HBS 2.2.4
Activity 2.2.4: It’s All in the Reflexes
Introduction
Although we are all different and have our unique identity, there are times when we behave in exactly the same way. We blink if something is headed toward our eyes. We pull our hands away quickly if we touch something hot or sharp. The automatic response of a muscle to a stimulus is called a reflex. This action is controlled by the human nervous system and is considered an involuntary response – it happens without our even having to think about it. On the other hand, voluntary responses occur when we have to think to react. It is possible to stop a reflex reaction, but it would take a lot of voluntary control.
A good example of a reflex is the “knee-jerk” response the doctor tests during a physical examination. In a healthy person, this stretch reflex maintains posture and allows our muscles to hold up our body. Doctors can check this reflex by tapping on the tendon just below the kneecap. This tap causes contraction of the quadriceps muscle and extension of the leg. Stretching of the muscle activates nerve impulses which travel to the spinal cord. Here the incoming impulses activate motor neurons, which travel back to the muscle and result in muscle contraction.
In this activity you will use an EKG sensor and a measuring device called an accelerometer to compare the speed of voluntary versus reflex muscle action. Just as it can measure the electrical activity of your heart, the EKG sensor will measure the electrical activity in a moving muscle. When we record the electrical activity in muscles, we call this reading an electromyogram or EMG. You will make a rough calculation of nerve impulse speed using data generated by an accelerometer and the EKG sensor. As you analyze data for response times, you will also investigate what has to occur in the nervous system during a reflex and a voluntary action.
Equipment
• Computer with Vernier Logger Pro® software
• Vernier LabQuest® Mini with USB
Introduction
Although we are all different and have our unique identity, there are times when we behave in exactly the same way. We blink if something is headed toward our eyes. We pull our hands away quickly if we touch something hot or sharp. The automatic response of a muscle to a stimulus is called a reflex. This action is controlled by the human nervous system and is considered an involuntary response – it happens without our even having to think about it. On the other hand, voluntary responses occur when we have to think to react. It is possible to stop a reflex reaction, but it would take a lot of voluntary control.
A good example of a reflex is the “knee-jerk” response the doctor tests during a physical examination. In a healthy person, this stretch reflex maintains posture and allows our muscles to hold up our body. Doctors can check this reflex by tapping on the tendon just below the kneecap. This tap causes contraction of the quadriceps muscle and extension of the leg. Stretching of the muscle activates nerve impulses which travel to the spinal cord. Here the incoming impulses activate motor neurons, which travel back to the muscle and result in muscle contraction.
In this activity you will use an EKG sensor and a measuring device called an accelerometer to compare the speed of voluntary versus reflex muscle action. Just as it can measure the electrical activity of your heart, the EKG sensor will measure the electrical activity in a moving muscle. When we record the electrical activity in muscles, we call this reading an electromyogram or EMG. You will make a rough calculation of nerve impulse speed using data generated by an accelerometer and the EKG sensor. As you analyze data for response times, you will also investigate what has to occur in the nervous system during a reflex and a voluntary action.
Equipment
• Computer with Vernier Logger Pro® software
• Vernier LabQuest® Mini with USB