Week 1: Somatosensory- Receptors Flashcards
Kinds of sensory receptors
- Light touch
- Deep pressure
- Vibration
- Pain
- Itch
- Heat vs cold
- Kinesthesia
- Proprioception
Mechanoreceptors
Respond to mechanical deformation due to touch, pressure, stretch, and vibration
Chemoreceptors
Respond to substances released by cells
Thermoreceptors
Respond to temperature changes
Nociceptors
- Subset of mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors, and thermoreceptors
- Preferentially sensitive to stimuli that may damage/threaten tissue
- Stimulation results in pain sensation
Pacinian corpuscle
- Vibration
- Pressure
- Fly on the skin
Meissner corpuscle
Light touch
Ruffini corpuscle
Stretch
Merkel cells
Light touch
Free nerve endings
Nociceptors
Hair follicle receptors
- Hair end organs
- Light touch, movement of the hair
Krause end bulbs
Touch
Tonic receptors
Fire for duration of stimulus
Phasic receptors
Adapt to constant stimulus and stop firing while stimulus is still present
Receptive field
Area of skin innervated by a single afferent neuron
What size do receptive fields tend to be, based on location
Larger proximally, smaller distally
What density do receptive fields tend to have, based on location?
Distal regions have greater density of receptors
As receptive fields get smaller and more dense, what happens to sensory ability?
Increased 2-point discrimination
What happens to information transmission as axon diameter increases?
Speed goes up
