Exploring the Nervous System

7th grade science students have been learning about the nervous system and the neurons that communicate information to the brain, which include sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons. The students created a two-point discrimination test, similar to what neurologists use, to measure and graph the sensory information on their classmates.  A two-point discrimination test reveals the patient’s ability to discern that two nearby objects touching the skin are truly two distinct points, not one.  This test reflects how finely innervated an area of skin is on a specific part of the body. Using this test, the students were able to ascertain that their fingertips are more heavily innervated than their forehead.