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Sensory Physiology Flashcards

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1
Q

These are specialized cells that generate graded potential called receptor potentials in response to a stimulus

A

Sensory receptors

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2
Q

What are the 5 major divisions of sensory receptors?

A
  1. Mechanoreceptors
  2. Thermoreceptors
  3. Photoreceptors
  4. Chemoreceptors
  5. Nociceptors
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3
Q

What are the 2 primary sensory codings?

A

Coding and Information

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4
Q

It is the conversion of a stimulus into a signal that is conveyed to the CNS

A

Coding

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5
Q

It is conveyed by both the frequency and amplitude of the resulting signals

A

Information

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6
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: Adaptation indicates that a decrease in receptor sensitivity, results in a decrease in action potential frequency in an afferent neuron despite a stimulus of constant strength

A

TRUE

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7
Q

What happens to stimulus intensity when the frequency of action potentials in a single afferent neuron is increased?

A

Stimulus intensity increases

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8
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: As the strength of a local stimulus increases, receptors on adjacent branches of an afferent neuron are activated.

A

TRUE

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9
Q

This is coded by the site of a stimulated receptor

A

Stimulus location

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10
Q

This depends upon the amount of convergence of neuronal input in the specific ascending pathway

A

Acuity

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11
Q

What happens when receptor endings of different afferent neurons overlap?

A

A stimulus will trigger activity in more than one sensory unit.

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12
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: A high action potential frequency in one neuron but low in others provide less accurate localization of the stimulus.

A

FALSE: More accurate

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13
Q

This enables the localization of a stimulus site

A

Lateral inhibition

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14
Q

Modification can come from four things, what are they?

A
  1. Inhibition from collaterals
  2. Pathways descending from the brain
  3. Synapses on the axon terminals
  4. Indirectly via interneurons that affect other neurons in the sensory pathways
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15
Q

A chain of three or more neurons that form an ASCENDING PATHWAY to the CNS

A
  1. First order neuron
  2. Second order neuron
  3. Third order neuron
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16
Q

Process may diverge to terminate on several interneurons

A

Divergence

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17
Q

Afferent neurons may terminate upon a single interneuron

A

Convergence

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18
Q

Where does the processing of afferent information occur?

A

Primary cortical receiving areas and Association areas in the cerebral cortex

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19
Q

Relies upon various association areas of the cortex to properly process sensory information

A

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

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20
Q

Factors that affect perception:

A
  1. Receptor adaptation and different processing
  2. Emotions and experiences
  3. Not all stimuli give rise to a conscious sensation
  4. Lack of receptors for certain stimuli
  5. Damaged neural pathways
  6. Drugs
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21
Q

Sensation from the skin, muscles, bones, tendons, and joints

A

Somatic sensation

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22
Q

Somatic sensation receptors respond to

A
  1. Touch and pressure
  2. Sense of posture and movement
  3. Temperature
  4. Pain
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23
Q

Rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor; touch, and pressure

A

Meissner’s Corpuscle

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24
Q

Slowly adapting mechanoreceptor; touch, and pressure

A

Merkle’s Corpuscle

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25
Slowly adapting nociceptors, thermoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors
Free Nerve Ending
26
Rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor; vibration and deep pressure
Pacinian Corpuscles
27
Slowly adapting mechanoreceptor; skin strech
Ruffini Corpuscle
28
This differs from other somatosensory modalities
Pain
29
It can be altered by past experiences, suggestion, emotions, and the simultaneous activation of other sensory modalities
Pain
30
An increased sensitivity to painful stimuli
Hyperalgesia
31
The selective suppression of pain without effects on conscious or other sensations
Analgesia
32
Some mechanisms to achieve pain relief are:
1. Electrical stimulation of the CNS 2. Drugs: NSAIDs and Morphine 3. Neurons in the inhibitory pathways that release morphine-like endogenous opioids 4. Acupuncture 5. Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (TEMS) 6. Massage
33
This occurs when the brain is “confused” and you feel pain from an internal organ as another area of the body
Referred Pain
34
What are the two components of the eyes?
Optical and Neural Component
35
This component of the eye focuses the visual images on the receptor cells
Optical Component
36
This component of the eye transfers the visual image into a pattern of graded and action potentials
Neural component
37
This condition occurs when eyeball is too long
Nearsightedness
38
This condition occurs when eyeball is too short
Farsightedness
39
The eye is __________ when there is tension on zonular fibers; light rays from distant objects are nearly parallel
In focus
40
The eye is __________ when light rays from near objects diverge
Out of focus
41
Photoreceptor and bipolar cells only undergo this due to lack of voltage-gated channels
Graded responses
42
Ganglion cells are the first cells in the pathway where this can be initiated
Action potentials
43
Photoreceptors interact with bipolar and ganglion cells in two distinct ways. What are these?
ON-Pathway and OFF-Pathway
44
This pathway is when bipolar cells spontaneously depolarize in the absence of input; glutamate receptors bipolar cells are inhibitory
ON-Pathway
45
This pathway is when bipolar cells hyperpolarize in the absence of input; glutamate receptors bipolar cells are excitatory
OFF-Pathway
46
TRUE OR FALSE: In both ON- and OFF-Pathways, photoreceptors are DEpolarized in the absence of light, causing the neurotransmitter glutamate to be released onto bipolar cells
TRUE
47
Coexistence of ON and OFF pathways in the retina cause what?
Improvement of image resolution by increasing the brain’s ability to perceive contrast
48
This is related to the wavelengths of light that the pigments in the objects of our visual world reflect, absorb, or transmit
Color vision
49
A mixture of all wavelengths produce light that is perceived as color __________
White
50
The absence of light yields the color __________
Black
51
What are the three kinds of cones?
L, M, and S Cones
52
These cones respond optimally at long wavelengths
“L” Cones
53
These cones respond at medium wavelengths
“M” Cones
54
These cones are best stimulated at short wavelengths
“S” Cones
55
This condition results from a recessive mutation in genes encoding the cone pigments
Color blindness
56
What is the most common form of color blindness?
Red-green color blindness
57
The macula lutea region of the retina provide the __________
Highest visual acuity
58
The Macula Lutea region becomes impaired in __________ producing a defect characterized by the loss of vision in the center of the visual field
Macular degeneration
59
The incidence of this disease increases with age
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
60
Small, jerking movements that rapidly bring the eye from one fixation point to another; prevents adaptation Occurs during certain periods of sleep when dreaming occurs
Fast movements (SACCADES)
61
Involved in tracking visual objectives as they move and during compensation for movements of the head
Slow movements
62
Control centers obtain information about head movement from what system?
Vestibular system
63
This is based on the physics of sound and the physiology of the ear, the nerves, and the brain regions involved in processing acoustic information
Hearing
64
This is transmitted through vibration of the medium’s molecules
Sound energy
65
TRUE OR FALSE: When there are no molecules, there can still be sound
FALSE: There can be no sound
66
What are the purposes of vestibular information?
1. To control eye movement 2. To maintain posture and balance 3. To provide awareness of body position and accelaration
67
Chemical senses have chemicals that bind to specific chemoreceptors responsible for the detection of __________ and __________
Taste and smell
68
Groups of cells arranged around a hollow pore
Taste Buds
69
Increase the surface area, and contain membrane proteins that transduce a chemical into a receptor potential
Microvilli
70
Divide and differentiate to continually replace taste receptor cells damaged in the harsh environment
Basal Cells (of taste buds)
71
TRUE OR FALSE: Food molecules can be in solid form when entering the pores of taste buds.
FALSE, they must be dissolved in liquid
72
Type of taste receptor for salt taste
Sodium ions
73
Type of taste receptor for sour taste
Hydrogen ion
74
Type of taste receptor for sweet taste
Glucose (G protein-coupled)
75
Type of taste receptor for bitter flavor
Associated with poisonous substances, especially plant alkaloids
76
Type of taste receptor for umami taste
● Depolarize via a G protein-coupled receptor mechanism ● Associated with the taste of glutamate ● Sometimes described as savory or flavorful
77
Olfactory receptors lie in the __________ in the upper part of the nasal cavity
Olfactory epithelium
78
Every when is the olfactory epithelium replaced by new cells?
Every two months
79
These are found in the cilia and provide the binding sites for odor molecules
Receptor proteins
80
Axons of the neurons from the __________
Olfactory nerve (cranial nerve I)
81
Proteins in the mucus interact with the __________, transport them to the receptors, and facilitate their binding to the receptors
Odorant molecules
82
Stimulated odorant receptors activate a __________ that increases cAMP, which in turn opens nonselective cation channels and depolarizes the cell
G protein-mediated pathway
83
Genetic defect that results in the lack of the ability to smell
Anosmia
84
What are the factors that affect the sense of smell?
1. Attentiveness 2. Hunger (increased sensitivity) 3. Gender (women have keener olfactory sensitivities) 4. Smoking (decreased sensitivity) 5. Age (decreases with age) 6. State of Olfactory Mucosa (decreases when congested)

PHYSIOL (6 decks)

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