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2 (GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY LAB) Page 1 of 6

EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

Objectives
At the end of the exercise, at least 80% of the students will able to:
1. describe the relative density of touch, pain and temperature receptors;
2. perform a two-point discrimination test;
3. explain the differences in two-point threshold on various locations over the body;
4. discuss differences in tactile localization between female and male;
5. explain referred pain and sensory adaptation;
6. define blind spot, visual acuity and accommodation;
7. explain the differences in the actual and perceived location of sound; and
8. describe the Rombergs test and its applications.

Materials
2 100mL beakers Drawing compass
Hot plate 4 10-peso coins
Laboratory thermometer 1 shallow bucket filled with ice cubes
Ice cubes Figure with + and sign
2 clean, dissecting probes Meter stick or ruler
Push pin Snellen chart
Drywall tape Bell
Colored pens or markers (black, green, blue, red)

Procedures
A. General Sensory Receptors
1. Mapping Touch, Pain and Temperature Receptor Densities
a. Place one clean, dissecting probe in a beaker of ice water and another in a 45 oC water bath.
Let the probes reach the temperature of each respective bath (this should take a few
minutes) before using them.
b. Cut a 2 cm square piece of drywall tape and outline an area of 4 units square.
c. Remove the tape backing and apply the tape to the ventral surface of the subjects forearm.
d. Allow the subject to touch the area within the square with a pin so she/he can learn to
distinguish between pain and touch receptors.
e. Within each of the 16 grid spaces outlined, carefully touch the subjects forearm with a pin
in a random manner. Indicate in Figure 1 of your data sheet whether the subject
experienced touch (green dot) or pain (black dot) for each grid space. Only test each grid
space once.
f. Repeat step d using the cold blunt probe marking each point of cold perception with a blue
dot. Make sure that the subject perceives cold, not touch. The probe needs to be returned
to the ice water bath every two minutes to maintain the desired temperature. Record your
results in Figure 2a of your data sheet.
g. Repeat step d using the warm blunt probe marking each point of heat perception with a red
dot. Make sure that the subject is perceiving heat, not touch. The probe needs to be
returned to the 45C water bath every two minutes to maintain the desired temperature.
Record your results in Figure 2b of your data sheet.
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EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

h. Compute for the density and relative density of touch, pain, cold and heat receptors in the
tested area and record results in Table 1 of your data sheet.

2. Two-Point Discrimination
a. Choose 1 female and 1 male from your group to serve as subject 1 and subject 2,
respectively, for this exercise.
b. Adjust the drawing compass so that its two points are touching.
c. With subject 1s eyes closed, gently place the drawing compass tips simultaneously on the
back of her hand. Do not press hard. Pressing hard will produce inaccurate results and may
harm the subject. Ask the subject how many points (one or two) she perceives.
d. Move the tips apart by 1 mm and touch the back of the hand again. While doing so, touch
the subjects hand with only one tip at random intervals so that the subject will not try to
second guess the examiner.
e. Repeat this sequence, increasing the distance, until the subject perceives two distinct
points. Record this distance between the points in Table 2 of your data sheet.
f. Repeat the test for the following areas: palm, fingertip, back of neck, ventral forearm.
g. Do the same with subject 2.

3. Tactile Localization
a. Choose 1 female and 1 male from your group to serve as subject 1 and subject 2,
respectively, for this exercise.
b. The subjects eyes should remain closed until the exercise is done. His/her non-dominant
hand should rest on the lab table, palm upward.
c. Using a black marker, touch a point on the subject 1s palm. Have the subject try to touch
the exact same point with a red marker.
d. Measure the distance between the two points (error of localization) in millimeters. Record
the results in Table 3 of your data sheet.
e. Repeat the test in the same spot two more times, recording the errors of localization for
each trial. Then, average the results.
f. Repeat steps b-d for the following areas: back of the hand, fingertip, ventral forearm, back
of neck.
g. Do the same with subject 2.

4. Sensory Adaptation
a. The subject should sit comfortably with his/her eyes close and forearm extended.
b. Place a coin on the ventral surface of the subjects forearm. Note how long (in seconds) it
takes for accommodation to occur (the time when the subject no longer feels the coin).
Record the time in Table 4 of your data sheet.
c. After the sensation disappears, add three more coins of the same size on top of the first
coin. If the sensation returns, note how long the sensation lasts. Record the time in Table 4
of your data sheet.
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EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

5. Referred Pain
a. Have the subject place his/her elbow in a pan or shallow bucket of ice. His/her arm should
be relaxed with the forearm and hand out of the water.
b. Record any sensation (including its location) that is not felt in the elbow in Table 5 of your
data sheet.
c. Let the subject keep his/her elbow in water for 2 minutes. After every minute, record any
sensation (including its location) that is not felt in the elbow in Table 5 of your data sheet.

