Chapter 13

Question 1

tactile

Answer 1

Referring to the result of mechanical interactions with the skin.

Question 2

kinesthesia

Answer 2

Perception of the position and movement of our limbs in space.

Question 3

proprioception

Answer 3

Perception mediated by kinesthetic and internal receptors.

Question 4

somatosensation

Answer 4

Collectively, sensory signals from the skin, muscles, tendons, joints, and internal receptors.

Question 5

mechanoreceptor

Answer 5

A sensory receptor that responds to mechanical stimulation.

Question 6

epidermis

Answer 6

The outer of two major layers of skin.

Question 7

dermis

Answer 7

The inner of two major layers of skin, consisting of nutritive and connective tissues, within which lie the mechanoreceptors.

Question 8

A-beta fiber

Answer 8

A wide-diameter myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits signals from mechanical stimulation.

Question 9

glabrous

Answer 9

In reference to skin: lacking hair.

Question 10

Meissner corpuscle

Answer 10

A specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA I) fibers that have small receptive fields.

Question 11

Merkel cell neuritis complex

Answer 11

A specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA I) fibers that have small receptive fields.

Question 12

Pacinian corpuscle

Answer 12

A specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting (FA II) fibers that have large receptive fields.

Question 13

Ruffini ending

Answer 13

A specialized nerve ending associated with slowly adapting (SA II) fibers that have large receptive fields.

Question 14

kinesthetic

Answer 14

Referring to perception involving sensory mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints.

Question 15

thermoreceptor

Answer 15

A sensory receptor that signals information about changes in skin temperature.

Question 16

warmth fiber

Answer 16

A sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature increases.

Question 17

cold fiber

Answer 17

A sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature decreases.

Question 18

C fiber

Answer 18

A narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals.

Question 19

A-delta fiber

Answer 19

An intermediate-sized myelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals.

Question 20

nociceptor

Answer 20

A sensory receptor that responds to painful input, such as extreme heat or pressure.

Question 21

C tactile (CT) afferent

Answer 21

A narrow-diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits signals from pleasant touch.

Question 22

labeled lines

Answer 22

A theory of sensory coding in which each nerve fiber carries a particular stimulus quality.

Question 23

dorsal horn

Answer 23

A region at the rear of the spinal cord that receives inputs from receptors in the skin.

Question 24

somatotypical

Answer 24

Referring to normal somatosensation.

Question 25

spinothalamic pathway

Answer 25

The route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries most of the information about skin temperature and pain.

Question 26

dorsal column-medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway

Answer 26

The route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons and joints.

Question 27

somatosensory area 1 (S1)

Answer 27

The primary receiving area for touch in the cortex.

Question 28

somatosensory area 2 (S2)

Answer 28

The secondary receiving area for touch in the cortex.

Question 29

body image

Answer 29

The impression of our bodies in space.

Question 30

phantom limb

Answer 30

Sensation perceived from a physically amputated limb of the body.

Question 31

neural plasticity

Answer 31

The ability of neural circuits to undergo changes in function or organization as a result of previous activity.

Question 32

substantia gelatinosa

Answer 32

A region of interconnecting neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Question 33

gate control theory

Answer 33

A description of the pain-transmitting system that incorporates modulating signals from the brain.

Question 34

anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Answer 34

A region of the brain associated with the perceived unpleasantness of a pain sensation.

Question 35

analgesia

Answer 35

Decreasing pain sensation during conscious experience.

Question 36

endogenous opiate

Answer 36

A chemical released by the body that blocks the release or uptake of neurotransmitters necessary to transmit pain sensations to the brain.

Question 37

placebo effect

Answer 37

Decreasing pain sensation when people think they’re taking an analgesic drug but actually are not.

Question 38

hyperalgesia

Answer 38

An increased or heightened response to a normally painful stimulus.

Question 39

two-point touch threshold

Answer 39

The minimum distance at which two stimuli are just perceptible as separate.

Question 40

haptic perception

Answer 40

Knowledge of the world that is derived from sensory receptors in skin, muscles, tendons, and joints, usually involving active exploration.

Question 41

exploratory procedure

Answer 41

A stereotyped hand movement pattern used to touch objects in order to perceive their properties; each procedure is best for determining one (or more) object properties.

Question 42

tactile agnosia

Answer 42

The inability to identify objects by touch.

Question 43

frame of reference

Answer 43

The coordinate system used to define locations in space.

Question 44

egocenter

Answer 44

The center of a reference frame used to represent locations relative to the body.

Question 45

endogenous

Answer 45

In reference to spatial attention, a form of top-down (knowledge-driven) control in which attention is voluntarily directed toward the site where the observer anticipates a stimulus will occur.

Question 46

exogenous

Answer 46

In reference to spatia attention, a form of bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention reflexively (involuntarily) directed toward the site at which a stimulus has abruptly appeared.