Somatosensory System I Flashcards
Exteroception
External stimuli
Touch, temperature, pain
Function of mechanical receptors?
Respond to mechanical stimulation
Located in skin
Function of thermal receptors?
Located in skin
Respond to temperature changes
Function of chemical receptors?
Respond to chemical stimuli
Located near organs
Interoception
Internal stimuli about organ function
Hunger, thirst, breathlessness
Proprioception
Awareness of body position/movement in space
Location of mechanical receptors?
Near skeletal muscle, joint capsules, skin
First-order neuron
Neuron with cell body in dorsal root ganglion of spine
Second-order neuron
Neuron with cell body in spinal cord or brainstem
Function of thalamus?
Relay station for sensory information
Third-order neuron
Neuron with cell body in thalamus
Function of dorsal root ganglion neurons?
Transduction and transmission of somatosensory information
Transduction
Process of converting physical stimuli into electrical signals
Transmission
Process of sending electrical signals through neurons
What do peripheral branches innervate?
Touch mechanoreceptors
Where does the Central branch synapse onto?
Second-order neuron in spinal cord or brainstem
Function of proprioceptors
Provide awareness of body position
Function of nociceptors
Respond to pain
Thermoreceptors
Respond to temperature changes
Function of mechanoreceptors?
Respond to mechanical stimulation
Group I/Aa fibers
Proprioceptors in muscles
Group II/Ab fibers
Touch receptors in skin
Group III/Ac fibers
Pain and temperature receptors
Group IV/C fibers
Temperature, pain, and itch receptors
True or False?
All 4 types of touch receptors conduct at the same
speed.
True
(at Ab)
Function of SA1 (Merkel cells/disk) touch receptors
- Respond to light touch, edges, corners, points
- Detect form, texture, curvature (crude touch information)
Function of SA2 (Ruffini endings) touch receptors?
- Respond to stretching of skin
- Detect stretching, hand shape, motion direction
Function of RA1 (Meissner corpuscle) touch receptors?
- Respond to large movements, vibration (fine touch information)
- Detect motion, grip control
Function of RA2/PC (Pacinian corpuscle) touch receptors?
- Respond to small movements (vibration)
- Detect vibrations in skin when using tools (pencils, keys, etc.)
Mechanoreceptor transduction
- Physically deforms cell membrane, stretching out receptors
- Allows cations in to depolarize cell
True or False?
The firing rate in mechanoreceptor transmission corresponds to SA/RA designation.
True
True or False?
The trigeminal nerve (V) enters the CNS via the spinal cord.
False
It enters the CNS via the pons.
Location of cell body of Principal/Main sensory nucleus
Trigeminal ganglia mid-pons
Location of Spinal nucleus
Trigeminal ganglia in medulla/lower pons (elongated)
Parts of Trigeminal Nuclei:
- Principal/Main sensory nucleus
- Spinal nucleus
- Motor nucleus
Where do secondary fibers decussate and travel up in the trigeminothalamic tract to?
The ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of thalamus
What does the principal/main sensory nucleus represent?
Pressure and vibration
What does the spinal nucleus represent?
Mechanosensation, pain, temperature