Reflex Physiology Lab Report

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4 word format

document in english

medical studies

case study

date published 23/10/2007

review : not yet assessed

level : General public

requested 1 times

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Summary

Our experiment was concerned with the reflex response in humans, and how it compares to a voluntary neural pathway as well as how it is enhanced by what is known as the Jendrassik Maneuver. Our hypothesis was that the reflex response would be faster than the voluntary response, and that with the Jendrassik maneuver, the reflex would be even more responsive. We predicted the latency to be lower for the reflex as compared to the voluntary response, and the amplitude to be higher for the reflex with the Jendrassik maneuver as compared to the reflex on its own. We conducted this experiment with the help of an apparatus that measured the angle during leg movement after the reflex. Specifically, flexion of the quadriceps (the reflex response) would cause the leg to kick out. The apparatus was basically two pieces of plastic connected to each other at a joint. One piece was attached to the calf and the other to the thigh. When the leg kicked out, the angle at which the two pieces of plastic connected changed, and the magnitude of change was recorded on a computer hooked up to the device. It would serve well to understand some background information about the neuron, neurotransmitters and their receptors, excitatory/inhibitory reflexes, and involuntary reflexes.

The neuron consists of the soma (cell body), axon, dendrites, and in some cases myelin sheaths.
The knee jerk reflex tested in this experiment was one such involuntary movement.
Materials and Methods
Results
1. The average latency for the reflex knee jerk was .32 seconds.
Discussion
1. Our results were consistent with our hypothesis and our predictions.
2. As for the voluntary knee jerk vs. the reflex knee jerk, our predictions also held up.