CH 16 Flashcards
what is sensation?
conscious/subconscious awareness of stimuli external/internal to body
what does the nature of sensation and complexity/type of reaction generated depend on?
the destination of the input
(ex. sensations processed in spinal cord are simple reflexes, sensations processed in cerebral cortex we will be consciously aware of)
what is perception?
conscious awareness and interpretation of a sensation
- must involve cerebral cortex
where are memories of our perceptions stored?
in the cerebral cortex
what are some stimuli our bodies are not aware of?
UV light, X-rays, ultra high frequency sound waves
what is a sensory modality?
a specific type of sensation (touch, pain, temp, smell, etc.)
what is receptor specificity?
a particular sensory neuron only carries info for one sensory modality
what are the two classes of sensory modalities?
- general senses
- special senses
what are types of general senses?
- somatic
- visceral
what are some somatic senses?
- thermal
- tactile
- pain
- proprioception
what are some visceral senses?
condition of internal organs (stretching, pressure, chemical)
what are some special senses?
- vision
- gustation
- olfaction
- hearing
- equilibrium
how are sensations made?
starts w/ sensory receptor receiving specific stimulus
what is stimulus selectivity?
sensory receptors only responsive to some types of stimuli
how do sensations arise?
- SIGNAL SENSING: specific stimulus approaches cognate sensory receptor’s receptive field (area of receptor where signals received)
- SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION: energy transduced (converted to graded potential)
- SIGNAL PROPAGATION: if reaches threshold, nerve impulse generated
- SIGNAL INTEGRATION: nerve impulses integrated at cerebral cortex
what are first order neurons?
sensory neurons that conduct nerve impulses from PNS to CNS
where are nerve impulses integrated so we can be conscious of them?
at cerebral cortex
what are structural classifications of sensory receptors?
- free nerve endings of 1st order neurons
- encapsulated endings of 1st order neurons
- separate cells
what are receptor location classifications of sensory receptors?
- exteroceptors
- interoceptors
- proprioceptors
what are classifications of sensory receptors based on type of stimuli detected?
- mechanoreceptors
- thermoreceptors
- nociceptors
- photoreceptors
- chemoreceptors
- osmoreceptors
what are free nerve endings?
- bare dendrites of 1st order neuron
- senses some somatic senses (pain, temp, tickle, itch, light touch)
what are encapsulated nerve endings?
- dendrites of 1st order neuron enclosed in connective tissue capsule
- senses some somatic senses (pressure, vibration, deep touch)
what are separate sensory cells?
specialized cells that respond to stimuli and then synapse w/ 1st order neurons (not 1st order neurons themselves!)
- stimulus generated graded potential in receptor cell, receptor cell releases neurotransmitter onto 1st order sensory neuron, generating postsynaptic potential
what are exteroceptors?
receptors found near surface of body to detect external stimuli
what are interoceptors?
receptors located internally to monitor internal environment
- usually subconscious except pain/pleasure
what are proprioceptors?
receptors that sense body position and movement, muscle length and tension located IN muscles, tendons, joints, inner ear
what are mechanoreceptors?
receptors that detect mechanical stimuli, including stimuli that deform, stretch, or bend cells
what are thermoreceptors?
receptors that detect temp changes
what are nociceptors?
receptors that detect tissue damage, leading to pain
what are photoreceptors?
receptors that detect light
what are chemoreceptors?
receptors that detect chemicals
what are osmoreceptors?
receptors that detect osmotic pressure in fluids
what is receptor adaptation?
tendency for receptor potentials to decrease in amplitude due to maintained, constant stimulus
- tells body this is the new normal
- perception of sensation fades/disappears even if stimulus persists
what are rapidly adapting receptors?
receptors that specialize in detecting changes in stimulus
- ex. smell, touch, vibration
what are slowly adapting receptors?
receptors where nerve impulses continue for duration of stimulus because receptor adaptation is slow
- ex. pain, body position, chemicals in blood
what are cutaneous sensations?
sensations felt on skin
what are tactile sensations?
includes touch, pressure, vibration, itch, tickle
what does touch stimulate?
- tactile corpuscles
- hair root plexuses
- nonencapsulated sensory corpuscles
- bulbous corpuscles
what are tactile corpuscles?
rapidly adapting touch receptors found in dermal papillae
- encapsulated nerve endings abundant in fingertips, hands, eyelids, lips, nipples, etc.
what are hair root plexuses?
rapidly adapting touch receptors coiled around hair follicles
- free nerve endings that detect stimuli to move hair at surface of skin
how are rapidly adapting receptors able to relay fast signals?
