Physiology is great!

[enismirdal]

Today we did a truly awesome experiment in Physiology. OK, so we were investigating nerve impulses and how they stimulate muscle contraction, and we were the guinea pigs. So I've got two electrodes stuck to my hand cos we're looking at my little finger muscle, another electrode on my arm for God-knows-what, and a shocking electrode which, at the touch of a button, will deliver a shock of 0-100V to my arm whenever I choose. Being an electric shock junkie, I chose lots, so there I was with my hand spasming away with the box at 100V. Yay!

It gets better. Then we got to find out what happens to your nerves when you reduce the blood supply. So they put one of those blood-pressure cuff things round my arm, pumped it up so no blood could get in or out of my arm (I'd already drained out the old blood, so no risk of popping), and shocked me every 5 minutes.

Now, we've all woken up with a totally numb arm, as in, dead weight, can't feel a thing, at some point. I got to watch and feel this happening. First my hand went white. Then it went blotchy. Then it went blue-grey, like a corpse. My nails went dark greyish-purple, and everything went ice-cold from my elbow down. It was gross, cos I'd lost all sensation in my hand after 20 minutes, so I could prod it with a biro and tap it and move my fingers, but I felt nothing.

After 25 minutes the cuff came off. My hand went the most gorgeous, intense shade of scarlet you've ever seen. As in, it was practically glowing. And it swelled up a bit, grew some small white blotches and went intensely pins and needlesy. Which wasn't quite so much fun.

Oh, and if you're curious, it's fine now. And our results from the shocks were excellent, so my supervisor took a copy of my results :) It was a truly amazing session, not least because we finished early as well.

Comments

[edith-the-hutt.livejournal.com]

Yay! The Cambridge Demonstration Classes for Mad Genius Overlords strikes again!

[girlofthemirror.livejournal.com]

Clever girl... dead arms! snork!

And you are now Matt's favourite girl of all time.. not only are you making a poster but you shocked your arm to near death!

*giggles*

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

I was hoping to tetaninse it at some point too, but after the cuff affair it said it needed a break!

[emperor]

Ah yes, I remember those physiology experiments. Great, aren't they? In part 1B you get to make yourself nearly pass out too :)

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

I await with glee (assuming I pick Physiology from amongst all the other tantalising choices).

[melime.livejournal.com]

That's disgusting and totally cool at the same time. :D When I get cold, my fingernails/toenails turn purple. Once I watched my feet turn completely gray because of the way I was sitting. I think I must have bad circulation or something.

Did the electricity hurt, or did it just make you twitch?

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've know people like that - are you the kind who can have freezing cold hands even in a warm room?

The electricity didn't really hurt at all; the tech staff said we were using wet electrodes to try and reduce the 'discomfort'. At the high voltages it was quite a dramatic twitch (which squicked my partner totally), so I guess some people wouldn't like that. But it's just a bit strange really, when your whole hand spasms :)

[melime.livejournal.com]

Yes, actually -- my hands, feet, and ears are the first thing to freeze up. I'm always sitting on my hands to warm them up. :3

I can imagine it would be very odd watching yourself twitch. Personally, I hate it when my eyelids start twitching crazily. Or sometimes I'll just be in bed, about to go to sleep, and my leg just decides to jump around. It's cool and freaky at the same time.