposure to Different Stimulus Lab

Purpose: To investigate the characteristics of skin and reflexes

Background: In complete sentences, write a paragraph on the characteristics of skin. Include

information about skin structure and functions that will help you to complete this
investigation.
Theskinhastwomajorlevels theepidermiscoverlayersandthedermis innerlayers theepidermis
housesthe stratumcorneum outermostlevelandthestratumgerminativuminnermostlevelThestratum
corneumconsistsoflayersofdead cellswithkeratinstratumgerminatirum isthebaseoftheepidermis
wheremitosistakesplaceTheepidermishaslangerhanscellsandmelanocytes Langerhanscellsoriginatein
redbonemarrowandit isabletophagocytizepathogensthatenterstheskinmelanocytes producethepigment
calledmelaninmelaninactsas abarrierontheskinreducingexposuretouvradiationThe dermisisan
irregulartypeoffibrousconnectivetissueAlsohair follicles nailfolliclessensoryreceptorsandglands
canbefoundinthislayeroftheskin

Procedures:
Part A: Evaporation
1. Have your partner close his/her eyes and put their hands flat on the table in
front of them.
2. Dip 1 cotton ball into the water beaker. Dip the 2 nd one into the alcohol
beaker.
3. Dab of o r par ner s ris i h he a er co on ball and he o her ris
with the alcohol cotton ball.
4. Allow your partner to record their observations in their data chart.
5. Now allow your partner to repeat steps 1-4 on your wrists.

Part B: Sweaty Face

1. Get 1-cornstarch solution papers and bring them to your desk.
2. Pat the oiliest parts of your face like chin, cheeks, and nose.
3. Take a picture of your cornstarch paper and insert it into your data table.
a. Make sure that your picture is clear and as close as possible.
4. Record your observations in your data table.

Part C: Touch Points

1. Get 2 toothpicks and bring them to your desk.
2. Have your partner close his/her eyes and put their arms flat on the desk in
front of them with their palms facing up.
3. Place the toothpicks 2 inches apart on 1 forearm and press down gently.
4. Reduce the distance of the toothpicks until your partner feels only 1 point.
5. Have your partner record the final distance of the toothpicks on their data
table.
6. Repeat steps 2- on o r par ner s forearm, palm, and shin.
7. Allow your partner to record their observations in their data table.
8. Now allow your partner to repeat steps 2-7 on you.
 Part D: Pupillary Reflex
The pupillary light reflex (PLR) is the constriction of the pupil that is elicited by
an increase in illumination of the retina. This is a parasympathetic response;
whereas, a decrease in illumination results in the pupil dilating, a sympathetic
response.

1. Reco d he no mal diame e of he il b holding a le clo e o he eye.

(Do this for both pupils.) Record these baseline measurements in the attached
data table.
2. Have the subject shield the right eye with his or her hand. Then shine a
flashlight into the left eye for five seconds. Measure the pupil diameter in both
eyes immediately and record in the data table.

DATA:
Table A: Evaporation

Evaporation

Water Alcohol
Which felt Ben
cooler? Sasha
Which
evaporated BensSasha
faster?

Table B: Sweaty Face Table C: Touch Print

Body Area Toothpick Distance of

Picture of Last Poke
the Paper
Forearm
5 42inch
B noinches
What
change Palm Yzinch
happened itgota littledarkerin B noinches
onearea
to the 5 1Yuinch
paper? Shin
B 1inch
Table D: Pupillary Reflex
Right pupil Left Pupil Right pupil Left pupil
WITHOUT light WITHOUT light WITH light WITH
light
Pupil Diameter B the same B thesame Bconstricted B constricted
5thesame 5 thesame 5 constricted 5 constrict
PART E. General Sensation
The following experiments test mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors in the skin.
Demonstrating referred pain
Referred pain is the phenomenon of perceiving pain in one area of the body when another area is
actually receiving the painful stimulus. This occurs because somatic and visceral pain fibers often
travel through the same nerve pathways in the spinal cord and brain.

