equipment needed:
feather, probe, forceps, scissors, pins, scalpel, dissection tray, leech tank, 20% ethanol, leech tongs, dissection microscope, micromanipulator, oscilloscope, and a leech
The lab takes you step by step of what to do. Here is the link. However, I could explain what is done, real quick.
First grab the leech and dip it in 20% ethanol. The ethanol works as an anesthesia. Then stretch the leech and pin the head and tail down. In other words both ends. After doing so make a cut down the middle. Be careful not to cut too deep, and pin the right and left side. Grab the forceps and remove the guts and internal structures. Now you could see the nerve cord. Grab the microscope and place the leech in it. There is swelling in the sinus and it contains the segmental ganglia. Cut a window in body wall. Remove the strip that contains a ganglion. After that isolate a section by making parallel cuts across the leech. flip the piece of skin and pin it. Cut the sinus and tease apart the sinus to expose ganglion. Now you can see individual cells under the microscope. Put the electrode over the ganglion and find a cell. Now its time to identify the cell by using a feather, probe and forceps and see what the leech responds to.
Data
On my first cell the cell was weak since it responded to the feather. The next one was strong because of the forceps and the last one was medium responding to the probe.
In conclusion I have viewed a little more on the nervous system by doing this lab. This lab demonstrates and shows parts of the nervous system such as a ganglia.
