Reflex Lab

In this lab, we tested multiple reflexes in the human body and our mechanorecptors too. In order to learn about this lab, we had to study the nervous system and it's anatomy and physiology. The main component of the nervous system is the neuron, a nerve cell that transmits nerve impulses throughout the body. Neurons help make our body mobile and agile, all due to the reflexes in our body. A reflex is a response to a stimulant, and is usually not forced, but rather a natural part of the body.
When shining a light into a closed iris hidden in the dark, we are testing the photo pupillary reflex. The iris widened when exposed to light, most likely due to the iris adjusting to the sudden light change in the eye. The second experiment dealt with the patellar reflex, just below the knee cap and is usually tested during a physical. The patellar reflex did occur since it was stimulated through a gentle tap into the kneecap. The third reflex tested was our blink reflex. We as humans tend to close our eyes when being subjected to pain. We threw a cotton ball at an invisible barrier, and both times tested we did blink. This most likely occurred since we naturally as humans close our eyes when we are about to experience pain. The fourth reflex tested was the plantar reflex. We stroked a pen down the sole of our feet, and our toes did flex. This occurred due to the high amount of neurons in our foot, and how sensitive our feet are. Lastly, we measured how fast we reacted by grabbing a dropping meter stick. We tested it twice, one normally and then one while texting. We found that during texting, our reaction time increased by around 0.15 seconds. This may seem like nothing, but if we were driving, we would increase our chance of colliding with another car. This is why we have at least a two second buffer when driving behind cars, since reactions usually occur in less than a second.

Not texting

Texting