Physiology of Somatosensation Flashcards
What type of info does the somatosensory system give about the skin?
Pain
Temp
Pressure
Vibration
Texture
Shape
What type of info does the somatosensory system give about the muscles and joints?
Pain
Length
Degree of stretch
Tension
Contraction
Position
What are cell body locations for the primary afferent neurons involved in somatosensation? What is conveyed at each location?
- Dorsal root ganglion- Information about the neck and below
- Mesencephalic nucleus- Proprioceptive information about the face
- Trigeminal ganglion- Everything else about the face
Which fiber types are myelinated?
Aα- I; Diameter: 13-20; Conduction Velocity: 75-120
Aβ - II; Diameter: 6-12; Conduction Velocity: 35-75
Aδ- III; Diameter: 1-5; Conduction Velocity: 5-35
List the fiber speeds from fastest to slowest
I> II>III>IV
Which fiber types respond to temperature?
Aδ and C fibers
Where are cold receptors located? What about heat receptors?
Cold receptors: Upper dermis
Heat receptors: Upper dermis and deeper dermis
NOTE: Thermoreceptors have a small receptive field
What is the transduction of thermoreceptors?
- Conformation of non-selective cation channels are temperature- dependent
- These cation channels change conformation based on temperature
Cold receptors (<30° C)
Heat receptors (>32° C)
What are two types of cold receptors and which fiber types can each be found on?
- CMR1 (TRPM8)- On C fiber endings
- TRPA1- On A delta fibers
What are two types of heat receptors and which fiber types can each be found on?
- TRPV1- On C fiber endings
- TRPV2- On A delta fiber endings
What is the adaptation for thermoreceptors?
Low and slow
*This makes sense because thermoreceptors allow us to survive
Thermoreceptors are considered polymodal. Why?
Because they respond to more than one thing, chemicals and temp.
NOTE: Nociceptors are naked nerve endings
Where in the body are nociceptors abundant?
In epithelia and connective tissue
Nociceptors respond to…
- Chemicals from damaged tissue (chemosensitive)
- Intense or deep touch (pinching, poking) (mechanosensitive)
- Extreme temperature (thermosensitive)
NOTE: Nociceptors are polymodal and are naked nerve endings.
Which fibers types are nociceptors found on?
-
C fibers- Dull Pain (Difficult to distinguish where the pain is coming from)
- Small diameter
- Unmyelinated
-
A delta- Sudden sharp pain
- Medium diameter
- Lightly myelinated
NOTE: Nociceptors have large receptive fields
Types of skin mechanoreceptors
-
Hair follicle receptor
- Light touch
- Moving touch
-
Pacinian corpuscles
- Deep pressure
- Vibration
-
Meissner’s corpuscles
- Fine touch
- Close to the dermis
-
Merkel receptors
- Pressure
- Texture
-
Ruffini endings
- Skin stretch
- Deep pressure
- Deep in skin
Do accessory organs around the receptor transform energy?
No.
Accessory organs direct, lessen, amplify the stimulus but they don’t transform energy
Ex: Hair