Touch

Question 1

What are the 4 types of ‘touch’ sensations?

Answer 1

1. Somatosensation - general term for body sensory signals
2. Proprioception - mediated by kinesthetic and vestibular receptors
3. Nociception - pain
4. Thermoreception - temperature

Question 2

Where are touch receptors found?

Answer 2

Embedded in dermis and epidermis

Question 3

What are the 3 attributes of a touch receptor?

Answer 3

• Type of stimulation
• Size of receptive field
• Rate of adaptation

Question 4

What are the two types of slow adapting touch receptors?

Answer 4

Slow adapting I - steady downwards pressure, fine spatial detail and low frequency vibrations
Slow adapting II - sustained pressures and skin stretch

Question 5

What are the two types of fast adapting touch receptors?

Answer 5

Fast adapting I - 5-50Hz

Fast adapting II - 50-700 Hz

Question 6

What information do kinesthetic receptors provide?

Answer 6

• Where limbs are

- What movements are made

Question 7

What are the two types of thermoreceptors?

Answer 7

1. Warm fibres

2. Cold fibres

Question 8

How does tactile information get to the brain?

Answer 8

• Axons of various tactile receptors combine into single nerve trunks
• Several nerve trunks from different areas of body combine into spinal chord

Question 9

What are the two groups of nociceptors?

Answer 9

A-delta - quick shallow pain

C fibres - throbbing pain