Name: Eduardo Vargas

Exercise 6: Cardiovascular Physiology: Activity 2: Examining the Effect of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Lab Report
Pre-lab Quiz Results
You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.
1. The effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on the heart is to
You correctly answered: a. decrease the heart rate.
2. The branch of the autonomic nervous system that dominates during exercise is
You correctly answered: b. the sympathetic branch.
3. Parasympathetic stimulation reaches the heart through
You correctly answered: d. vagus nerves, which are cranial nerves.
4. The usual pacemaker of the heart
You correctly answered: c. is the sinoatrial node.

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question: What do you think will happen if you apply multiple stimuli to the heart by indirectly stimulating the vagus
nerve?
Your answer : c. The heart rate will decrease and the heart will stop.
Stop & Think Questions:
1. Watch the contractile activity from the frog heart on the oscilloscope.
Enter the number of ventricular contractions per minute (from the heart rate display) in the field below and then click
Submit Data to record your answer in the lab report.
You answered: 61 beats/min
The vagus nerve carries
You correctly answered: a. signals that decrease the heart rate.
3. Enter the number of ventricular contractions per minute (from the heart rate display) in the field below and then click
Submit Data to record your answer in the lab report.
You answered: 61 beats/min
The response that resumed the heartbeat after the vagus nerve stimulation is called
You correctly answered: b. vagal escape.
Experiment Data:

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Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.
1. Extreme vagus nerve stimulation affects the heart by
You correctly answered: a. stopping the heart completely.
2. Vagal escape probably involves
You correctly answered: c. sympathetic reflexes.
3. Research shows that, in the absence of neural and hormonal influences, the SA node generates action potentials at a
frequency of approximately 100 times per minute. However, the resting heart rate is approximately 70 beats per minute,
which suggests that
You correctly answered: b. the parasympathetic nervous system has more control over heart rate.
4. The SA (sinoatrial) node in the human heart is located
You correctly answered: c. in the right atrium

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Review Sheet Results

1. Explain the effect that extreme vagus nerve stimulation had on the heart. How well did the results compare with your
prediction?
Your answer:
La prediccin realizada fue correcta, puesto que si la estimulacin del nervio vago no se detena, el ritmo cardaco
disminuira hasta que el corazn se detuviera por completo.
2. Explain two ways that the heart can overcome excessive vagal stimulation.
Your answer:
La estimulacin vagal disminuye la actividad del corazn pudiendo llegar a pararlo, por las siguientes razones:
1. porque no se generan impulsos o bien;
2. porque estos impulsos no consiguen llegar a los ventrculos.
3. Describe how the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together to regulate heart rate.
Your answer:
Los efectos del SNS en el corazn son:
1. Aumento en la contraccion ventricular al actuar directamente sobre las fibras de musculo cardiaco.
2. Un aumento en la frecuencia cardiaca al actuar sobre el nodulo sinoauricular y el sistema de conduccion cardiaco.
3. un aumento en la contraccion auricular para aumentar el volumen telediastlico para provocar un aumento en el volumen
de eyeccion ventricular y asegurar un mayor volumen por minuto.
El sistema parasimpatico produce exactamente lo opuesto a disminuir todas estas acciones.
4. What do you think would happen to the heart rate if the vagus nerve was cut?
Your answer:
Si el nervio vago fuese cortado y no se aplicara control hormonal alguno, la actividad del nodo SA generara 100
potenciales de accin por minuto, lo cual se traduce en una frecuencia cardaca de 100 x' (lpm).

CONCLUSIONES:
1. En esta simulacin se comprendi la importancia del trabajo conjunto de los SNS y SNP en la regulacin de la actividad
cardaca.
2. La experimentacin simulada permiti observar las consecuencias de la estimulacin vagal traducidos en un decremento
de los latidos por minuto del corazn.
3. Se observo la funcionalidad del ndulo SA (de Keith y Flack) que es la estructura donde se origina el impulso elctrico
que da origen a un latido cardaco, qued demostado que la estimulacin parasimptica de esta estructura producida un
decenso en el nmero de impulsos nerviosos del sistema de conduccin cardiaco, provocando un frecuencia cardaca
menor que puede incluso cesar totalmente.

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