cLABs: Skin Senses

Description: Skin Senses is a computer program, divided into three sections: Virtual computer laboratories, including tutorials; Action potential recordings from Afferent Skin Nerves; Examine sensory endcoding in mechano-and thermoreceptors. The user can go to different "rooms", where virtual equipment and tools can be found for "learning while doing". The program is on sensory physiology in general, with a particular emphasis on skin senses. The user will find a completely equipped virtual laboratory for extracellular recordings from mechano- and thermosensitive single-fibre afferents from an isolated preparation of a frog's skin. In a given lab, the user can record from approximately 10 different, already prepared fibres. The user is not told from what kind of sensory receptor the fibres are innervated. It will be the user's task to examine the response characteristics and to classify the individual receptors. Stimulation devices can be used to apply ramp-shaped or sinusoidal thermal and mechanical stimuli to the frog's skin. The user can watch the spikes on an oscilloscope screen and hear them through the loudspeaker. Stimuli, firing rate, and interspike-intervals are plotted on a virtual pen-recorder and can be stored for later, for more detailed data analysis. Please note that the recordings are based on mathematical algorithms developed according to the principles of the sensory transduction characteristics. They also include random components which means that the user will never have exactly the same fibres in different labs. As in real life, the user will see stochastic variations also in the actual recordings. The use can characterize the individual receptors from the recordings using the data analysis tools which includes standard procedures of neurophysiology labs. For example, the user can count and plot the frequency of impulses (firing rate) versus time of stimuli (called the peri-stimulus-time histogram, PSTH). The user can also plot the interspike-interval histograms (IHs) including calculation of the means and standard deviations. If the user is not completely familiar with the typical response characteristics of the different mechano- and thermosensitive skin receptors, the user can go to the virtual library where he will find an introduction to the principles of sensory physiology with special emphasis on skin senses, also including a brief description of the data analysis tools provided in this program.

Comments & References: Suitable for biology classes (High School level) and University students. Also suitable for self-study. Skin Senses belongs to the cLABs programs. cLABs is a new series of multimedial computer simulations for teaching biology and physiology. cLABs is advancing the tradition of the Virtual Physiology Series from G. Thieme Publishers (SimNerv, SimMuscle, SimVessel, SimHeart and SimPatch). All the Sim-programs are cited in NORINA as separate programs.   Please also see cLABs: Neuron (record number 5406).

Computer type: IBM

Price: Please contact supplier