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caps 301 > Principles of sensory physiology > Flashcards

Principles of sensory physiology Flashcards

1
Q

Special senses

A

Carried by cranial nerves
- Olfaction i
- Vision ii
- Taste vii and ix
- Hearing and balance viii

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2
Q

General/somatic senses

A

Detected from all parts of body, transmitted to CNS by:
- trigeminal v
- All spinal nerves except C1

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3
Q

Sensory receptors are transducers

A

Convert one form of energy to another
Detect various stimuli + convert to APs

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4
Q

Photoreceptors

A

Detect light. rods and cones of retina

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5
Q

Thermoreceptors

A

Detect changes in temp, central (hypothalamus) and peripheral (skin)

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6
Q

Nociceptors

A

pain

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7
Q

Mechanoceptors

A

Mechnical stimuli, divided into:
- Exteroceptors: stimuli from outside body, ex touch
- Proprioceptors: info about body position, ex muscle spindles

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8
Q

Sensory receptor

A
  • depolarized to threshold to generate AP (opens voltage-gated Na+ channels)
  • Generator potential: depolarization caused by opening/closing of ion channels in response to sensory stimulus.
    • In rods and cones, GP is hyperpolarization
  • If GP big enough to reach threshold, APs produced, propagate to CNS
  • In myelinated sensory axons: AP initiated at 1st node of ranvier
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9
Q

GP of somatosensory mechanoreceptors

A
  • Direct effect of stretch on stretch-sensitive channels
    • Allow both Na+ and K+ to pass
    • Net depolarization due to greater driving force for Na+
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10
Q

GP of nociceptors, photoreceptors, chemoreceptors

A

G-protein coupled mechanism, influence ion channels indirectly

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11
Q

How is stimulus intensity coded?

A
  1. Frequency coding
  2. Population coding
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12
Q

Frequency coding

A

Greater stimulus intensity, greater freq of APs in ind axons
- Not a linear function

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13
Q

Population coding

A

Greater stimulus intensity, more ind receptors recruited

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14
Q

Receptor adaption

A

Slowly adapting and rapidly adapting.
- Adaptation in mechanoreceptors is due to accessory structures surrounding axon terminal
- These structures modify physical stimulus

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15
Q

Slowly adapting

A

AKA tonic
- Monitor static, unchanging stimuli
- Maintained muscle length
- Maintained pressure
insert pic

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16
Q

Rapidly adapting

A

AKA phasic
- Detect onset of stimulus
- Change in time, eg vibration
- Change in space
insert pic

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17
Q

Tactile receptors

A
  • Fast adapting: Meissner’s corpuscules (change in space), Pacinian corpuscules (vibration), endings surrounding hair follicles
    • Involved in discriminative touch
    • Meissner’s corpuscules abundant in fingertips
  • Slow adapting: Non-changing features of tactile stimuli (eg maintained pressure)
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18
Q

Proprioception

A
  • Muscle spindles:
    • Primary endings: rate of change of muscle length
    • Secondary endings: absolute muscle length
  • Golgi tendon organs: tension receptors, lets us know if there’s too much tension in tendons, reflexively causes relaxation
  • Joint receptors: Detects joint angles
    • Ruffini endings, pacinian corpuscules
    • In joint capsules and ligaments
  • Skin receptors: deformed by changes in joint angle
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19
Q

Pain and temp

A

Receptors are free nerve endings
- No capsule or specialization

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20
Q

Conduction velocity classification of peripheral nerve fibers

A

Group A: fastest, large diameter, myelinated
- Sub-divided: Aalpha, Abeta, Adelta, Agamma
Group B: smaller, still myelinated
Group C: slowest, smallest, unmyelinated
- Usually used for motor neurons

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21
Q

alpha motor neurons

A

voluntary movements

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22
Q

gamma motor neurons

A

coordination

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23
Q

Diameter classification of peripheral nerve fibers

A

I - thickest, fastest
II
III
IV - thinnest, unmyelinated, slowest
- Used for sensory axons

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24
Q

Anatomy of spinal cord

A
  • X shaped central portion of grey matter
    • Many cell bodies, and dendrites/synapses)
  • Outer portion: white matter (axons)
    • Descending motor tracts from brain
    • Ascending sensory tracts to brain
      insert pic
  • Spinal nerves divide into dorsal root and ventral root
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25
Q

