UNIT 2: EXCITABLE TISSUESMuscleNerve Heart

Excitable tissues lab report (20%)

• Due: November 7th at 1:30pm (beginning of tutorial)

• Submitted: As a hardcopy or by email attachment to Dr. Robertson – robertrm@queensu.ca

• Late penalties: 5% per day

Zero tolerance policy towards plagiarism and academic

dishonesty

Excitable tissues lab report (20%)• Not a formal lab report

• 3 sections: (no more than 900 words/section. 2700 word maximum for entire lab report)– Skeletal muscle– Frog nerve – Frog Heart

• Expected to answer all questions embedded in lab handout

• Provide 2-3 figures per section in addition to answering questions

Use your own data to generate the figures

• You are expected to make 2-3 figures per exercise (muscle, nerve, heart):– Appropriately labelled– Provide a detailed figure caption– Short interpretation (can be provided in the

question/answer portion of the report as long as you refer to the figure when answering the appropriate question.)

Figures

Likely, your figures will illustrate answers to some of the questions in the lab handout: Refer to your figures when discussing the answers to

those questions!

Tips• Remember that you do not need to use all your

data– Choose 2-4 interesting/clear findings per exercise to

create figures• Include figures showing raw traces in addition to

quantified data if possible

• You are not limited to a certain type of graph/figure

• Include relevant information in figure captions/interpretations

How to make a good figure

• Communicate your findings effectively1. Find something out 2. Provide evidence to the reader

• Use legend to explain/ summarize figure• Legend should guide reader through figure• Appropriate labelling on figure is very

important!

Brainstorming ideas for figuresFigures could include but are not limited by:

• Muscle– Contraction strength vs. Stimulus strength– Raw traces– Effect of temperature on twitch properties

• Heart: – Raw traces– Effect of temperature on heart rate– Effect of drugs/salts on heart rate

• Nerve:– Stimulus strength vs. Size of response– Stimulus duration vs. Response– Strength duration curve

Excitable tissues lab report (20%)In a nutshell:

• Clearly answer all questions in lab handout – A template has been provided if you wish to use it. Feel

free to adjust the “answer” spaces as needed.

• Provide 2-3 figures per section– Use your own data – Illustrate interesting findings– Descriptive figure captions– Refer to figure during interpretation

I will hold office hours on Monday November 5th from 1030-12pm Bioscience Complex room 3117.