Sensation Vocabulary

Question 1

The adjustment of the pupil of the eye to changes in light intensity. The property by which a sensory neuron relays a decreased frequency of action potentials from a receptor, even though the strength of the stimulus remains constant; the decrease in perception of a sensation over time while the stimulus is still present.

Answer 1

Adaptation

Question 2

Sensory receptor that detects the presence of a specific chemical.

Answer 2

Chemoreceptors

Question 3

A state of wakefulness in which an individual is fully alert, aware, and oriented, partly as a result of feedback between the cerebral cortex and reticular activating system.

Answer 3

Consciousness

Question 4

A sensory receptor for touch; found in dermal papillae, especially in the palms and soles.

Answer 4

Corpuscles of touch

Question 5

A sensory receptor adapted for the reception of stimuli from outside the body.

Answer 5

Exteroceptors

Question 6

Sensory receptor located in blood vessels and viscera that provides information about the body’s internal environment. Also called a visceroceptor.

Answer 6

Interoceptors

Question 7

Prolonged, enhanced synaptic transmission that occurs at certain synapses within the hippocampus of the brain; believed to underlie some aspects of memory.

Answer 7

Long-term potentiation

Question 8

Sensory receptor that detects mechanical deformation of the receptor itself or adjacent cells; stimuli so detected include those related to touch, pressure, vibration, proprioception, hearing, equilibrium, and blood pressure.

Answer 8

Mechanoreceptors

Question 9

An encapsulated proprioceptor in a skeletal muscle, consisting of specialized intrafusal muscle fibers and nerve endings; stimulated by changes in length or tension of muscle fibers.

Answer 9

Muscle spindle

Question 10

A sustained, partial contraction of portions of a skeletal or smooth muscle in response to activation of stretch receptors or a baseline level of action potentials in the innervating motor neurons.

Answer 10

Muscle Tone

Question 11

A free (naked) nerve ending that detects painful stimuli.

Answer 11

Nociceptors

Question 12

Receptor in the hypothalamus that is sensitive to changes in blood osmolarity and, in response to high osmolarity (low water concentration), stimulates synthesis and release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

Answer 12

Osmoreceptors

Question 13

The smallest intensity of a painful stimulus at which a person perceives pain. All individuals have the same pain threshold.

Answer 13

Pain threshold

Question 14

Receptor that detects light shining on the retina of the eye.

Answer 14

Photoreceptors

Question 15

Sensory pathways that carry information related to proprioception, fi ne touch, two-point discrimination, pressure, and vibration.

Answer 15

Posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway

Question 16

A receptor located in muscles, tendons, joints, or the internal ear (muscle spindles, tendon organs, joint kinesthetic receptors, and hair cells of the vestibular apparatus) that provides information about body position and movements.

Answer 16

Proprioceptors

Question 17

Pain that is felt at a site remote from the place of origin

Answer 17

Referred pain

Question 18

A portion of the reticular formation that has many ascending connections with the cerebral cortex; when this area of the brain stem is active, nerve impulses pass to the thalamus and widespread areas of the cerebral cortex, resulting in generalized alertness or arousal from sleep.

Answer 18

Reticular activation system

Question 19

A state of awareness of external or internal conditions of the body

Answer 19

Sensation

Question 20

Any of the specific sensory entities, such as vision, smell taste, or touch

Answer 20

Sensory modality

Question 21

Sensory (ascending) tract that conveys information up the spinal cord to the thalamus for sensations of pain, temperature, crude touch, and deep pressure.

Answer 21

Spinothalamic tract

Question 22

Slowly adapting touch receptors for fine touch: also called a tactile disc or Merkel disc

Answer 22

Type I cutaneous mechanoreceptors

Question 23

A sensory receptor embedded deeply in the dermis and deeper tissue that detects stretching of skin. Also called a Ruffini corpuscle.

Answer 23

Type II cutaneous mechanoreceptors

Question 24

Total lack of the sense of smell

Answer 24

Anosmia

Question 25

A bipolar neuron with its cell body lying between supporting cells located in the mucous membrane lining the superior portion of each nasal cavity; transducers odors into neural signals.

Answer 25

Olfactory receptors cells

Question 26

A bundle of axons that extends from the olfactory bulb posteriorly to olfactory regions of the cerebral cortex.

Answer 26

Olfactory tract

Question 27

A large, oval structure located bilaterally on either side of the third ventricle, consisting of two masses of gray matter organized into nuclei; main relay center for sensory impulses ascending to the cerebral cortex.

Answer 27

Thalamus