03.1 Somatic Sensation Flashcards
What is sensation?
A physical feeling from stimulation of a sense organ
What are the main sensory modalities?
Pain, temperature, pressure, vibration, proprioception, crude touch, fine touch
What are the main types of receptors in terms of adaptation?
Tonic receptors (slow adapting) - respond constantly to an adequate amount of stimulus Phasic receptors (fast adapting) - AP frequency decreases with maintained stimulation
What is acuity?
Resolution of the senses
What is acuity associated with?
Activity is inversely proportional to the size of the receptive field
(the smaller the area that a receptor responds to the higher the acuity)
How does lateral inhibition increase acuity?
Neighbouring neurones are inhibited via interneurones allowing for greater 2 point discrimination
What is topographical representation (somatotrophy)?
The ordered projection of a sensory surface onto the central nervous system.
What are some types of touch receptor?
Meissner corpuscles
Pacinian corpuscles
Hair follicle receptors
What are some types of pressure receptors?
Ruffini endings
Merkel corpuscles
What are some types of vibration sensing receptors?
Meissner corpuscles
Pacinian corpuscles
What senses temperature?
Thermoceptors
What senses pain?
Nociceptors
