Somatosensation Flashcards
What is somatosensation?
Sensations from the body
What is the exteroceptive system?
Senses external stimuli applied to the skin
- mechanical
- thermal
- nociceptive
What is the proprioceptive system?
Monitors position of the body
What is the interoceptive system?
General info on bodily conditions
What are cutaneous receptors?
Embedded in the skin
Multiple types of receptors
What are fast adapting receptors?
Stimuli for a moment and then not at all
What are slow adapting receptors?
Constant response to touch
What are free nerve endings?
Simplest
Multimodal
-temp
-pain
What are Pacinian corpuscles?
Mechanoreceptors that respond to deep vibrations
-rapidly adapting
What are Ruffini endings?
Mechanoreceptor that responds to skin stretch
-slow adapting
What is the merkel complex?
Protrusions in the skin that respond in time to distortions
Contain synaptic vesicles that release neuropeptides and adapt slowly
What is the dorsal column medial pathway?
Tends to carry touch and proprioception
Synapse in the dorsal column nuclei and cross over in the medulla to the somatosensory cortex
What is the anterolateral system?
Carries pain
Enter the dorsal root and synapses as soon as it enters the spinal cord, ascends contralateral to the somatosensory cortex