White matter of spinal cord can be divided into…

A

Dorsal, lateral, ventral white columns

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26
Q

Dorsal root

A

Carries sensory info into spinal cord
- Cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia (periphery)
- Dorsal horn has cell bodies of interneurons upon which sensory neurons terminate

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27
Q

Ventral root

A

Motor neuron axons
- Cell bodies in ventral horn (grey matter of sp cord)
- Ventral horn larger in cervical (upper limb) and lumbar (lower limb) regions

28
Q

Intermediolateral horn

A

Contains cell bodies of preganglionic autonomic efferent neurons
- T1-L2, S2-S4

29
Q

Reflexes

A

Automatic, unchangeable response to stimulus
- Activity in series of neurons (reflex arc)
1. Sensory receptor in muscle
2. Sensory axon, goes to spinal cord
3. Integration centre in CNS
4. Motor neuron and axon
5. Effector organ (Muscle contraction, gland)

30
Q

Muscle spindle

A

Detects stretch (change in length) of muscle (proprioception)
- w/i skeletal muscle
- contains several intrafusal muscle fibers
- Two types:
1. Nuclear bag fibers (one per spindle)
2. Nuclear chain fibers (several per spindle)
1. Single group Ia fiber enters
2. Forms spiral endings around all intrafusal fibers (primary endings, rapidly adapting, change in length)
3. Several group II fibers enter
4. Innervate only nucl chain fibers (secondary endings, slow adapting, absolute length
5. Motor innervation via gamma-Mn
- Causes contraction of intrafusal fibers, stretching receptive portion
- Incr discharge in Ia and II fibers

31
Q

Muscle spindles when relaxed

A

Sensitive to stretch

32
Q

Contracted muscle w no spindle coactivation

A

Not sensitive to stretch

33
Q

Contracted muscle w normal spindle coactivation

A

sensitive to stretch

34
Q

Spindle coactivation

A

When skeletal muscles are shortened, gamma-MNs activate to prevent slack

35
Q

Monosynaptic stretch reflex

A
  1. Primary endings (Ia) activated by rapid muscle stretch
  2. Central branch of Ia excites dendrites of motor neurons supplying same muscle
    • Simultaneously recruits inhibitory neuron
    • Motor neurons of antagonist flexor muscles inhibited (hyperpolarized) (reciprocal inhibition)
  3. Contraction
36
Q

Polysynaptic flexor-withdrawal reflex

A
  1. Activation of pain stimulates nociceptors
  2. Travels through group III or IV axons (slow)
  3. Excites interneuron in spinal cord
  4. Interneuron excites ipsilateral flexor motor neurons
    • Reciprocal inhibition: extensor MNs on same side are inhibited
  5. Interneuron also excites contralateral extensor MNs
    • Reciprocal inhibition: flexor MNs on other side inhibited
  • these same MNs normally controlled by higher centres
37
Q

Muscle tone

A

Also a spinal reflex.
Background contraction of muscle in absence of movement
- Cont excitation of gamma-MNs
- From reticular formation of brainstem
- Spindle constantly stretched
- Tonic activity in group II fibers
- Reflex origin initiated centrally

38
Q

Vestibular apparatus

A

Info enters CNS from VA via viii cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear)
- Info: posture, movement of body and eyes
- Consists of: 3 semicircular canals, 2 chambers (utricle and saccule)
-

39
Q

Cochlea

A

Detection of sound
- Associated w VA
- 2.5 turn conical helix
- 3 fluid-filled cavities: scala vestibuli, tympani, and media
- Bases of hair cells attached to basilar membrane (vibrates) (w/i inner membrane - surrounded by endolymph)
- Project into tectorial membrane

40
Q

Tectorial membrane

A

Stiff

41
Q

Scala vestibuli and tympani

A

Connected at apex (oval and round window)
- contain perilymph

42
Q

Scala media

A

AKA cochlear duct
- Inner membrane, filled w endolymph

43
Q

VA and cochlea

A
  • In temporal bone
  • Bony labyrinth lined w membrane
    • b/w membr and bone: perilymph (ionic comp similar to plasma, 150mM Na, 7mM K)
    • In membrane: endolymph w hairs projecting (16mM Na, 150mM K). (+) compared to surr tissue
44
Q

Semicircular canals

A

horizontal, anterior, posterior
- Each canal opens into utricle
- Near canal-utricle junction is wider area (ampulla)
- Hair cells on ridge at base of ampulla (crista)
- In any ampulla, hair cells always oriented in same direction (depolarize/hyperpolarize at the same time)
- hair cells embedded in gelatinous cupula
Insert pic of cupula and orientation of semicircular canals

