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VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY I
LABORATORY REPORT
REFLEX ACTION IN A FROG

NAME MATRIC NO.

CIK NASRIAH BINTI SAID 156721
IFFAH NADZIRAH BINTI ABD RAZAK 157613
AFIQAH BINTI ZAINURIN 158593
MUHAMAD FAIZAL BIN HAHLAN 160107
MUHAMAD ALIF BIN ZAKARIA 158677
NURUL HAFIZAH BINTI ABU JAZID 158322
MAJDI BIN AHMAD 159530

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GROUP 10
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1)c To determine strength of a single threshold stimulus

2)c To determine strength of a single maximal stimulus
3)c To study the effect of frequency of the stimulus
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 = Scissors,glass probe,thread,Petri dish,forceps,Pasteur pipette,Ringers
solution.
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(A) Normal Frog.

1.c The frog was left on the table. The position of the head, eyes, forelimb and hind limb
was observed.
2.c The closing and opening of the nostrils and as well as the movement of the floor of
the buccal cavity was observed. The respiration rate of the frog was calculated.
3.c Maintenance of equilibrium-
a) The frog was left on the dorsal recumbence position and it¶s action was observed.

b) The frog was left on a piece of wood and the wood rotated horizontally at a

slow rate. The movement and position of the head, eyes, forelimb and hind

limb was observed.

c) The wood was tilted to the front, back, left and right. The response of the frog

was observed.

4.c Muscular tension

a) The tension of the thigh and lower leg muscle was felt and palpated.

b) When the frog is in a sitting position, one of t he hind limb was pulled

gently and the tension was felt. The limb was then released after that

c) The toes were pinched and any actions observed was recorded.
 5.c The frog is then put into a water tank and the frog¶s swimming action and style was
observed.

(B) Spinal Frog

1.c The brain of the frog was destroyed using a surgical needle.
2.c The above method 1-5 was repeated on the frog and any difference in observations
was recorded.

(C) Double Pithed Frog

1.c The spinal cord of the frog was destroyed using a surgical needle.
2.c The above method 1-5 was repeated on the frog and any difference in observations
was recorded.

(II) Pithing of the frog

1.c The frog is held with the left hand, with three fingers positioned below the stomach,
the forefinger above the head and the thumb on the top of the vertebral column.
2.c Using a scalpel, the skin from the area below the head to the forth vertebra was
removed.
3.c The needle is inserted into the cranium through the occipital Atlantic joint, then the
foramen magnum and into the brain.
4.c The needle is then retrieved back from the cranium cavity until the foramen magnum
where the needle is inserted into the spinal canal instead for the destruction of the
spinal cord.
5.c When the spinal cord is destroyed, the hind limb would seem tense, convulse
violently and may urinate.

(III) Preparation of the Gastrocnemius muscle-Sciatic Nerve

(A) Dissection of the Sciatic Nerve

1.c The pithed frog if positioned with its stomach facing the table. The skin around the
urostyle region is lifted up and was cut all the way up until the head.
2.c The skin from the urostyle until the knee joint was cut.
3.c The sciatic nerve was observed when the urostyle was lifted up.
 4.c To prevent any damage to the nerve, the pelvic girdle that is connected to the vertebra
column was cut and removed.
5.c The nerve was lifted up gently to prevent any damage.
6.c The sciatic nerve was cut from its origin until the knee joint and both nerve endings
were tied with a piece of thread.
7.c To prevent dehydration, the sciatic nerve was constantly being moisturized with
Ringer¶s solution.

(B) Dissection of the Gastrocnemius Muscle

1.c The skin around one leg was removed.
2.c Using a pair of forceps, the skin was separated from the skin (just like removing a pair
of socks).
3.c The gastrocnemius muscle was separated from the surrounding muscle using a glass
probe.
4.c The Achilles tendon was cut at the distal end of the gastrocnemius muscle.
5.c Using a pair of scissors, the lower end of the limb was detached at the knee joint
region.
6.c The proximal end of the limb was also detached.
7.c Using a glass probe, all the upper muscle of the hind limb that surrounds the femur
was separated.
8.c The sciatic nerve at the proximal ending was cut.
9.c All muscle from the femur was cut at the knee joint region.
10.cThe Achilles tendon was tied to a piece of thread.

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No. Observations Normal Frog Spinal Frog Double Pithed Frog

1 Position of=
a.c Head Normal (facing The head was tilted to The head was facing
forward) the left. down.

b.c Eyes Both eyes were The left eye was Both left and right
widely open and partially closed. The eyes were closed.
looking forward. right eye was open.

c.c Body, fore It was in normal The body was tilted to The appendages
limb and hind
sitting position. the left in sitting were in full
limb
position. extension and total
limpness.
2 The up and down The floor of the The floor of the mouth The floor of the
movement of the mouth was moving was moving in a mouth was not
floor of the mouth. in normal rhythm slower rhythm moving.

