15 PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co.

KG D-37070 Gttingen Laboratory Experiments, Biology

LEB 01 Nervous System
Neurosimulator: How an exciting synapse functions 01.06
Principle and tasks:
To use a nerve function model to
work on the following themes:
The origin of action potentials
The transformation of stimulation
intensity to action potential fre-
quency
Result of a strong stimulation
Cobra3 Basic Unit 12150.00 1
Power supply, 12 V 12151.99 1
RS232 data cable 14602.00 1
Cobra3 Universal Recorder software 14504.61 1
Neuro simulator 65963.00 1
Neuro simulator, power supply 65963.93 1
Connecting cord, 500 mm, yellow 07361.02 1
PC, Windows 95 or higher
What you need:
Neurosimulator:
How an exciting synapse functions P4010611
What you can learn about
Action potentials
Intracellular potential
Excitatory postsynaptic
potential (EPSP)
Nodes of Ranvier
Minimum stimulus intensity
Frequency modulation
Result of a weak stimulation
Related topics
Action potentials, intracellular potential, excitatory postsy-
naptic potential (EPSP), nodes of Ranvier, minimum stim-
ulus intensity, frequency modulation
Experimental objectives
To use a nerve function model to work on the following
themes:

The origin of action potentials

The transformation of stimulation intensity to action

potential frequency
Equipment
Cobra3 Basic Unit 12150.00 1
Power supply, 12 V 12151.99 1
RS232 data cable 14602.00 1
Cobra3 Universal Recorder software 14504.61 1
Neuro simulator 65963.00 1
Neuro simulator, power supply 65963.93 1
Connecting cord, 500 mm, yellow 07361.02 1
PC, Windows

Set-up
Connect the instruments as shown in Fig. 1.
Power supply for the neuro-simulator: 9 V out to 9 V
in (three-pin cable)
Propagation of stimulus: Stimulus output 1 to stimula-
tory synapse (short white cable)
Intracellular potential: Output 1 to Analog in 1 (yellow
cable)
Action potential:
Output E to Analog in 2 (yellow cable)
Earthing socket to Analog in 2 (long white cable)
Procedure
Call up the COBRA3 MEASURE programme in Windows
Select the UNIVERSAL WRITER as measuring instrument
Use the rotary knob S of the neuro-simulator to adjust
the threshhold value to the smallest value (turn to the
left stop)
Set stimulation channel 1 of the power supply to max-
imum stimulation (turn to the right stop)
Set the measurement parameters (see Fig. 2) and go
to measurement with CONTINUE
Experiment 1:
Tip the stimulation channel 1 switch as briefly as pos-
sible; save the result
Experiment 2:
Click on the red point and go to measurement with
CONTINUE
Phywe Series of publication Laboratory Experiments Biology PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 40106 23
LEB
01.06
Neurosimulator: How an exciting synapse functions
Fig. 1: Experimental set-up
Lower the stimulus intensity of stimulation channel 1
in several steps. At each step, tip on the stimulation
channel 1 switch as briefly as possible; save the result
Results and evaluation
Experiment 1: On excitation by an excitatory (stimula-
tory) synapse, an excitatory postsynaptic potential
(EPSP) originates on the subsequent neuron. This
leads to the formation of action potentials, which can
be conducted off from the nodes of Ranvier via an
extracellular electrode (E) (Fig. 3).
Experiment 2: A reduction in the stimulus intensity
leads to a decrease in the EPSP and an increase in the
distance between the individual action potentials
(Fig. 4). The amplitude of the action potentials remains
the same, however. The stimulus intensity is hereby
coded as an action potential frequency.
Notes
Action potentials do not occur below a minimum stim-
ulus intensity (threshhold value), although an intracel-
lular potential is still detectable.
Many further experiments can be carried out in a sim-
ilar way using 1, 2, 3 or 4 neuro-simulators (see the
Operating Instructions).
For a correct representation of the action potentials, it
is absolutely necessary to have 1024 measured val-
ues per channel (see Fig. 2).
Phywe Series of publication Laboratory Experiments Biology PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 40106 24
LEB
01.06
Neuro-simulator (how an exciting synapse functions)
Fig. 2: Measurement parameters
Fig. 3: Result of a strong stimulation
Fig. 4: Result of a weak stimulation