Mechanoreception Flashcards
what is mechanoreception?
detection of mechanical stimuli
how would you describe a mechanoreceptor?
peripheral receptor
what type of stimuli lead to mechanical distortion?
pressure
vibration
tension
what describes giving information about things meeting the body from outside?
exteroreception
what describes awareness of position?
proprioception
what are the orofacial mechanoreceptors?
mucosa
PDL
muscles
joint receptors
what does stimulation of mechanoreceptors lead to?
sensation of touch
reflexes
interact/ modulate other sensory modalities
how are mechanoreceptors classed?
adaptation properties
receptive field size
anatomical classification
what type of mechanoreceptors only give information when state is changing?
rapidly adapting
give examples of rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors
Meissner’s corpuscle
Pacinian corpuscle
what type of mechanoreceptors carries on firing throughout change?
slow adapting mechanoreceptors
give examples of slow adapting mechnoreceptors
merkel cells
ruffini endings
what is the receptive field?
area/ space where a stimulus will affect the receptor
what nerve endings to PDL mechanoreceptors have?
ruffini
what afferents are PDL mechanoreceptors?
a-beta axons
where do the cell bodies of PDL mechanoreceptors travel?
trigeminal ganglion and mesencephalic nucleus
how is it easy to localise PDLs?
no branched axons between adjacent teeth
where is PDL mechanoreceptor density at its greatest?
apex of tooth
what does the amount of PDLM activity depend on?
- Direction of applied force
- Magnitude of force
- Adaptation properties
- Threshold of the receptors
- Position of receptors in PDL
what are the stages of the sensory pathway?
mechanoreception
processing at first synapse
processing in thalamus
conscious perception
what occurs in stage 1 (mechanoreception) of the sensory pathway?
- Transduction (detection) of stimulus
- Propagation along primary afferent nerve.
where is the first synapse of the sensory pathway?
trigeminal nucleus
where does conscious perception occur?
somatosensory cortex
where do sensory PDLMs synapse?
main sensory nucleus