- they relay signals to large-diameter myelinated neurons
– myelinated
– large-diameter, greater SA for transduction
what are nonencapsulated sensory corpuscles?
flat, plate-like free nerve endings that directly contact tactile epithelial cells that help you sense objects you are holding for lengthy periods
- slow adapting touch receptors abundant in fingertips, hands, lips, external genitalia
what are bulbous corpuscles?
long, encapsulated receptors embedded in dermis and subcutaneous tissue sensitive to tissue stretching
- slow adapting touch receptors
- capsule enclosing the branched nerve endings are Schwann cells
how is pressure different from touch?
felt over a larger surface area
requires deeper deformation of skin + subcutaneous tissue
what receptors detect pressure?
- lamellar corpuscles
- bulbous corpuscles
bulbous corpuscles are slow adapting, can respond to steady, constant pressure
what receptors detect vibration?
- lamellar corpuscles: high-frequency vibration
- tactile corpuscles: low-frequency vibrations
what receptors detect itch?
free nerve endings
- involves chemicals (bradykinin, histamine, antigens)
- response to inflammation
- relay signals to small-diameter, unmyelinated neurons
what does scratching itches do?
relieves sensation of itching by activating pathway that inhibits itch signal transmission through spinal cord
what receptors detect tickle?
free nerve endings when someone else touches you
- relay signals to small-diameter, unmyelinated neurons
why do tickle receptors only activate when someone touches you?
nerve impulses from cerebellum interfere w/ ability to tickle yourself, as cerebellum anticipates movement
what are cold receptors?
free nerve endings w/ receptive fields ~1mm from skin surface located in stratum basale
- activated by temps 10-35°C
- relay signals to small-/medium-diameter myelinated neurons
what are warm receptors?
free nerve endings w/ receptive fields ~1mm from skin surface located in dermis
- activated by temps 30-45°C
- relay signals to small-diameter unmyelinated nerve fibres
- less abundant than cold fibres
why are cold receptors faster than warm receptors?
cold receptors relay signals to small-/medium-diameter myelinated neurons
warm receptors relay signals to small/diameter unmyelinated neurons
- also less abundant than cold receptors
what are nociceptors?
free nerve endings that sense pain
- above 45°C or less than 10°C
- intense stimuli lead to release of pain mediating chemicals (kinins, prostaglandins)
why does pain persist long after painful stimulus is gone?
nociceptors have little tendency to adapt
what is fast pain?
acute, sharp, prickling pain occurring ~0.1s after stimulus occurs
what is slow pain?
chronic, burning, aching, throbbing sensation occurring over 1s after stimulus, often increasing in intensity over time
what is superficial somatic pain?
pain arising from cutaneous nociceptor stimulation
what is deep somatic pain?
pain arising from stimulation of nociceptors in deeper tissues, including skeletal muscles, joints, tendons, fascia
what is visceral pain?
pain arising from stimulation of nociceptors in viscera/internal organs
- menstruation, kidney stones blocking ureters
what is referred pain?
pain sensations from stimulation of visceral nociceptors that are felt in the superficial tissues
- superficial tissues and viscera mediated by same segment of spinal cord that suppies affected visceral tissue
what are evolutionary functions of pain?
pain acts as a signal to avoid or get away from evasive, painful stimuli
- lets us not injure ourselves further without knowing stimulus might kill us
what do proprioceptive sensations permit?
- recognizing one’s own body parts as self
- registering where our body is in 3D space as we move
- discriminating weight of loads
what is kinesthesia?
perception (conscious awareness) of body movements
what are proprioceptors?
slowly adapting sensory receptors that help us sense proprioceptive sensations
what are muscle spindles?
encapsulated nerve ending proprioceptors wrapped in CT and anchored to fascia of intrafusal fibres that sense changes in muscle length
- associated w/ gamma motor neurons
what are gamma motor neurons?
neurons that attach to ends of intrafusal fibres and adjust their tone as muscle length changes
why are gamma motor neurons important when muscles are contracted?
because muscles are contracted, the length decreases and muscle spindles desensitized to sense changes
gamma motor neurons keep intrafusal fibres extended to maintain their sensitivity to changes in muscle length
what are extrafusal muscle fibres?
muscle fibres that function in contraction
- associated w/ alpha motor neurons
what are alpha motor neurons?
neurons that send ACh to extrafusal fibres, stimulating skeletal muscle to contract
- associated w/ large-diameter myelinated nerve fibres
what are tendon organs?
propioceptors with free nerve endings that wrap around tendon fascicles, collagen fibres within the tendons that sense changes in muscle tension
what are joint kinesthetic receptors?
free nerve endings and bulbous capsules in articular capsule of synovial joints that respond to changes in pressure on joints
- lamellar corpuscles external to articular capsule sense speed of joint movements
what are first order neurons?
neurons that relay nerve impusles from sensory receptors → 1) spinal cord OR 2) brainstem
what are second order neurons?
interneurons that conduct nerve impulses from spinal cord/brainstem → thalamus