Name: Fravangasta Manggala

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses: Activity 7: The Action Potential: Conduction Velocity Lab Report

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 5 out of 5 questions correctly.

1. An action potential can be propagated along an axon because there are __________ channels in the membrane.
You correctly answered: d. voltage-gated

2. The units of conduction velocity are

You correctly answered: d. meters/second.

3. Which of the following will affect axonal conduction velocity?

You correctly answered: c. both the diameter of the axon and the amount of myelination

4. Which of the following describes an A fiber?

You correctly answered: a. large diameter, heavily myelinated

5. Which of the following describes a C fiber?

You correctly answered: c. small diameter, unmyelinated

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question 1: How will the conduction velocity in the B fiber compare with that in the A Fiber?
Your answer : b. The conduction velocity in the B fiber will be slower because the B fiber has a smaller diameter and less
myelination.

Predict Question 2: How will the conduction velocity in the C fiber compare with that in the B Fiber?
Your answer : b. The conduction velocity in the C fiber will be slower because the C fiber has a smaller diameter and less
myelination.

Stop & Think Questions:

3. Note the difference in time between the action potential recorded at R1 and the action potential recorded at R2. The
distance between these sets of recording electrodes is 10 centimeters (0.1 m).

Convert the time from milliseconds to seconds, enter the time (in seconds) in the field below, and then click Submit Data to
display your results in the grid.
You answered: 0.002 sec

4. Calculate the conduction velocity in meters/second by dividing the distance between R1 and R2 (0.1 m) by the time it took
for the action potential to travel from R1 to R2.

Enter the conduction velocity in the field below and then click Submit Data to display your results in the grid.
You answered: 10 m/sec

7. Note the difference in time between the action potential recorded at R1 and the action potential recorded at R2.

Convert the time from milliseconds to seconds, enter the time (in seconds) in the field below, and then click Submit Data to
display your results in the grid.
You answered: 0.01 sec

8. Calculate the conduction velocity in meters/second by dividing the distance between R1 and R2 (0.1 m) by the time it took
for the action potential to travel from R1 to R2.

Enter the conduction velocity in the field below and then click Submit Data to display your results in the grid.
You answered: 2 m/sec

11. Note the difference in time between the action potential recorded at R1 and the action potential recorded at R2.

Convert the time from milliseconds to seconds, enter the time (in seconds) in the field below, and then click Submit Data to
display your results in the grid.
You answered: 0.1 sec

12. Calculate the conduction velocity in meters/second by dividing the distance between R1 and R2 (0.1 m) by the time it
took for the action potential to travel from R1 to R2.

Enter the conduction velocity in the field below and then click Submit Data to display your results in the grid.
You answered: 0.2 m/sec

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Experiment Data:

Axon Type Myelination Stimulus Distance From Time Between Time Between Conduction
Voltage (mV) R1 to R2 (m) APs (msec) APs (sec) Velocity (m/sec)
A fiber Heavy 30 0.1 2 0.002 10
B fiber Light 30 0.1 10 0.01 2
C fiber None 30 0.1 100 0.1 0.2

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Post-lab Quiz Results
You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1. Action potential conduction velocity is fastest in which of the following fibers?

You correctly answered: a. A fibers

2. Action potential conduction velocity is slowest in which of the following fibers?

You correctly answered: c. C fibers

3. Why did the timescale have to be changed to measure the conduction velocity of the C fibers?
You correctly answered: b. The total time shown on the oscilloscope would have been too short to see the action potential at
R2.

4. The axons from touch fibers are A fibers, and the axons from pain fibers are C fibers. When you stub your toe, which
would you expect to perceive first?
You correctly answered: b. your toe touching something

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Review Sheet Results
1. How did the conduction velocity in the B fiber compare with that in the A Fiber? How well did the results compare with
your prediction?
Your answer:
. Fiber B was slower than the A Fiber.

2. How did the conduction velocity in the C fiber compare with that in the B Fiber? How well did the results compare with
your prediction?
Your answer:
fiber B traveled at 2 m/sec while fiber c traveled at 0.2 m/sec.

3. What is the effect of axon diameter on conduction velocity?

Your answer:
Since there were two factors, the myelination and the diameter its hard to tell which is the
one that makes it faster. I'm assuming the myelination is what makes the speed faster but maybe the diameter would make
is slower the thicker it is.

4. What is the effect of the amount of myelination on conduction velocity?

Your answer:
The amount of myelination on the axon made the conduction velocity much quicker on
those fibers that had it than those which had less and less

5. Why did the time between the stimulation and the action potential at R1 differ for each axon?
Your answer:
The time between the stimulation and the action potential at R1 differed for each axon
because each fiber had a different conductive velocity

6. Why did you need to change the timescale on the oscilloscope for each axon?
Your answer:
We needed to change the timescale on the oscilloscope for each axon to be able to have
room to record the speed of which it took for R1 action potential to reach R2.

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