College of Nursing

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

LABORATORY

ACTIVITY # 10
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 2
SIMPLE REFLEX ARC, CRANIAL NERVES, PAIN AND SENSATIONS

I. OBJECTIVES:

1. To observe different types of human reflex arcs

2. To identify the location and function of the cranial nerves
3. To locate the sites of referred pain
4. To determine the distribution of pain, touch heat and cold receptors

II. MATERIALS

Cotton, flashlight, reflex hammer, metal probe, needle, bristle

III. PROCEDURES

A. Simple Reflex Arc

1. Let a student sit down, cross his legs, close his eyes and relax. Tap the skin over
the patellar tendon with a rubber hammer or the edge of your hand—this is
called the patellar reflex. Note observation.
2. Let a student kneel on a chair. Bend the foot down to stretch the gastrocnemius
muscle and tap over the Achilles tendon – this is the Achilles reflex. Note
observation
3. Twist a small piece of cotton to create a fine point and use it to touch the edge
of a student’s cornea—this is the corneal reflex. Note observation
4. Have a student open his mouth and gently touch the uvula using a cotton tip
applicator—this is the pharyngeal reflex. How was the response?
5. Stroke the short hair on the back of one side of a student’s neck with your finger
gently. At the same time observe the size of the subject’s pupil.
a. What was the response when the right side was stroked? Do the same on
the left side. Note observation.

B. CRANIAL NERVES
1. Note the points at which the various cranial nerves arise from the base of the
brain.
2. Classify the cranial nerves into sensory, motor, & sensory and motor (both)

C. PAIN AND SENSATIONS

1. Place the tips of the fingers over the ulnar nerve at the elbow then move it back
and forth while applying pressure. It should cause a slightly painful tingling
sensation.
a. Where is the sensation referred to?
b. What is referred pain?
c. Indicate the areas of referred pain
2. On the back of the wrist, make a square 2 cm on each side. Cool a metal probe
in water and dry quickly. Apply on the square an mark each spot where coolness
was felt with a specific color. Do the same in hot water and mark the points with
a different color. Which of the two types of sensations is more numerous in the
area?
3. Do cutaneous sensations differ in different areas of the body? Explain.

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IV. DRAWINGS

a. Draw and label the neurons which demonstrate a reflex arc.

b. Draw and label the locations of the ascending and descending spinal tracts.
c. Draw and label the cranial nerves arising from the base of the brain.
d. Illustrate the areas of referred pain

V. QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

1. What is Babinski reflex? Describe the reflex response and indicate which spinal
cord tract is affected.

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2. Why is reflex activity important?

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3. Name and define at least 5 pathologic reflexes.

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4. Classify the cranial nerves into sensory, motor, & sensory and motor (both) and
discuss their functions.

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5. What are the effects of cranial nerve damage/injury?

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6. Define subdural hematoma. What symptoms would the lesion produce? Which
side of the body would be affected?

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7. Define MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging). What is magnified through the MRI?

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 8. How is referred pain differentiated from radiating pain and phantom limb pain?

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9. Trace the pathway of pain through the spinal cord and spinal nerves going to
the brain.

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10. Name two types of pain and define.

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11. Define the following:

a. Cutaneous sensation

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b. Somatic sensation

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c. Visceral sensation

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d. Neuropathic sensation

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e. Intractable pain

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 f. Acute pain

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g. Chronic pain

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h. Analgesia

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i. Pain tolerance

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j. Pain perception

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k. Sensation

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l. Project of sensation

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m. Sensory adaptation

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VI. CLINICAL QUESTIONS

1. A person enters a tub of water and says that it is uncomfortable hot, yet a few
moments later indicates that the water feels just fine even if the water
temperature remained the same. Explain.

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2. A patient with heart disease experiences pain at the base of the neck in the left
shoulder and arm after exercise, how would you explain to the patient where the
pain came from?

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Total score: ______________

Student’s Name Yr & Sec Date Clinical Instructor

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