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What type of nerves bring information from the periphery to the CNS?
What type of nerves bring information from the periphery to the CNS?
Efferent nerves are part of the sensory division of the peripheral nervous system.
Efferent nerves are part of the sensory division of the peripheral nervous system.
False
What are the two main divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
What are the two main divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
Sensory division and Motor division
The primary function of special senses includes __________, __________, __________, and __________.
The primary function of special senses includes __________, __________, __________, and __________.
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Match the following types of sensation to their corresponding receptors:
Match the following types of sensation to their corresponding receptors:
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Which of the following is NOT considered a special sense?
Which of the following is NOT considered a special sense?
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The peripheral nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord.
The peripheral nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord.
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Which neurotransmitters are involved in the transmission of slow pain?
Which neurotransmitters are involved in the transmission of slow pain?
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The analgesia system does not involve the periaqueductal gray area.
The analgesia system does not involve the periaqueductal gray area.
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What is referred pain and how is it explained by the neural pathways?
What is referred pain and how is it explained by the neural pathways?
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The primary pathway for slow pain is the _____ pathway.
The primary pathway for slow pain is the _____ pathway.
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Match the following components of the analgesia system with their roles:
Match the following components of the analgesia system with their roles:
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What is the primary function of sensory receptors?
What is the primary function of sensory receptors?
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Sensory receptors can detect stimuli from only one type of source.
Sensory receptors can detect stimuli from only one type of source.
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What process is described as converting stimuli into action potentials?
What process is described as converting stimuli into action potentials?
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The type of sensory receptors that detect mechanical compression are called __________.
The type of sensory receptors that detect mechanical compression are called __________.
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What type of stimuli do mechanoreceptors predominantly detect?
What type of stimuli do mechanoreceptors predominantly detect?
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Match the following types of stimuli with their sensory receptors:
Match the following types of stimuli with their sensory receptors:
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Differential sensitivity of receptors allows them to respond to specific types of stimuli.
Differential sensitivity of receptors allows them to respond to specific types of stimuli.
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Sensory receptors serve as __________ to enter the nervous system.
Sensory receptors serve as __________ to enter the nervous system.
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Name the process that involves the generation of action potentials by sensory receptors.
Name the process that involves the generation of action potentials by sensory receptors.
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Which of the following stimuli can be detected by sensory receptors?
Which of the following stimuli can be detected by sensory receptors?
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What type of receptors do our skin primarily have for temperature detection?
What type of receptors do our skin primarily have for temperature detection?
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Rods and cones in the retina are capable of detecting touch and pressure.
Rods and cones in the retina are capable of detecting touch and pressure.
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What is the adequate stimulus?
What is the adequate stimulus?
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Meissner's corpuscles are responsible for detecting _______ and _______ in the skin.
Meissner's corpuscles are responsible for detecting _______ and _______ in the skin.
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Which receptors are primarily involved in taste detection?
Which receptors are primarily involved in taste detection?
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Merkel's receptors are slowly adapting with very small receptive fields and are important for localizing touch sensations.
Merkel's receptors are slowly adapting with very small receptive fields and are important for localizing touch sensations.
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What types of stimuli do free nerve endings in the skin detect?
What types of stimuli do free nerve endings in the skin detect?
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______ is a chemoreceptor that monitors the oxygen level in the arterial blood.
______ is a chemoreceptor that monitors the oxygen level in the arterial blood.
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Match the following receptors with their primary function:
Match the following receptors with their primary function:
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Rods in the retina are responsible for color vision.
Rods in the retina are responsible for color vision.
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Which sensory receptor is excited by the displacement of hair?
Which sensory receptor is excited by the displacement of hair?
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Ruffini's corpuscles are rapidly adapting receptors.
Ruffini's corpuscles are rapidly adapting receptors.
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What type of stimulus do free nerve endings respond to?
What type of stimulus do free nerve endings respond to?
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Pacinian corpuscles are primarily activated by _____ and pressure.
Pacinian corpuscles are primarily activated by _____ and pressure.
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Match the sensory receptors with their adequate stimulus:
Match the sensory receptors with their adequate stimulus:
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Which type of receptor is known for encoding velocity and direction of movement across the skin?
Which type of receptor is known for encoding velocity and direction of movement across the skin?
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Tactile discs function similarly to Meissner's corpuscles.
Tactile discs function similarly to Meissner's corpuscles.
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What are Pacinian corpuscles primarily responsible for detecting?
