(Welsh School of Pharmacy)

Available in Windows and Web/Intranet Versions ISBN: 1 84211 005 5


Programmed by : Bob Stevens
Subject Specialists : Bob Sewell, Bob Stevens

The preparation is a classical physiology model used to introduce undergraduate students in a wide range of scientific disciplines to the underlying principles of nerve conduction and skeletal muscle contraction.


[Screenshot]
A Screen from the Frog Gastrocnemius package

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Experimental Set-Up
  3. Recruitment
  4. Summation
  5. Tetanic Contraction
  6. Fatigue
  7. Conduction Velocity

The preparation had previously been the subject of a CAL package, which did not have the advantage of multimedia programming techniques. That program based the simulation on the use of electronic recording equipment. It was felt that a representation of the older mechanical equipment would give students a clearer appreciation of the underlying principles, without having to undergo the frustrations associated with setting up such equipment. Consequently, the kymograph has been resurrected as an animation.

Concepts addressed in this exercise are as follows:

  1. The structure and recruitment of motor units (motor neurone + the muscle fibre/s innervated)
  2. The generation of tetanic contraction to yield fused smooth responses in skeletal muscles

  3. Summation of muscular contractions.
  4. Nerve and muscle fatigue
  5. The velocity of nerve impulse conduction

Animations are used throughout and students are provided with a simulated stimulator and nerve/muscle preparation with which to explore the effects of increasing voltage and frequency.

Hardware and Software Requirements

Windows Version
The package is supplied on a CD-ROM Installation Disc and can be installed to a local hard disc or network drive. The minimum requirement is a PC with 100MHz Pentium processor , 8Mb of RAM and a VGA monitor capable of displaying 16-bit color (65, 536 colors) at 640 x 480 resolution. The program is 32-bit and is compatible with Windows 95, 98 and NT.
Web Version
The package is supplied on a CD-ROM Installation Disc for installation to a web server. The software runs on PC clients only. The minimum requirement is a 200MHz Pentium processor with 32Mb of RAM and a Super VGA monitor capable of displaying 16-bit color (65,536 colors) at 800 x 600 resolution. The program is compatible with both Netscape Navigator 4.x and Internet Explorer 4 or better and requires Java and Javascript to be enabled on browsers.