Two Point Threshold Lab Report

The purpose of the following lab focuses on testing the participant’s two-point-threshold for four different body parts. The body parts which were tested during the lab included the fingers, palms, forearms, and the back. These tests were administered in order to represent somatosensation, which are receptors in the body which respond to stimulation by mechanically opening. This categorizes somatosensation receptors as mechanoreceptors. They are referred to as cutaneous receptors which are categorized into pressure/touch, temperature, or pain receptors. There are four mechanoreceptors which were focused on. The first Type I receptors are Merkle complexes which are also for sustained pressure, but for spatial deformation, and feeling textures,

This was one by taking the threshold for each trial per body part and averaging them. For example, for the finger 0.11, 0.10, and 0.11 inches were the thresholds for the three trials. In order to measure the average of this body part the formula (x1 + x2 + x3)/3= meant threshold. So for the finger the mean two-point-threshold was (0.11 + 0.10 + 0.11)/3 = 0.11 inches. This formula was also used to measure the other body parts’ mean threshold. The other mean two-point-thresholds were 0.35 for the palm, 0.8 for the forearm, and 1.2 for the back. As it can be seen in the graph the finger was the most sensitive body part tested and had a only a 0.11 threshold. This is very low compared to the back which had a 1.2 in. mean threshold. The size of distance between each point of the caliper increase greatly between the finger and the back, as seen on the bar graph. In these specific trails the threshold did not vary greatly until the forearm and back was measured. In the forearm trail the thresholds were; 0.7, 0.7, and 1.0 inches which the last one varied from the first two. The biggest difference was found when measuring the back. These varied thresholds were 1.5, 1.2, and 0.9 inches. While the first two trials on the finger and palm only varied in 0.1 inches in one trail for the fingers, or not even at all for the

The data collected shows that different parts of our body have different somatosensation receptors leading to different stimulus thresholds. As it can be seen in the lab, our fingers and palms have lower two-point-thresholds and were able to detect the two points at smaller distances. While on the participant’s forearm and back, the distance between the two points were a lot larger. Collecting the data to display the participant’s two-point threshold shows that there are less pressure/touch receptors on the body parts which have higher thresholds versus those with low mean