General Somatic Senses

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Which of the following is an example of a general somatic sense?

Hearing
Smell
Taste
Tactile (correct)

Sensory receptors respond equally to all types of stimuli in the environment.

False (B)

What types of sensations do free nerve endings primarily detect?

Pain, temperature, tickle, itch, and some touch

________ nerve endings are responsible for detecting pressure and vibration.

Encapsulated Signup and view all the answers

Match the sensory receptor with its corresponding special sense:

Gustatory receptor cells = Taste Photoreceptors = Vision Hair cells = Hearing Signup and view all the answers

What is the direct result of the transduction of a stimulus by a sensory receptor?

Conversion of stimulus energy into a graded potential. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Interoceptors are primarily responsible for consciously perceived sensations arising from external stimuli.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What must occur in first-order neurons for nerve impulses to be generated, following the creation of graded potentials?

The sum of graded potentials must reach threshold. Signup and view all the answers

__________ are sensory receptors located in muscles, tendons, joints and the inner ear that provide information about body position and movement of joints.

Proprioceptors Signup and view all the answers

Match the receptor type with its primary location:

Exteroceptors = Located at or near the external surface of the body Interoceptors = Located in blood vessels, organs, and muscles Proprioceptors = Located in muscles, tendons, joints, and the inner ear Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of tendon organs?

To protect muscles and tendons from damage due to excessive stretching. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Muscle spindles are more abundant in muscles that control coarse, forceful movements compared to muscles that control fine movements.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the brain influence muscle tone via muscle spindles?

The brain adjusts the responsiveness of muscle spindles to stretching, thereby setting the overall level of muscle tone. Signup and view all the answers

Joint kinesthetic receptors, found in and around the joint capsule of synovial joints, respond to pressure, __________, and deceleration during movement.

acceleration Signup and view all the answers

Match the following neurons in somatic sensory pathways with their function:

First-order neurons = Carry impulses from somatic receptors to the brain stem or spinal cord. Second-order neurons = Carry impulses from the brain stem and spinal cord to the thalamus. Third-order neurons = Carry impulses from the thalamus to the primary somatosensory area of the cortex on the same side. Signup and view all the answers

Where are the cell bodies of first-order somatosensory neurons located?

Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) outside the CNS (B) Signup and view all the answers

Second-order neurons conduct impulses from the spinal cord directly to the primary somatosensory area of the cortex.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the pathway that carries somatic sensory impulses for pain, temperature, itch, and tickle?

anterolateral (spinothalamic) pathway Signup and view all the answers

Before reaching the thalamus, axons of second-order neurons __________ (cross over to the opposite side) in the brain stem.

decussate Signup and view all the answers

Match the following somatic sensory pathways with the regions from which they carry impulses:

Posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway = Limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head Anterolateral (spinothalamic) pathway = Posterior head (and pain, temperature, itch, tickle from rest of body) Signup and view all the answers

Sensory impulses become part of a large pool of sensory input within the central nervous system (CNS). What critical process occurs with this input?

Incoming information is combined with other arriving and previously stored information in a process called integration. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Perception, which is the conscious interpretation of sensations, is primarily carried out by the spinal cord.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Where in the brain does the conscious interpretation of sensations primarily occur?

cerebral cortex Signup and view all the answers

The awareness of changes in the external or internal environment is known as ______.

sensation Signup and view all the answers

Match the following brain areas with their function in processing sensations:

Spinal Cord = Initial pathway for sensory information and integration. Cerebellum = Modifies motor responses based on sensory input. Cerebral Cortex = Conscious perception and interpretation of sensations. Brain Stem = Relays sensory information. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the primary function of tendon organs?

Protecting muscles and tendons from overstretching. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Muscle spindles are more abundant in muscles controlling course movements compared to those controlling fine movements.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What stimuli do joint kinesthetic receptors respond to?

pressure, acceleration, and deceleration Signup and view all the answers

First-order neurons carry impulses from somatic receptors to either the brain stem or the ______.

spinal cord Signup and view all the answers

Match each type of neuron in the somatic sensory pathway with its respective function:

First-order neuron = Carries impulses from somatic receptors to the brain stem or spinal cord Second-order neuron = Carries impulses from the brain stem and spinal cord to the thalamus Third-order neuron = Carries impulses from the thalamus to the primary somatosensory area of the cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which type of sensory receptor is primarily responsible for detecting the sense of taste?

Chemoreceptors (A) Signup and view all the answers

Adaptation in sensory receptors leads to an increase in the frequency of nerve impulses sent to the cerebral cortex during a sustained stimulus.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Name the four main types of somatic sensations.

tactile, thermal, pain, and proprioceptive Signup and view all the answers

__________ are sensory receptors that are sensitive to deformation.

Mechanoreceptors Signup and view all the answers

Match the sensory receptor with its primary stimulus:

Mechanoreceptors = Deformation Thermoreceptors = Temperature Nociceptors = Pain Photoreceptors = Light Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of a sensory receptor in stimulus transduction?

To convert energy from a stimulus into a graded potential. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Graded potentials, unlike action potentials, maintain a constant amplitude regardless of the stimulus strength.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is required for the generation of nerve impulses in first-order neurons?

sum of graded potentials reaching threshold Signup and view all the answers

__________ are sensory receptors located in muscles, tendons, joints, and the inner ear that provide information about body position and movement.

Proprioceptors Signup and view all the answers

Match each receptor type with its location:

Exteroceptors = Near the external surface of the body Interoceptors = Blood vessels, organs, and muscles Proprioceptors = Muscles, tendons, joints, and inner ear Signup and view all the answers

Sensory Modality

A specific type of sensation, such as touch, pain, vision, or hearing.

General Senses

Sensations categorized as either somatic (tactile, thermal, proprioceptive) or visceral (pressure, chemicals, stretch, nausea, hunger, temperature).