The Nervous System: Introduction, Spinal Cord, and Spinal Nerves 249
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LABORATORY
EXERCISE:
The Nervous System
Materials needed: Prepared microscope slides of
neurons and neuroglia cells, anatomic model of
the spinal cord, and rubber mallet.
- Examine a prepared microscope slide of the
crushed spinal cord of an ox. Study the parts
of multipolar internuncial neurons, noting the
following structures: the cell body with nu-
cleus and dendrite extensions of the cell body;
find axons with branches and axon terminals.
Notice the small astrocytes and their stained
nuclei scattered in the slide preparation.^ - Examine an anatomic model of a section of
the spinal cord with attached spinal
nerves. Study the dorsal and ventral gray
horns of the cord. Note how the sensory
dorsal posterior root of the spinal nerve enters
the dorsal gray horn and how the motor
ventral anterior root of the spinal nerve leaves
the ventral gray horn of the cord.
- Test the knee-jerk reflex on your lab partner
by gently tapping the patellar tendon with a
small rubber mallet. Note how the exten-sion
of the knee is completely involuntary and
subconscious, illustrating the perfor-mance of
the reflex arc.