Reset the dominoes so that they are on end. Flick the first domino. Interpreting Observations Compare the response of the dominoes when the first one in the line is just barely touched to when you used significant force to flick it. Hypothesize how this might represent something comparable to the way our nervous system functions. Concepts Nerve cells are called neurons.
Neurons require a stimulus of a minimum strength to fire.
The nerve impulse is propagated along the length of the nerve cell. After a neuron has fired, there is a refractory period during which it cannot fire. Neurons use energy to reset their resting state so that they can fire again. Preparation None, except for obtaining materials. If time is short, you can prepare the models ahead of time, or you can construct a single, larger model on a meterstick and use it for a demonstration of nerve impulse propagation.