Chapter 8: Sensory Processing, Touch, and Pain Flashcards
Sensory Processing
Sensory receptor organs detect energy/substances
What question do sensory receptors answer?
What type of stimulus was that?
Where does sensory processing begin?
Receptor Cells
Sensory processing is ___ and ___.
- Selective
- Analytical
Sensory Receptor Organs
Organs specialized to detect a certain stimulus.
Receptor Cells
Cells within the organ that convert the stimulus into an electrical signal and transmit it back to the CNS.
Receptor organs are very ___.
diverse
What is an example of a receptor organ?
Eyes
Adequate Stimulus
A type of stimulus to which a sensory organ is particularly adapted.
What is an example of an adequate stimulus?
Light for your eye
How do you classify sensory systems?
- Type
- Specific modality
- Adequate stimuli
What is an example of the restricted range of sensory systems?
The frequency range for hearing (varies per species)
What type of energy do all senses use?
Action potential
Labeled Lines
The brain recognizes distinct senses because AP travel along separate nerve tracts.
Sensory Transduction
The conversion of electrical energy from a stimulus into a change in membrane potential in a receptor cell.
Generator Potentials
Local changes in membrane potential.
Pacinian Corpuscle
A skin receptor that detects vibration.
What happens when a stimulus is added to the corpuscle?
A graded electrical potential is produced.
Coding
Patterns of AP in a sensory system that reflect a stimulus.
Range Fractionation
Different cells have different thresholds for firing, over a range of stimulus intensities.
Why is range fractionation important?
Individual cells often cannot reflect the entire range of a stimulus.
Somatosensory System
Detects body sensations (touch and pain)
How is stimulus location determined?
The position of activated receptors.
Adaption
The progressive loss of response to a maintained stimulus.
Tonic Receptors
Show slow or no decline in action potential frequency.
Phasic Receptors
Display adaptation and decrease frequency of action potentials.
What is the purpose of adaption?
Shows changes in the environment.
Accessory Structures
Additional components attached to a primary organ.
Example of accessory structure
Eyelids
Central Modulation of Sensory Modulation
Higher brain centers suppress some sensory inputs and amplify others.
Sensory Pathway
Neurons connecting to other neurons.
Where do most neural pathways pass through?
Thalamus
Where do pathways terminate?
Cerebral Cortex
Receptive Field
The space in which a stimulus will alter a neuron’s firing rate.
What do receptive fields differ in?
- Size
- Shape
- Response types to stimulation
How can receptive fields be examined?
Experimentally
Initial Receptor Cell
Relatively small receptive field
- Cell fires more when stimulus occurs in its field