B. Special Sensory Receptors

1. Blind Spot
a. Hold the figure with + and sign about 50 cm from your face.
b. Close your left eye. With your right eye, look at the +. Slowly move your head closer while
looking at the +. At a certain distance, the will disappear from sight. This is when the
falls on the blind spot of your retina.
c. Record the distance in cm between your eye and the paper at which the disappears in
Table 6 of your data sheet.
d. Reverse the process. Close your right eye and look at the with your left eye. Move slowly
closer to the image and the + should disappear.
e. Record the distance in cm between your eye and the paper at which the + disappears in
Table 6 of your data sheet.

2. Visual Acuity
a. Stand 10 feet from the Snellen chart.
b. Cover your right eye, and have another person point to each row of letters as you read the
letters out loud beginning at the top. Your groupmate should keep track of which letters you
get right.
c. Continue to the bottom row or until you can no longer read the letters.
d. Record the number of the smallest line where you identified the majority of letters correctly
in Table 7 of your data sheet. The smallest row that can be read accurately indicates your
visual acuity in that eye.
e. Repeat the procedure with your left eye and record.
f. Repeat the procedure with your both eyes open and record.

3. Accommodation
a. Have the subject close his/her left eye. Hold a pencil at arms length in front of the subjects
open eye and have him/her focus on the tip of the pencil.
b. Slowly move the pencil toward the subjects open eye until the tip becomes distorted and is
no longer in focus. This point is called near point of accommodation.
c. Record the distance in cm in Table 8 of your data sheet.
d. Repeat the procedure with your right eye closed.

4. Sound Localization
a. Ask the subject to sit down, with eyes closed.
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EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

b. Strike a bell at each of the five locations below:

i. directly below and behind the head
ii. directly behind the head
iii. directly above the head
iv. directly in front of the face
v. to the side of the head
c. Ask the subject to give the exact location of the sound in relation to his/her head.
d. Record the subjects perceptions of where the sound is coming from in Table 9 of your data
sheet.

5. Rombergs Test
a. Have the subject stand still with his/her feet together (touching each other) and facing
forward. Have one your group members stay at the back of the subject in case the subject
begins to sway or fall.
b. Observe the subject for 1 minute and note any truncal instability (movements). Record your
observations in Table 10 of your data sheet.
c. Repeat step a-b with the subjects eyes closed.

Data Table
A. General Sensory Receptors
1. Mapping Touch, Pain and Temperature Receptor Densities

a. Touch receptors (green dots) b. Pain receptors (black dots)

Figure 1. Distribution of touch and pain receptors in the ventral surface of the subjects forearm.

a. Cold receptors (blue dots) b. Heat receptors (red dots)

Figure 2. Distribution of temperature receptors in the ventral surface of the subjects forearm.
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EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

Table 1. Relative density of touch, pain and temperature receptors in the ventral surface of the subjects
forearm.
Receptor Type No. of Grids Tested No. of Grids Testing Positive Density Relative Density
Touch
Pain
Cold
Heat

2. Two-Point Discrimination
Table 2. Determining the two-point threshold.
Two-point Threshold (mm)
Body Area Tested
Female Male
Back of hand
Palm
Fingertip
Back of neck
Ventral surface of forearm

3. Tactile Localization
Table 3. Testing tactile localization.
Error in Localization (mm) Error in Localization (mm)
Body Area Tested (Female) (Male)
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Mean Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Mean
Palm
Back of the hand
Fingertip
Ventral surface of forearm
Back of neck

4. Sensory Adaptation
Table 4. Sensory adaptation.
No. of Coins Duration of Sensation (sec)
1
4

5. Referred Pain
Table 5. Referred pain.
Time of Observation Quality of Sensation Location of Sensation
On immersion
After 1 minute
After 2 minutes
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EXERCISE 4: SENSE ORGANS

B. Special Sensory Receptors

1. Blind Spot
Table 6. Demonstrating the blind spot.
Eye Used Distance (cm) at which the + or disappears
Right eye
Left eye

2. Visual Acuity
Table 7. Testing visual acuity using Snellen chart.
Eye Used Number of the smallest line where majority of letters were identified correctly
Right eye
Left eye
Both eyes

3. Accommodation
Table 8. Demonstrating the near point of accommodation.
Eye Used Distance (cm) at which the pencil tip becomes distorted
Right eye
Left eye

4. Sound Localization
Table 9. Locating sound with respect to the head.
Actual Location of Sound Perceived Location of Sound by the Subject
directly below and behind the head
directly behind the head
directly above the head
directly in front of the face
to the side of the head

5. Rombergs Test
Table 10. Rombergs test.
Subjects Position and Condition Observations (Truncal Instability)
Standing, open eyes
Standing, closed eyes

END