Sensory Flashcards
what is a dermatome
band like sensory territories
activation of sensory receptors results in
graded depolarizations -> action potentials
where does sensation and perception occur
cerebral cortex
where does reflex activity take place
spinal cord
what is transduction
conversion of a stimulus into neuronal electrochemical property
what is another name for a receptor potential
generator potential
what is the name for a transmembrane potential difference produced by activation of a sensory receptor
receptor potential
how is a receptor potential often produced
by sensory transduction
nociception is the perception of _____
stimuli
what root of the spinal cord only allows afferent (towards) signals
dorsal roots
what root of the spinal cord only allows efferent (away) signals
ventral roots
where is the pain message received
thalamus and cerebral cortex
what is the role of enkephalin
it blocks the release of neurotransmitters from pain fibers
what is referred pain
when pain cannot be represented in the actual area its from ie heart, it hitchhikes off nearby receptors and it will be felt somewhere else - ie pain from the heart is felt down the left arm and up the left side of the face
what are exteroceptors
respond to stimuli from outside the body
what class of receptors includes the special sense organs
exteroceptors
what are interoceptors
respond to stimuli from inside the body
what are exteroceptors sensitive to 4
touch
pressure
pain
temp
what are interoceptors sensitive to 3
chemical changes
stretch
temp changes
what two places are interoceptors found
internal viscera
blood vessels
what kind of receptor is a baroreceptor
interoceptor
what is a mechanoreceptor and what 5 things do they respond to
a receptor that responds to touch, pressure, stretch, vibration and itch
what do thermoreceptors respond to
changes in temp
what do photoreceptors respond to
light energy - retina
what do chemoreceptors respond to
chemicals
what are chemoreceptors important for
smelling and tasting
what type of receptors are important to smell and taste
chemoreceptors
what kind of receptors are sensitive to pain causing stimuli
nociceptors
how many kinds of thermoreceptors are there
8
what is a transient receptor potential family of proteins
family of proteins that changes conformation based on the temp theyre exposed to
what do proprioceptors respond to
degree of stretch of an organ
where are proprioceptors found 5
skeletal muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, connective tissue coverings
what kind of receptors gives the brain info concerning movement and body position
proprioceptors
are most receptors simple or complex
simple
what does it meant to have unencapsulated receptors
free nerve endings
what is a complex receptor
they are special sense organs in contact with a free nerve ending
how does a complex receptor differ from a simple one
a stimulus will depolarize a receptor cell first, and then reach the complex receptor afferent neuron going to the CNS, whereas the simple one just takes the stimulus directly to the CNS
the more intense the stimulation, the higher the _______ of the action potentials
frequency
what is it called when even though a stimulus is still present, no action potentials are produced
rapidly adapting
name two examples of a rapidly adapting sensory units
smell
putting on clothes
any thing that you get used to over time
is pain rapidly adapting or slowly adapting sensation
slowly
is smell a rapidly adapting sensation or slowly adapting sensatioin
rapidly adapting
do pain receptors exibit adaptation
no
do proprioceptors exhibit adaptation
no
what is a word for when a receptor does not exhibit adaptation
tonic receptors
what is a word to describe receptors that adapt quickly
phasic receptors
does sensory acuity vary based on types of receptors
no
sensory acuity varies based on the _________ of the receptor
position/location
is the spread of sensory receptors larger on the lip or thigh
thigh
why is the lip able to detect stimuli on a finer scale than on the thigh
sensory receptors are a lot closer together and go over a smaller range, so if it feels touch, the neuron for that exact position will pass on the stimulus, whereas on the thigh, you could touch in multiple spots close together and still be touching the same afferent neruon
what can cause the location of a stimulus be a little bit cloudy
overlapping stimulation
what is lateral inhibition
when a stimulus overlaps between receptive fields, an interneuron will inhibit the AP’s on the part that overlaps, and increase the AP’s on the affected neuron
