Sensory Functioning Flashcards
What is the audible sound range for humans?
20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
transduction (n.)
the conversion of different forms of energy into neural impulses
What kind of visual receptors are in the peripheral retina?
Rods
What kind of visual receptors are in the central retina?
Cones
somesthetic (n.)
having to do with body sensation
What are the haptic senses?
Touch, pressure, position sense
kinesthetic (n.)
having to do with movement
What do cones detect?
Color and position
proprioception (n.)
the ability to sense the position, location, orientation, and movement of one’s body and limbs
What do rods detect?
Black and white, and movement
Romberg test (n.)
Testing to see if swaying while standing increases when their eyes are closed
Which visual receptor cells are better are detecting motion?
Rods
Which visual receptors are better at seeing stationary things?
Cones
exteroceptors (n.)
receptors that respond primarily to external stimuli
interoceptors (n.)
receptors that respond primarily to internal stimuli
What structure controls circadian rhythm?
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
What structure controls pupillary response to light?
Pretectal area
What structure controls infradian rhythm?
Pineal gland
What structure controls motion detection and head orientation?
Superior colliculus
What structure controls eye movements that compensate for head movement?
Accessory optic nucleus
What structure manages conscious visual perception?
Visual cortex
What structure controls non-conscious eye movement?
Frontal eye fields
Where is the dorsal stream of vision located?
Parietal cortex
Where is the ventral stream of vision located?
Inferior temporal cortex
What is the dorsal stream of vision specialized for?
Perception of movement and location
What is the ventral stream of vision specialized for?
Object perception
nociception (n.)
sensation of pain and temperature
What are the two primary cortical visual pathways?
Geniculostriate pathway and tectopulvinar pathway
What is the path of the geniculostriate pathway?
retina -> lateral geniculate nucleus of thalamus -> primary visual cortex (medial occipital lobe), also known as V1
What is the path of the tectopulvinar pathway?
optic tract -> midbrain tectum (dorsal midbrain, superior colliculi) -> parietal and temporal cortices
anosmia (n.)
the loss of the sense of smell
prosopagnosia (n.)
inability to recognize faces (“face blindness”)
vestibular sensation (n.)
the sensation of balance
Where is the greatest density of cones in the eye?
Fovea
Which visual receptor cells are more densely packed?
Cones
Which visual receptor cells are more sensitive to light?
Rods
What is the name of the sensory map in the brain?
Sensory homunculus
Where is the brain’s sensory map located?
Somatosensory cortex
Who mapped out the sensory homunculus?
Wilder Penfield
What detects the acceleration of the head and force of gravity?
Otolith organs
What visual information does the geniculostriate pathway interpret?
“What” we see
What visual information does the tectopulvinar pathway interpret?
“Where” we see it
What are the two somatosensory pathways?
The dorsal spinal tract and the ventral spinal tract
What information does the dorsal spinal tract transmit?
Touch, pressure, and proprioception
What kind of neurons are in the dorsal spinal pathway?
Mostly large, myelinated neurons
Where are the parts of the dorsal spinal tract neurons located?
Dendrites: sensory receptors
Cell bodies: dorsal root ganglia
Axons: project into spinal cord
Where do the dorsal spinal tract neurons synapse?
Dorsal column nuclei at the base of the brainstem
Where do the dorsal spinal tract neurons cross over?
Cross over (and form) the medial lemniscus
What is the technical name for neurons crossing over?
Decussation
What is the pathway of the dorsal spinal tract?
Sensory receptors > dorsal root ganglia > spinal cord > dorsal column nuclei > medial lemniscus > ventrolateral thalamus > primary sensory cortex > primary motor cortex
What information does the ventral spinal pathway carry?
Pain and temperature sense
What kind of neurons make up the ventral spinal pathway?
Small(er) and unmyelinated
What structure does the ventral spinal pathway project to first?
Substantia gelatinosa in the central spinal cord
