Download course content schedule and grading

BIO-254 SCHEDULE OF EXPERIMENTS IN PHYSIOLOGY
Lab manual is presented online.
Experiments are carried out using Biopac Student Lab system (hardware and software)
List of experiments:
1. Frog Dissection: A. The frog sciatic- peroneal nerve preparation. B. The frog sciatic
nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparation.
2. Nerve Action Potential Exp. Frog: Determination of the threshold and maximal
stimulus; Measurement of the conduction velocity; Plotting the strength-duration
curve; Determination of the refractory period; Recording a monophasic action
potential.
3. Skeletal Muscle Exp. Frog: Recording isotonic muscle twitch – the threshold
stimulus and maximum contraction; Observing the effect of temperature. Studying
temporal summation of muscle contractions (treppe, incomplete tetanus, complete
tetanus); Studying muscle capacity to do work under pre-loading and after-loading
conditions; Watching fatigue development. Human: Electromyography (EMG) Recording resting skeletal muscle tonus in man; Recording maximum clench strength
for right and left hands and to compare it between male and female; Recording EMG
when inducing fatigue.
4. Frog’s Heart Exp.: Recording normal heart rate; Observing of the effects of
temperature and some pharmacological agents such as adrenaline, acetylcholine,
atropine, CaCl2 ; Studying initiation of the heart contraction by applying 1st and 2nd
Stannius ligatures.
5. Smooth Muscle Exp. Rat: Recording normal activity of the rat small intestine;
Observing the effects of increased tension, changes in the temperature, hypoxia, and
drugs such as adrenaline, acetylcholine, atropine, eserine.
I Midterm Exam
6. Circulatory functions- Electrocardiography (ECG) and Plethysmography:
Measuring pulse by palpation method when sitting, standing, during prolonged deep
inspiration, immediately after expiration; before and after physical exercise;
Measuring blood pressure by auscultation method from the subject’s right and left
arm, when sitting, reclining, and standing up, before and after a physical exercise;
recording ECG from the standard bipolar limb leads and three unipolar limb leads
known as augmented Wilson’s terminals; Simultaneous recording of arterial pulse
wave, heart sounds and ECG; Correlating electrical and mechanical events of the
heart cycle in man.
7. Spirometry: Studying respiratory rates at rest and relative depth of breathing during
coughing, swallowing, talking, attention concentration, hyperventilation, during and
after voluntary apnea, and after a physical exercise. Recording pulmonary volumes
and capacities and pulmonary flow rates (FEV 1,2,3 and MVV) in man; Comparing
pulmonary indices in male and female of similar age. Changes in spirometric values
depending on body mass, age, and disease conditions (restrictive versus obstructive
lung diseases) Recording pulmonary volumes and capacities and pulmonary flow
rates (FEV 1,2,3 and MVV) in man;
8. Electroencephalography (EEG): Recording and examination of EEG under different
conditions: relaxed with eyes closed, performing mental arithmetic with eyes closed,
hyperventilating with eyes closed, relaxed with eyes open. Examining alpha, beta,
delta and theta components of the EEG under each condition. Recording and
examination of Electrooculogram (EOG) during visual fixation and tracking
movements. Measurements of Reaction Time (RT); Examination of RT changes
occurring with experience and learning.
9. Special Senses Exp.: Studying the perception of visual, auditory and somatosensory
stimuli. Studying eye accommodation; Studying binocular vision; Estimation of near
point of vision; Study of visual acuity; Detection of astigmatism; Detection of the
blind spot; Studying visual illusions; Testing sound transmission to the inner ear using
tuning fork; Detection of sound localization in blindfolded subjects; Measuring the
threshold of cutaneous tactile stimulation using horsehairs of different diameter;
Comparison of the receptor density in two different skin areas; Estimation of the
threshold of two-point discrimination; studying the properties of unit perceptions
(gnostic units) using afterimage charts and ambiguous figures.
10. Blood Exp.: RBC count; Total WBC count; Estimation of hemoglobin by Sahli
method; Hematocrit determinations; Calculating Blood Cell Indices such as Mean Cell
Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH.), Mean Corpuscular
Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC):; Differential WBC count.
II Midterm Exam
Grading
Reports: 35%; Midterms: 30%; Final: 30%; Lab performance: 5%