Join a physiology laboratory to understand how smooth muscle contracts by performing several in vitro experiments, and help your friend identify the cause of her intestinal pain.
University / College
Have you ever noticed a feeling of discomfort after a large meal? In this simulation, you will learn the basics of smooth muscle contraction and how it is controlled by the nervous system in order to provide more insight into the causes of a friend’s digestion issues.
Use animal models
Although smooth muscle is located in many different parts of your body, this session focuses on the smooth muscle that is located in the intestine. In order to understand how smooth muscle contracts, you will use an animal model that resembles the way smooth muscle works in humans. You will perform different experiments using pieces of rat intestine to evaluate the impact of several neurotransmitters and drugs on smooth muscle contraction.
Get your results in real time and dive into the sample
Learn about the purpose of different parts of equipment in the physiology lab, and discover the importance of the composition of reagents and conditions in conducting experiments with reliable results. You will be able to use different reagents that resemble the control of the nervous system as well as other drugs that modify the smooth muscle contraction. On top of this, you will be able to observe the outcome in real time via your virtual PC screen.
In addition, every time you test a new reagent, you will be able to visualize the results at a cellular level, understanding the changes in the concentration of different molecules and the interaction with the specific receptors to trigger different events, which will ultimately impact the smooth muscle contraction.
Identify the cause of the intestinal pain
At the end of the simulation, after testing your hypothesis and performing all the experiments, you will have a clear understanding of how smooth muscle contracts.
Will you be able to identify the cause of your friend’s intestinal discomfort?
Length:
35
mins
Accessibility mode:
Available
Languages:
English (United States)
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
Describe smooth muscle characteristics
Explain the autonomous nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) control of smooth muscle
Identify which neurotransmitters and receptors are involved in smooth muscle contraction
Use the equipment and interpret the results from the performed experiments
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
University
NGSS
IB
AP
Engage students in science through interactive learning scenarios. Simulate experiments, train lab techniques, and teach theory through visual experiences that enhance long-term learning outcomes.
300+ Web-based simulations that can be played on laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets/iPads without installing any software
Teacher dashboard to automate grading and track student progress
Embedded quizzes to help students master science content
Library of learning resources, lab reports, videos, theory pages, graphics and more
Elevate your nursing program with UbiSim, a VR solution dedicated to clinical excellence.
Labster integrates with all major LMS (Learning Management Systems) so that educators can use their gradebooks to track students’ performance data and students can keep a record of their work. Labster is compatible with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Google Classroom, Schoology, Sakai, and Brightspace / D2L. It’s also possible to use Labster without an LMS.
Describe smooth muscle characteristics
Explain the autonomous nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) control of smooth muscle
Identify which neurotransmitters and receptors are involved in smooth muscle contraction
Use the equipment and interpret the results from the performed experiments