Instructions
1) Immerse the subject elbow in the ice water
2) Record the quality (severity) and locality of pain at 1 minute intervals for 3 minutes.
3) Remove the elbow and at the end of 1 minute continue to assess any changes in location and
quality of pain.

Fig. 8. Pain Assessment Scale

Table E. Assessing Referred Pain; Elbow in Ice

Time Pain Scale Location and Quality of Pain
Minutes 0-10

1 B coldonelbow
13 2
s4 s.com
2
ss
burnoB
3 B numbbutcoldan
alowkeyburned
3 13 5 B shooting paintohandhold
5 5 g elbow
numbhandishothurts

Remove elbow from ice at end of 3 minutes

4
BI Bnumblredicold
51 5 numbkoldflightlydiscolored
Analysis:

1. Explain why one liquid felt cooler than the other in Part A of the lab.
Thealcoholcouldhavefeltcoolerthanthewaterbecauseofthechemicalswithin it
2. What evidence did the color change of the cornstarch paper show in Part B of the lab?
me
theevidencethatthecolorchangedonthetissuepaperisthattherewasadarkspotthisisbecauseof oilfrommy
face
3. List the different types of sweat glands present in skin.
Thetwotypesofsweatglandsareapocrineandeccrine
4. What layer of the skin contains sebaceous glands?
Dermis
5. What are the different touch receptors within the skin?
Thetwotypesoftouchreceptorsarefreenerveendingsandencapsulatednerveendings
6. Which receptors were working during Part D of the lab? How do you know?
thereceptors
Encapsulatednerveendingsare thatareworking Iknowthisbecausethisisthereceptorthatreactsto
touchapressure
7. In Part E, what is the function of the pu illa efle ( h i i beneficial fo he il o
change diameter when exposed to a bright light?
Itmaybebeneficialforthepupilstochangeindiameterbecausetheyareadjustingtohowmuchlightcouldbeletinsoour
visionwon'tbetoobrightd
1 ark
8. What part of the brain is responsible for initiating the pupillary reflex?
Theoculomotornerve
9. What could an abnormal pupillary reflex indicate?
_______________________________________________________________________
therecouldbeanopticnerveinjuryoculomotornerve
damageorabrainstemlesion
10. In Part E in the lab, how did the progression and quality of pain change during the
experiment?
________________________________________________________________________
For Benthepainprogressed butmypainstayedthesameAfterhowever wetookourarmoutanddidn'thavetoreemerge
menthepainsubsided

Conclusion: In complete sentences, write a paragraph including the following points: What was the
purpose of this lab, explain your evidence from this lab that supports your purpose, what
information from your background supports what you learned in this lab and explain
how, what was a factor that was not taken into account that may have affected the
results, explain how the results were affect, and explain the importance of the
Integumentary System to the body and homeostasis.

Thepurposeofthislabistoinvestigatethecharacteristics ofskinanditsreflexesTheevidencethatsupports
thepurposeisourbodyreactingtooutsideforceswithoutourknowledgeWhileoureyeswereclosedwewerestill
beabletofeelmetoothpicksandthewateralcoholThedermisskinlevelhousesourdifferentnerveendingsthat
By thisknowledgebeforedoingthislab Iwasableto
allowsourbodytoreacttodifferentsensoryobjects having
experience1
seehowbodiesreacttooutsideforceswithoutourknowledgeBodieswilljust reactduetoournervesand
thebodyknowssomethingistouchingitbecauseofthesensation itgivesoff Afactorthatwasnottakeninto
accountthat
mayhaveaffectedtheresultswasittherewasnervedamageTheresultsaretestamenttoour
nerveendings1receptorsreactingtothedifferenttestsTheintegumentarysystemhas aroleinhomeostasis
reception Allofthebody'ssystemsworktomaintaintheinternalconditionsofthebody
becauseofsensory