An interactive, menu driven program which simulates experiments
on the superior cervical ganglion-nictitating membrane preparation
of the cat (in vivo) to teach the pharmacology of ganglionic transmission
and sympathetically innervated smooth muscle.
Introduction: provides information about the program
and it's curricula context;
Tutorial: presents diagrammatic representations
of the effector junction and the superior cervical ganglion. This
section of the program uses animated sequences to demonstrate the
stages of transmission at both the synapse and neuroeffector junction
and highlights possible sites of action of drugs;
Methods: describes the preparation, protocols
for nerve stimulation and administration of drugs to the superior
cervical ganglion and the nictitating membrane, and the method of
recording contractions of the nictitating membrane.
Experiments: allows students to perform simulated
experiments on the preparation and provides recordings of the force
of contraction of both ipsilateral and contralateral nictitating
membranes which are displayed on a screen designed to emulate a
chart recorder. A sub-menu gives students some control over experimental
parameters (they can choose: 1. to administer an agent from a list:
saline (vehicle control), acetylcholine, noradrenaline, atropine,
phentolamine, propranolol, isoprenaline, hexamethonium, physostigmine,
nicotine (low and high dose), tyramine, an unknown (which is randomly
selected from the list above when the program is run); 2. the site
of administration; 3. whether to electrically stimulate preganglionic
nerves (half-maximal stimulation).
Although it is envisaged that the tutor will develop a set of tasks
for students to address when using the simulation which will meet
their own teaching objectives, this section also includes some suggested
tasks to aid independent use of the program. |