the somatosensory system -sensory neurones (lecture) Flashcards

1
Q

role of dendrites?

A

-receive inputs from other neurons and convey graded electrical signals and passively to the soma

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2
Q

describe the role of the cell body (soma) and what it contains?

A

-it is the synthetic and metabolic centre of the neuron
-it contains the nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum
-it integrates electrical signals that are conducted passively to the axon hillock

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3
Q

describe the roll of the axon hillock and initial segment?

A

-site of initiation
-‘all or none’ action potential

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4
Q

role of the axon?

A

-conducts output signals as action potentials to the presynaptic terminal
-it mediated the transport of materials between the soma and presynaptic terminal (anterograde direction) and vice versa (retrograde direction)

Anterograde= when signals are going towards the axon tip

Retrograde= when signals are going towards the soma

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5
Q

role of the synapse?

A

-the point of chemical communication between neurons (or other cells)

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6
Q

clinical importance of retrograde transport (transport toward the cell body/soma)?

A

-several viruses (e.g. herpes, polio, rabies) exploit retrograde transport to infect neurons

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7
Q

what type of neuron is this?

A

unipolar (sensory neurons in PNS)

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8
Q

what type of neuron is this?

A

pseudounipolar (dorsal root ganglion and PNS are part of this)

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9
Q

what type of neuron is this?

A

bipolar (retinal bipolar neurons)

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10
Q

what type of neuron is this?

A

multipolar (lower motor neuron and motor neurons in PNS are part of this)

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11
Q

what are the 4 functional regions of a neuron?

A

input- where stimulus is received

integrative- the soma or the axon hillock where all of the signals are integrated

conductile- the length of the axon where the signal is conducted

output- where the neurotransmitter release is

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12
Q

what sensory modalities does the somatosensory system mediate?

A

-fine discrimatory touch (light touch, pressure, vibration, flutter and stretch)
-joint and muscle position sense (proprioception)
-temperature (thermosensation)
-pain (nociception)
-itch (pruriception)

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13
Q

where is the cell body of the PNS located?

A

-in the dorsal root ganglia (innervation of limbs, trunk and posterior head)
OR
-cranial ganglia (innervation of anterior head)

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14
Q

what does the somatosensory pathway most often comprise of?

A

three neurons in series

1st order neuron= PNS
2nd/3rd order neurons= CNS
somatosensory cortex= CNS

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15
Q

describe the physiology behind how neuron terminals (first order neurones) in the somatosensory system transduce a stimulus into electrical activity

A

-sensory neurons terminals transduce a stimulus into electrical activity

-stimulus (mechanical, thermal or chemical) opens cation selective ion channels in peripheral terminal of primary sensory afferent eliciting a depolarizing receptor potential

-amplitude of receptor potential is graded and proportional to stimulus intensity

-a supra threshold receptor potential triggers ‘all or none’ action potentials, conducted by the axon at a frequency proportional to the amplitude

-action potentials arriving at the central terminal cause the graded release of neurotransmitter on to second order neurons

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16
Q

how is touch, pressure vibration picked up by receptors?

A

touch, pressure vibration causes mechanical forces acting on the skin which is picked up by skin mechanoreceptors

17
Q

how is proprioception picked up by receptors?

A

proprioception creates mechanical forces acting on joints and muscles which is picked up by joint and muscle mechanoreceptors

18
Q

how is temperature picked up by receptors?

A

temperature -> heat (thermal energy) -> cold and warm thermoreceptors

19
Q

how is pain picked up by receptors?

A

pain -> strong mechanical force on skin/ viscera, heat on skinm mucous membranes and viscera -> mechanical, thermal and polymodal nociceptors

20
Q

how is itch picked up by receptros?

A

itch -> irritant on skin or mucous membranes -> itch receptors

21
Q

what intensity of the stimulus is required for excitation of the sensory receptor?

A

low threshold mechanoreceptors respond to:
-fine discrimatory touch

high threshold mechanoreceptors respond to:
-high intensity mechanical stimuli

22
Q

does the sensory unit of a slowly adapting/ tonic response (e.g. stretch receptor) discharge action potentials continuously during the stimulus, or does it respond preferentially to a changing stimulus?

A

Slowly adapting/ tonic response- continuous information to CNS while terminal deformed e.g. stretch receptors

23
Q

does the sensory unit for a fast adaptic/phasic response (e.g. some muscle spindle afferents) discharge action potentials continuously during the stimulus, or does it respond preferentially to a changing stimulus?

A

Fast adaptic/phasic response - detects changes in stimulus strength, number of impulses proportional to rate of change of stimulus e.g. some muscle spindle afferents

24
Q

does the sensory unit of very fast adapting response (e.g. Pacinian corpuscle) discharge action potentials continuously during the stimulus, or does it respond preferentially to a changing stimulus?

A

Very fast adapting response - responds only to very fast movement such as rapid vibration e.g. Pacinian corpuscle

25
Q

how rapidly does the sensory unit conduct action potentials along its axon?

A

Depends on diameter of axon and whether the axon is myelinated

26
Q

where is the peripheral terminal of the sensory unit located, do its sensory receptors have a small or large anatomical distribution?

A

The peripheral termination of cutaneous afferent fibres branch into many fine processes, the tips of which can be free nerve endings or associated with specialised structures

  • Receptor field (RF): target territory from which a sensory unit that can be excited
    • Sensory acuity correlates inversely with RF size
27
Q

why is two point discrimination (or spatial acuity) important?

A

-it is an important measure of somatosensory function

-two point thresholds match the diameter of the corresponding receptor field (target territory from which a sensory unit can be excited)
-regions with highest discriminative capacity have the smallest RFs

28
Q

how is two point discrimination clinically tested?

A

-by applying simultaneously two sharp point stimuli, separated by a variable distance, at different sites on the body surface

-subject reports on whether one point, or two, are sensed and a threshold distance between the two is established

29
Q

wh

A
30
Q

what cutaneous receptors measure heavy pressure?

A

Meissner corpuscle

31
Q

what cutaneous receptors measure vibration?

A

Pacinian corpuscle

32
Q

what cutaneous receptors measure light touch?

A

Merkel disks

33
Q

what cutaneous receptors measure skin stretch?

A

Ruffini endings

34
Q

what is a dermatome?

A

-an area of skin innervated by the left and right dorsal roots of a single spinal segment

35
Q

how is shingles related to dermatomes?

A

-shingles is due to an infection of the dorsal root ganglion neurones by varicella zoster

-in adulthood the virus may reactivate (typically in a single ganglion), revealing anatomically, as inflamed an blidtered skin, the dermatome innervated by that ganglion