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Essay Available:
Pages:
2 pages/≈550 words
Sources:
6 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Biological & Biomedical Sciences
Type:
Lab Report
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 8.64
Topic:

Rana Catesbeiana Nerve Action Potentials

Lab Report Instructions:

This is a lab report (only introduction and discussion sections) on the nerve action potentials of a rana catesbeiana isolated sciatic nerve. Attached are the results and the background/manual for the lab. Please do not use the doc as a reference. Concepts that are to be explained in the introduction (to form hypotheses for the 3 specific aims listed below) and analyzed in the discussion section are in this manual.
References
6 references minimum - At least 4 from peer-reviewed journal articles… (Author, year) in-text citations
3 sources in introduction section, 3 in discussion
Introduction - 1-2 pgs
Experimental aims
1. To determine the threshold and maximal voltage of the sciatic nerve
2. To assess absolute and relative refractory periods
3. To determine the conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve
Aims and hypotheses need to be clearly stated in last paragraph.
There are two reasons for writing an introduction:
1. to inform the reader of the basic scientific concepts behind the experiment
2. to state the purpose and hypothesis of the experiment
If the reader has a basic proficiency in the scientific concepts studied in the experiment, he/she will be more appreciative of the results and will understand the significance of the findings. To write an effective introduction, imagine explaining the physiological concepts to someone with a basic background in biology.
Remember, start gradually and broadly. Describe the anatomy of the system you are addressing in your report. If the experiment requires that the tissue/organ be placed under physiological stress conditions, describe how the tissue/organ would behave under normal conditions. Do not delve into details, as these will only confuse the reader. Importantly, avoid discussion material. Pretend you are writing the introduction to an experiment without already knowing the results.
The information provided in the introduction section should eventually lead to a clear and concise purpose statement. Following a purpose statement, a directional hypothesis should be included. Again, the hypothesis should be based on information already provided in the introductory material.
Discussion - 1-2 pgs
Start discussion by summarizing the aims & results of the experiment
explain mechanisms and provide support for your findings, bring all of the ideas within the experiment together
Was your hypotheses supported?
This section of the report carries the most weight as here you are explaining the reason behind the patterns/trends in your data. For the purposes of this course, you should address physiological principles when explaining your data. If your data deviate from expected trends, explain the expected trend and why this would occur and then provide an alternative explanation for your data.
Organize your discussion section so it flows to the reader. The last thing you want to do is confuse the reader. If your discussion section is not organized, your readers will not follow your explanations even if they are sound. The section can be organized according to each variable studied, or grouped to explain a theme in the data. The latter can be used when the experiment calls for investigating different aspects of one principle (e.g., muscle activity can be studied by changing the length of the muscle or the frequency). Include a discussion paragraph for each of the main experiments that you are required to report results on.

Lab Report Sample Content Preview:

Rana Catesbeiana Nerve Action Potentials
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Rana Catesbeiana Nerve Action Potentials
Introduction
The nervous system is an essential organ in the body, with its most fundamental unit being the neuron. Through the activation of electrical and chemical stimuli, neurons produce action potentials transmitted across the nervous system (Nakanishi, 1982). In the nerves, the action potential occurs when voltage-sensitive and transmembrane cation channels are opened. Analyzing how these diverse aspects occur within the nerves is vital. Using amphibians in instructions and learning has been prominent in many educational institutions worldwide. Frog sciatic nerves have been used to examine the physiological properties of axons. Using these nerves, students get proper exposure to the nervous system and the approaches used in studying the neurobiological systems in animals (Bernhart et al., 1991).
When a stimulus activates the nerves, the influences that modulate conduction are activated. The threshold of the action potentials depends on the influence of the stimuli. Through frog nerves, it is possible to understand the after-effects in the peripheral nerves. The amphibia nerves can also be used to understand the absolute and relative refractory periods, threshold and maximal voltage of the nerve, and the conduction velocity of the nerve (Raymond, 1978).
The measurement of conduction velocity in the sciatic nerve is also vital in understanding the physiological functioning of nerves (Chang et al., 2006). The experiment was undertaken using a sciatic nerve from a frog, which contains multiples neurons, including motor, sensory, and autonomic. These neurons have unique neurophysiological properties or excitability, which impacts the action potentials from the nerve depending on the stimuli applied. In this experiment, the goal is to measure and characterize action potentials from frog isolated sciatic nerves. The sciatic nerve is a peripheral nerve composed of many individual neurons. Action potentials are defined as a transient change in the transmembrane polarity in an excitable cell, such as nerves and muscles. It is also vital to note that the action potentials are characterized by several aspects, including the cell’s resting membrane potential (Vm), threshold potential (Vt), and voltage capacity.
The experiment was undertaken with three major goals, which are:
* To determine the threshold and maximal voltage of the sciatic nerve
* To assess absolute and relative refractory periods
* To determine the conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve
Discussion
The main goals of the experiment were to determine the threshold and maximal voltage of the sciatic nerve, assess absolute and relative refractory periods, and determine the conduction velocity of the sciatic nerves. The nerves were exposed to ...
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