Class 2: Sensation Flashcards
Sensation
Conscious or nonconscious awareness of external stimuli
Sensory impulses relayed to spinal cord:
Spinal reflexes
Sensory impulses relayed to lower brain stem:
Autonomic, nonconscious responses (change in heartrate, respiration)
Sensory impulses relayed to cerebral cortex
Perception
Perception
Conscious awareness and interpretation of sensation.
Localization, memory
Sensory modality
The property by which we distinguish one sensation from another
Ex. Light, touch, hot/cold, smell
Where are the baroreceptors
Carotid artery, aortic arch
Two classes of sensory modalities
General and special
Special senses
Small, taste, vision, hearing, and equilibrium.
Each have their own unique sensory receptor cells
General senses
Somatic (tactile, thermal, pain, proprioceptive)
Visceral
Process of sensation
- stimulation of receptor
- transduction
- generation of impulse
- integration
Transduction
The conversion of one form of energy to another. In the case of the body, the conversion is always into electrical energy.
General Sensory Receptors
AKA somatic receptors
Unspecialized free nerve endings
Pain, tickle, itch, temperature
Structural Classification of sensory receptors:
- free nerve endings of first order neurons
- encapsulated nerve endings of first order neurons
- separate cells that synapse with first order neurons
Free nerve endings
Bare dendrites, lacking any structural specialization
Encapsulated nerve endings
Receptors for some somatic senses (pressure, vibration, deep touch)
Classification of sensory receptors by stimuli detected:
Mechanoreceptors Thermoreceptors Nociceptors Chemoreceptors Photoreceptors Etc.
Mechanoreceptors
Direct pressure or stretch
Touch, pressure, vibration, hearing, proprioception, equilibrium and BP
Includes stretching of blood vessels and internal organs.
Muscle spindle stretch receptors (plus mechanoreceptors in joints, tendons, ligaments) affect posture and movement.
Nociceptors
Detect noxious stimuli.
Intense mechanical deformation, heat, inflammatory chemicals, etc.
Hyperalgesia
Heightened pain reaction; occurs in response to previous painful stimuli.
Stimulation-produced analgesia
Descending pathway inhibits transmission of pain signal
Referred pain
Both visceral and somatic afferent use of same interneuron –> excitation of one can lead to excitation of the other
Chemoreceptors
Detect chemicals in mouth, nose, and bodily fluids.
Taste, smell, changes in arterial O2, osmolarity, blood CO, blood glucose, pH, etc.
Rod
Photoreceptor that responds to low light