Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 265, Issue 6 35-S46, Copyright © 1993 by American Physiological Society
Simple, inexpensive suction electrode system for the student physiology laboratory
D. M. Easton
Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306.
A versatile, inexpensive, easily constructed suction electrode system is
described that can be used for routine exercises by the student on, or for
demonstrations of, the electrophysiology of frog sciatic nerve and
gastrocnemius and sartorius muscles. A disposable plastic syringe and a
disposable pipette with Ag-AgCl wire comprise the suction electrode. Six
readily manipulable electrodes are installed in the walls of the Plexiglas
preparation bath, and an arbitrary number of additional "free" electrodes
can be placed where desired. An optional small chamber, formed from a
disposable plastic culture dish and Gootch rubber tubing, provides for
"barrier" recording within the larger chamber. Interpretations are given of
the electrical responses of nerve and muscle in terms of longitudinal
currents along the preparation within the suction electrode tubes.
