Somatosensory Pathways - Overview

Question 1

What does the sensory system do?

Answer 1

Gives information to the brain about the external and internal environments

Question 2

Somatosensory receptor are modality or voltage?

Answer 2

Modality-gated ion channels

Question 3

Somatosensory neuron is afferent or efferent?

Answer 3

Afferent = first-order neuron

• conveys action potential to CNS (incoming)
• Pseduounipolar

Question 4

Sensory pathway is a receptor to peripheral nerve to somatosensory tract to?

Answer 4

target location in the CNS.

Conveys action potential to the brainstem, cerebellum or brain.

Question 5

Sensory pathways contain?

Answer 5

• White matter which contains axons
• Axons with similar function travel together in tracts, fasciculi or lemnisci
• Tracts may be sequentially linked together to form a system

Question 6

What happens if the pathway is disrupted?

Answer 6

Alter perception of sensation

The location of the altered sensation will depend upon where in the pathway the disruption occurs.