45
Q

Hair cells

A

Transducers
- In cochlea, utricle, saccule, semicircular canals
- Each cell has 60-100 cilia projecting from apical pole
- Stereocilia in rows of ascending height, tallest being next to Kinocilium
- At base of cell: vesicles containing glutamate
- Attached to e/o at apical tips by gap junctions
- Only apical tips and cilia exposed to high K endolymph

46
Q

Hair cell depolarized

A

Stereocilia bent toward kinocilium
- Release glutamate
- Activate viii

47
Q

Hair cell hyperpolarized

A

Stereocilia bent away from kinocilium
- Less glutamate
- Less activation of viii

48
Q

Hair cell activation

A
  1. Cilia bent toward kinocilium
  2. Stretch-sensitive ion channels on cilia open
  3. K+ from endolymph enters -> depolarization
  4. Voltage sensitive Ca2+ channels open at base
  5. Glutamate release
  6. AP stimulated in post-synaptic axon
    - Cilia away from kinocilium is opposite effect
49
Q

Rotation of head (horizontal canals)

A
  • Rotation to the right
    • Endolymph has inertia, lags behind: both cupulae pushed to left
  • Constant velocity: fluid catches up, and cupula goes back to starting position
  • Stopping: fluid has momentum, continues pushing to right (gives opposite neuronal firing)
  • Direction of head movement opposite to direction of fluid movement
50
Q

Main role of semicircular canals

A

Control position of eyes during head movement
As head moves to one side, eyes move to opposite (fixation).
Vestibulo-ocular reflex:
- ii (optic nerve - visual feedback)
- iii (oculomotor - t/w midline)
- vi (abducens - away midline)
- viii (vestibulocochlear)

51
Q

Utricle and saccule

A

Contain macula: equivalent to crista of canals
- contains hair cells which project into otolith membrane (jelly)
- Otolith membr contains crystals of calcium carbonate (makes it have density 5x heavier than surroundings)
- Responds to gravity and acceleration
- Hair cells not all oriented in same direction

52
Q

Utricle

A
  • macula forms floor (horizontal)
  • Some kinocilium anterior edge, posterior, medial, lateral
  • Linear movement and static tilt: Info on front-back, left-right movements; maintained tilt
53
Q

Saccule

A
  • Macula forms wall (vertical)
  • Some kinocilium anterior, posterior, superior, inferior
  • Linear movement and gravity: Info on front-back and up-down
54
Q

Utricle and saccule main role

A

To cause reflex adjustments in:
- head via neck + trunk muscles
- body position via limb muscles

55
Q

VA’s central connections

A
  1. Input from VA enters brainstem
  2. Synapses on 4 vestibular nuclei (VN) at pontomedullary junction
56
Q

Superior VN

A

Semicircular canals -> medial longitudinal fasciculus (coordinates eyes)

57
Q

Medial VN

A

Utricle + saccule -> neck and trunk via medial vestibulospinal tract

58
Q

Lateral VN

A

Utricle + saccule -> limbs via lateral vestibulospinal tract

59
Q

Inferior VN

A

All components -> cerebellum (coordinates all motor activities)

60
Q

Outer ear

A

Pinna + auditory canal
- Collects sound/oscillations in air pressure
- Directs to eardrum

61
Q

Middle ear

A

Sound transmitted + amplified w assistance of ossicles (little bones)
- Malleus, incus, stapes -> attaches to oval window

62
Q

Oval window

A

access point to inner ear and fluid-filled cochlea

63
Q

Sound transduction

A
  1. Sound collected in outer ear, directed to eardrum
  2. Eardrum vibration transfers to ossicles - amplify x20
  3. Oval window vibrations transmitted thru fluid compartments (scala)
  4. Basilar membrane vibrates, tectorial membrane immovable
  5. Hairs deflected, transduction initiated
64
Q

Frequency coding of sound

A

Basilar membr at base of cochlea more easily displaced by high frequency
At apex, low frequency
- viii axons arising from base carry info abt high freq sound
- viii axons further along carry info abt low freq

65
Q

Central connections of viii nerve

A
  • Info goes to cochlear nuclei in brainstem
  • Then to medial geniculate nucleus in thalamus
  • Then to auditory cortex in temporal lobe
    • Each temporal lobe receives input from both ears
    • If auditory pathway w/i CNS damaged on one side, both sides can still be heard

caps 301 (12 decks)

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