Primary Sensory Neurons Flashcards
Where are the different receptors of the somatosensory system located?
They’re distributed throughout the body
What modalities does the somatosensory system mediate?
Fine discriminatory touch = light touch, pressure, vibration, flutter, stretch
Joint and muscle position sense = proprioception
Temperature, pain and itch
What are the three categories of the somatosensory system?
Exteroceptive = cutaneous senses
Proprioceptive = monitors posture and movement
Enteroceptive
What does the exteroceptive somatosensory system monitor?
Registers info from the surface of the body by numerous receptor types
What does the enteroceptive somatosensory system monitor?
Reports upon internal state of the body and is closely related to autonomic function
Where is the first order neuron located?
Primary sensory afferent of PNS = cell body located in dorsal root ganglia or cranial ganglia
Where is the second order neuron located?
Projection neuron of CNS = cell body located in dorsal horn of spinal cord or brainstem nuclei
Where is the third order neuron located?
Projection neuron of CNS = cell body located in thalamic nuclei
How many neurons make up the series of the somatosensory system?
Three neurons in series = end in the somatosensory cortex
What is the function of the sensory neuron terminals?
Transduce a stimulus into electrical activity
How does a sensory neuron terminal transduce a stimulus into electrical signals?
Stimulus opens cation selective ion channel in peripheral terminal of primary sensory afferent = elicits a depolarising receptor potential
What is the amplitude of the receptor potential graded and proportional to?
Stimulus intensity
What does a supra-threshold receptor potential generate?
An all or nothing AP = conducted by the axon at a frequency proportional to its amplitude
What does APs arriving at the central terminal cause?
The graded release of neurotransmitter on to a second order neuron
What are the different properties of sensory units?
Modality, threshold, adaption rate, conduction velocity and the site and extent of peripheral termination (receptive field)
What does threshold relate to?
The intensity of a stimulus required to excite a sensory unit
What are some examples of low threshold receptors?
Low threshold units = respond to low intensity stimuli
Low threshold mechanoreceptor = mediate fine discriminatory touch
Low threshold thermoreceptors = mediate cold through to hot
What are some examples of high threshold receptors?
High threshold units = respond to high intensity (damaging) stimuli
High threshold mechanoreceptors = respond to high intensity mechanical stimuli
What do thermal nociceptors respond to?
Extremes of hot (>45) or cold (<10-15)
What do chemical nociceptors respond to?
Substances in tissues (e.g during inflammatory response)
What do polymodal receptors respond to?
At least two modalities
What does adaption determine?
Whether they change their firing rate only in response to a stimulus of changing intensity or fire continuously throughout a constant stimulus
What are the features of the slow adapting response?
Continuous info to CNS while terminal deformed = provides info about position, degree of stretch and force
What are the features of the fast adapting response?
Detects changes in stimulus strength = number of impulses proportional to rate of change of stimulus
What are the features of the very fast adapting response?
Responds only to very fast movements (e.g rapid vibration)
What are some features of Group I fibres?
13-20 micrometer diameter
80-120 m/s conduction velocity
Sensory receptors for proprioceptors for skeletal msucle
Thick myelination