Respiration rate 66 times / minute 30 times / minute -

3 Maintenance of
equilibrium

a.c Being placed It immediately It corrected its body It remained on its

on the table. corrected its body back to the normal dorsal recumbence.
and returned to the position. No corrective action
normal position. took place.

b.c Being placed It moved against the It slowly moved No movement was
on the
direction of the against the direction of observed.
wooden board
moved wooden board. the wooden board.
horizontally.
 c.c Being placed
on the tilted It moved in the It slowly moved in the No movement was
wooden opposite direction opposite direction of observed.
board.
of the wooden the wooden board.
board.

4 Muscle tension

a.c Thigh and The extensor The extensor muscle The muscles were
lower leg muscle was tense. was not as tense as that flaccid.
muscle of a normal frog.

b.c Extension of
The flexor muscle The flexor muscle was The muscles were
the leg.
was tense. not as tense as that of a flaccid.
normal frog.
c.c Pinching of
the toes The frog retracted The frog retracted its No reaction was
its feet feet in a slower rate. observed.
immediately.
5 Swimming motion It swam with the It floated in water No movement was
breast stroke rather than swam, with observed.
method. body slightly sank to
its left.
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Reflex action is the involuntary functioning or movement of any organ or body part in
response to a particular stimulus. The function or action occurs immediately, without the
involvement of the will or consciousness. When a receptor is stimulated, it sends a signal to
the central nervous system, where the brain co-ordinates the response. But sometimes, a very
quick response is needed, one that does not need the involvement of the brain. This is a reflex
action. Reflex actions are rapid and happen without us thinking. For example, you would pull
your hand away from a hot flame without thinking about it.

The spinal cord is the medium by which motor and sensory impressions are conducted to and
from the brain. It receives impressions from all parts of the body by means of the sensory
nerves, and conveys them to the brain, where they produce sensation. It conducts the
command of the brain to the voluntary muscles by the motor nerves, and thus causes
movement. In all this the brain is the power, and the cord the conductor ; but, as well as this,
the cord has a special function ²that of reflex action. If the connection of the cord with the
brain be severed, and the skin supplied by afferent nerves below the injured part be irritated,
movement will be produced in the part supplied by efferent nerves from the same part of the
cord. This is reflex action.

The irritation of an afferent nerve connected with the spinal cord sends an impulse to a nerve
centre (gray matter) in the cord, and without communication with the brain this nerve centre
has the power of sending back an impulse by an efferent nerve (or nerves), producing
contraction of the muscle or muscles in which the efferent fibres terminate. A person
paralyzed from spinal injury will thus draw up his legs and kick out when the soles of his feet
are tickled. Both in the brain and cord active power is confined to the gray matter.

The brain itself gives rise to reflex actions²actions which take place without the will or
consciousness of the individual, such as instinctive shrinking from a threatened blow, or
blinking from a flash of light.

As we can see here for a normal frog, reflex action will occur normally sine it brain and
spinal cord is not damaged. As explain before, reflex action is a very quick response that
does not need the involvement of the brain. Thus, reflex action is still occurs in the spinal
frog. But for the double pithed frog (without central nervous system) there will be no reaction
occur because there will not have any integrator between afferent and efferent pathway.Thus,
the effector will not detecting anything so no reaction will occur and the frog lost it
equilibrium.

Temperature and pH are factor that required for minimal contraction. For
temperature, heat within certain limits accelerates all phases of the muscular contraction; the
latent period is shortened, the rapidity and effectiveness of the contraction are increased while
the relaxation phase is especially accelerated. Cold has opposite effects. These again are most
pronounced on the relaxation phase which becomes progressively slower and more prolonged
as the temperature is lowered until a critical minimum temperature is reached. At this
temperature the properties of irritability and contractility are reversibly suspended. The most
favorable temperature for muscular activity is about one degree above the normal body
temperature. At a certain critical high temperature the muscle substance is irreversibly
destroyed. This is the reason why the contraction during cool not power as during the warm.
While for pH, different pH's were obtained by varying CO2 in the gas phase, while the
HCO3- concentration was kept constant. The main effects of a decrease in pH on the
isometric twitch and tetanus were a reduction in tension and rate of tension development and
an increase in latent period. A decrease in pH had no effect on the time to maximum tension
or the half-relaxation time.
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Reflex action is fast reaction which does not involve brain of the animal but only involve the
spinal cord which the important for the reflex action to occur. Different temperature and Ph
has different effect on the muscle contraction.


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http=//chestofbooks.com/health/body/massage/Margaret-D-Palmer/Lessons-on-
Massage/Reflex-Action-Of-The-Spinal-Cord.html

http=//www.frankswebspace.org.uk/ScienceAndMaths/biology/reflex-actions.htm

http=//www.tutorvista.com/content/science/science-ii/control-coordination/reflex-action.php

http=//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1319000/pdf/janatphys00201-0052.pdf

http=//www.tutornext.com/experiment-reflex-action/14048

Cunningham, J.G.2002.Textbook of Veterinary Physiology. 3 rd Ed., W.B. Saunders, USA