Postlab of Frog

Experiments

Exercise 11
Pithing the Frog

PITHING

make the animal free from pain

RA 8485 Animal Welfare Act
destroy the Nervous System
pithing/dissecting needle
foramen magnum
- cup-like depression
- located between the skull and the atlas (first
cervical vertebra)
single pithing brain is destroyed
double pithing brain and spinal cord are
destroyed

Signs of Successful Pithing

Frog will remain limp
Legs are extended forward or
outstretched
and frog will quiver
Single pithing will only destroy
the brain. Frog will still be able to:
breath
muscles will still contract
heart will still beat

Proper way of restraining the frog

during pithing:
Legs should be outstretched and held
tightly between ring and small finger
Head bent forward , pressure exerted on
top of the head by index finger
Head is bent over the third finger

Exercise 12
Muscle-Nerve Preparation

Parts of Muscle-Nerve Preparation

Sciatic nerve whitish thread-like
structure lying in between
the thigh muscle close to the
femur
Femur
Thigh muscles
Gastrocnemius large muscle at the postero- inferior
part of the lower leg opposite the
peroneus
Tendon of Achilles
remove peroneus, shinbone (tibiofibula) and foot (pes)
Muscle- nerve preparation is placed in amphibian Ringers
solution

Exercise 13
Application of Different Forms of
Stimuli

Stimulus
- any change in the environment
- Tissues maybe stimulated by:
a. mechanical stimulus (tie and pinch the sciatic
nerve)
b. thermal stimulus ( hot and cold water)
c. chemical stimulus (NaCl )
d. electrical stimulus (stimulator) - preferred
1. intensity and duration can be controlled
2. it maybe applied and removed easily
3. changes that the electrical stimulus
produces is reversible and do not
damage the tissues

Stimulus Applied
1. Mechanical
2. Thermal

Response
a. Tying

single

b. Pinching

single

a. Hot water single

b. Cold
water

3. Chemical (NaCl)
4. Electrical

single

series
a. Direct

single

ANSWER TO QUESTIONS
1. Which among the different forms of stimuli
applied gives a better result?
Ans: Among the different forms of stimuli applied,
electrical stimulus gave the better result
1. intensity and duration can be controlled
2. it maybe applied and removed easily
3. change that the electrical stimulus
produces is reversible and do not
damage the tissues

2. Why is the chemical stimulus not frequently

applied in the laboratory?
Ans: Chemical stimulus is not frequently use in
the laboratory because it damages the tissue.

Threshold stimulus
- stimulus whose strength is just enough to
elicit a response
Subminimal stimulus
- weaker than threshold stimulus
- does not cause any response
Maximal Stimulus
- type of stimulus that causes the greatest response
Supramaximal stimulus
- strength is greater than maximal stimulus but
response is similar to that of maximal stimulus

Exercise 14
The Spinal Frog

 Spinal frog- single pithing

Normal frog ( only the semicircular canal is
destroyed)

Condition

Spinal Frog

1. Position of :
a. head
b. eyes
c. limbs

Drooping
Half closed
Extended

2. Pinching the toes

No response

3. Pinching the skin

No response

4. Pinching the hind toes

No response

5. Response on the other

toes

No response

6. Position of the body

Tilted to one
side (not
balanced

Normal Frog
Erect
Wide open
Contracted

Normal position

7. Evidence of sight No response

Frog moved

8. Evidence of
hearing

No response

frog moved

9. Touching the
cornea

No response

Eyes closed

10. Destruction of
semicircular canal

Not balanced

Normal position

Exercise 15
Complex Coordinated and
Uncoordinated Reflexes

Condition
Before injection of
strychnine
a. concentrated
HNO3
b. immersion in
hot water

After injection of
strychnine (dorsal
lymph sac)
a. concentrated
HNO3
b. immersion in
hot water

Observation

Type of Reflex

Frog flexed the leg all are complex

coordinated
withdraws the leg
reflexes (orderly
sequence of
muscular
contractions

Stiffening of the
Uncoordinated
leg (convulsive
reflexes
movements/spasm
odic contractions)

Answer to Questions
1. What type of reflexes was produced upon the first
application of acid?
Ans: The type of reflex produced upon the first
application of acid is complex coordinated.

After injection of strychnine and application of acid?

Ans: The strychnine solution causes convulsive
movements or spasmodic contraction because
strychnine binds with glycine which is a
neurotransmitter for relaxation and contraction
equilibrium therefore the muscle remains contracted.

3. Under what group of reflexes will you classify

the withdrawal reflex?
Ans: Withdrawal reflexes are classified under
complex coordinated reflex.

Exercise 35
The Effect of Temperature on
Heart Rate

Condition

Results
heartbeats/minute

1. Intact heart

60-100 beats/min

2. heart in Ringers
solution (room
temperature)

Slightly lower than intact

heart

3. heart in warm
Ringers solution

the higher the temp.

the higher the cardiac
rate
the lower the temp.
the lower the cardiac
rate

4. Heart in cold Ringers

solution

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic

Force

increases

decreases

Rate

increases

decreases

Rhythm

increases

decreases

Answer to Questions
1. How do increased calcium and potassium levels affect the
heart rate?
Ans: Increase calcium levels increase heart rate
Increase potassium levels lower heart rate
2. Differentiate sympathetic/parasympathetic stimulation
Ans: Sympathetic stimulation increases cardiac
activities
Parasympathetic stimulation decreases
cardiac activities

Exercise 10
Isotonic and Isometric Contractions

Isotonic
Contraction

Isometric
Contraction

Shortens

Muscle tension Less tension

Muscle retains
original length
More tension

Inertia

Greater

Lesser

Force

Lesser force

Greater Force

Muscle length

Isotonic Contraction
- Muscle length changes but the force produced
does not
Isometric Contraction
- Is the condition in which muscle length does
not change regardless of the amount of force
generated by the muscle

Answer to Questions:
1. Isotonic contractions
ex. Walking, writing, running
Isometric contractions
ex. Simply standing, pushing against a wall
2. Isotonic contraction
- muscle shortens, mechanical work
Isometric contraction
- muscle tightening but no shortening of
muscle

Exercise 8
Simple Muscle Contraction

 Single pithing
Muscle preparation (same as muscle nerve
preparation)
Parts of muscle preparation?
Parts removed?
What muscle is used?
to produce simple muscle contraction, electrical
stimulus is applied to the muscle.
Muscle is allowed to relax before application of
second stimulus

Myogram
- record of muscle contraction
Muscle twitch/Simple Muscle Contraction
- brief contraction of a muscle fiber in a motor
unit in response to a single action potential in
a motor neuron

Three Phases of Simple Muscle

Contraction
A-B lag or latent phase
- period after stimulation
- contraction is not
apparent
B-C contraction phase
- period when muscle fibers
contract (muscle fibers shorten)
C-D relaxation phase
- period when the myogram falls
- muscle returns to its resting state

Exercise 9
Summation

1. Summation
- adding together of individual muscle
twitches to make a strong coordinated
movements
- brought about by sending at least 2
successive stimuli
- second stimulus comes before the end of
contraction or at the beginning of relaxation
period.

A - first baseline
B - first peak/second baseline
C - second peak
AB first contraction
BC second contraction
CD relaxation

2. Second contraction is higher

than the first contraction because
of the ff. reasons:
a. greater tension is
produced on the muscle
upon sending more than
one stimulus.
b. second contraction is
higher than the first
because it starts at a
higher baseline
c. greater amount of Ca on the
second contraction

a - first baseline
b - first peak/second baseline
c - second peak

The End