What are Pacinian corpuscles primarily responsible for detecting?
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The _____ receptors in the ears are responsible for detecting sound.
The _____ receptors in the ears are responsible for detecting sound.
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Which of the following receptors are found in joint capsules?
Which of the following receptors are found in joint capsules?
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Study Notes
Somatosensory Physiology
- Somatosensory system receives stimuli, converts them to sensations, and then creates perceptions
- Stimulation leads to transduction of the stimulus into neural signals
- Perceptions are the meanings assigned by the brain to these sensations
- Everyday, we receive thousands of stimulation
- These stimuli are transduced into our nervous system, and we receive them as sensation
- Sensation is the ability to feel, hear, see, taste
- Perception is interpreting information from brain
- Transduction is the conversion of stimulus into an action potential or electrical signal
- Brain processes electrical signals only
- Sensation: Transduction into electrical signal, transmission to central nervous system
- Perception: Meaning assigned to the sensory response
Nervous System
- Nervous system has a central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and a peripheral nervous system (everything else)
- Peripheral nervous system is divided into sensory and motor divisions
- Sensory division transmits information from the body to the CNS
- Motor division transmits information from the CNS to the body
Somatosensory Pathways
- Sensory receptors receive stimulus and carry information to the spinal cord or brain stem
- Information travels through the thalamus to the cortex following different pathways
- Example pathways include the dorsal column pathway and the spinothalamic pathway
- Major component in a pathway includes sensory receptors, sensory ganglion, secondary projection neuron in the spinal cord/brain stem, and the tertiary projection neuron in the thalamus to the cortex
Sensory Receptors
- Receptors detect changes in the environment
- They provide input to the nervous system
- Sensory receptors convert environmental changes into action potentials
- They are transducers that turn physical stimuli into electrical signals
- Different types of sensory receptors exist: mechanoreceptors (pressure, touch), thermoreceptors (temperature changes), nociceptors (pain), photoreceptors, and chemoreceptors
- Some adapt rapidly to continuous stimulus (phasic receptors), while others adapt slowly (tonic receptors)
- Receptors have specific adequate stimulus, highly responsive to that specific stimulus
Receptive Fields
- Receptive field is an area of the body where stimulation affects a specific sensory neuron
- Smaller receptive fields give more precise stimulus location
- Receptive fields can overlap, allowing for spatial summation of stimuli intensity and location
Sensory Transduction
- Transduction is conversion of stimulus energy into electrical energy in sensory receptors
- The transduction process typically involves opening or closing ion channels in the receptor membrane, triggering current flow across the membrane
- This change in membrane potential creates a receptor potential
- Stimulus strength is encoded by frequency and amplitude of action potentials
- Strength of stimulus correlated to frequency of response
Types of Pain
- Fast pain: Quick, sharp, and localized; transmitted by myelinated fibers (A delta)
- Slow pain: Delayed, longer-lasting, and often more diffuse; transmitted by unmyelinated fibers (C fiber)
Pain Pathways
- Nociceptors are pain receptors
- Neospinothalamic pathway deals with fast pain
- Paleospinothalamic pathway deals with slow pain
- Pain pathways are complex and involve the release of neurotransmitters like substance P and glutamate, as well as the involvement of spinal cord and brain structures
- Pain processing is a multi-stage process and not limited to spinal cord
Pain Modulation
- Enkephalins, serotonin, and endorphins inhibit pain signals in the brain
- Analgesia system involves the periaqueductal gray (PAG) area of the brainstem
Referred Pain
- Phenomenon where pain is felt in a different location than the origin of the stimulus
- Receptors from deep/internal organs converge on the same neurons as receptors from the skin, causing the experience of pain in the skin.
Thermal Receptors
- Cold receptors: Activated by temperatures between 8-36°C. They involve TRPM8 receptors.
- Warm receptors: Activated by temperatures between 37-45°C. They involve TRP channels.
- Over certain temperature-thresholds, the cold and warm receptors overlap with pain receptors, thus leading to burning or freezing pain.
Dermatomes
- Area of skin innervated by a single spinal nerve
- Useful for determining the level of a spinal cord injury
Sensory Pathways
- Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscal pathway transmits fine touch, vibration, and proprioception.
- Anterolateral spinothalamic pathway transmits pain, temperature, and crude touch information.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the peripheral nervous system and sensory receptors. This quiz covers various aspects including types of nerves, sensory divisions, and the functions of the analgesia system. Ideal for students studying neuroscience or physiology.
