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PHYSIOL > Sensory Physiology > Flashcards

Sensory Physiology Flashcards

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
Q

Slowly adapting nociceptors, thermoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors

A

Free Nerve Ending

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26
Q

Rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor; vibration and deep pressure

A

Pacinian Corpuscles

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27
Q

Slowly adapting mechanoreceptor; skin strech

A

Ruffini Corpuscle

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28
Q

This differs from other somatosensory modalities

A

Pain

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29
Q

It can be altered by past experiences, suggestion, emotions, and the simultaneous activation of other sensory modalities

A

Pain

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30
Q

An increased sensitivity to painful stimuli

A

Hyperalgesia

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31
Q

The selective suppression of pain without effects on conscious or other sensations

A

Analgesia

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32
Q

Some mechanisms to achieve pain relief are:

A
  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
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33
Q

This occurs when the brain is “confused” and you feel pain from an internal organ as another area of the body

A

Referred Pain

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34
Q

What are the two components of the eyes?

A

Optical and Neural Component

35
Q

This component of the eye focuses the visual images on the receptor cells

A

Optical Component

36
Q

This component of the eye transfers the visual image into a pattern of graded and action potentials

A

Neural component

37
Q

This condition occurs when eyeball is too long

A

Nearsightedness

38
Q

This condition occurs when eyeball is too short

A

Farsightedness

39
Q

The eye is __________ when there is tension on zonular fibers; light rays from distant objects are nearly parallel

A

In focus

40
Q

The eye is __________ when light rays from near objects diverge

A

Out of focus

41
Q

Photoreceptor and bipolar cells only undergo this due to lack of voltage-gated channels

A

Graded responses

42
Q

Ganglion cells are the first cells in the pathway where this can be initiated

A

Action potentials

43
Q

Photoreceptors interact with bipolar and ganglion cells in two distinct ways. What are these?

A

ON-Pathway and OFF-Pathway

44
Q

This pathway is when bipolar cells spontaneously depolarize in the absence of input; glutamate receptors bipolar cells are inhibitory

A

ON-Pathway

45
Q

This pathway is when bipolar cells hyperpolarize in the absence of input; glutamate receptors bipolar cells are excitatory

A

OFF-Pathway

46
Q

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

A

TRUE

47
Q

Coexistence of ON and OFF pathways in the retina cause what?

A

Improvement of image resolution by increasing the brain’s ability to perceive contrast

48
Q

This is related to the wavelengths of light that the pigments in the objects of our visual world reflect, absorb, or transmit

A

Color vision

49
Q

A mixture of all wavelengths produce light that is perceived as color __________

A

White

50
Q

The absence of light yields the color __________

A

Black

51
Q

What are the three kinds of cones?

A

L, M, and S Cones

52
Q

These cones respond optimally at long wavelengths

A

“L” Cones

53
Q

These cones respond at medium wavelengths

A

“M” Cones

54
Q

These cones are best stimulated at short wavelengths

A

“S” Cones

55
Q

This condition results from a recessive mutation in genes encoding the cone pigments

A

Color blindness

56
Q

What is the most common form of color blindness?

A

Red-green color blindness

57
Q

The macula lutea region of the retina provide the __________

A

Highest visual acuity

58
Q

The Macula Lutea region becomes impaired in __________ producing a defect characterized by the loss of vision in the center of the visual field

A

Macular degeneration

59
Q

The incidence of this disease increases with age

A

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

60
Q

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

A

Fast movements (SACCADES)

61
Q

Involved in tracking visual objectives as they move and during compensation for movements of the head

A

Slow movements

62
Q

Control centers obtain information about head movement from what system?

A

Vestibular system

63
Q

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

A

Hearing

64
Q

This is transmitted through vibration of the medium’s molecules

A

Sound energy

65
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: When there are no molecules, there can still be sound

A

FALSE: There can be no sound

66
Q

What are the purposes of vestibular information?

A
  1. To control eye movement
  2. To maintain posture and balance
  3. To provide awareness of body position and accelaration
67
Q

Chemical senses have chemicals that bind to specific chemoreceptors responsible for the detection of __________ and __________

A

Taste and smell

68
Q

Groups of cells arranged around a hollow pore

A

Taste Buds

69
Q

Increase the surface area, and contain membrane proteins that transduce a chemical into a receptor potential

A

Microvilli

70
Q

Divide and differentiate to continually replace taste receptor cells damaged in the harsh environment

A

Basal Cells (of taste buds)

71
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: Food molecules can be in solid form when entering the pores of taste buds.

A

FALSE, they must be dissolved in liquid

72
Q

Type of taste receptor for salt taste

A

Sodium ions

73
Q

Type of taste receptor for sour taste

A

Hydrogen ion

74
Q

Type of taste receptor for sweet taste

A

Glucose (G protein-coupled)

75
Q

Type of taste receptor for bitter flavor

A

Associated with poisonous substances, especially plant alkaloids

76
Q

Type of taste receptor for umami taste

A

● Depolarize via a G protein-coupled receptor mechanism
● Associated with the taste of glutamate
● Sometimes described as savory or flavorful

77
Q

Olfactory receptors lie in the __________ in the upper part of the nasal cavity

A

Olfactory epithelium

78
Q

Every when is the olfactory epithelium replaced by new cells?

A

Every two months

79
Q

These are found in the cilia and provide the binding sites for odor molecules

A

Receptor proteins

80
Q

Axons of the neurons from the __________

A

Olfactory nerve (cranial nerve I)

81
Q

Proteins in the mucus interact with the __________, transport them to the receptors, and facilitate their binding to the receptors

A

Odorant molecules

82
Q

Stimulated odorant receptors activate a __________ that increases cAMP, which in turn opens nonselective cation channels and depolarizes the cell

A

G protein-mediated pathway

83
Q

Genetic defect that results in the lack of the ability to smell

A

Anosmia

84
Q

What are the factors that affect the sense of smell?

A
  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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