Neuroscience Sensory Processing Quiz

Movement of the hair bundle in the direction of the tallest stereocilia stretches the tip links, directly opening cation-selective mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels and depolarizing the hair cell. Movement in the opposite direction compresses the tip links, closing the MET channels and hyperpolarizing the hair cell.

The transduction of mechanical forces by hair cells is remarkably fast and sensitive. Notably, potassium (K+) plays a dual role in both depolarization and repolarization, allowing the hair cell's K+ gradient to be maintained passively.

The auditory nerve fiber transmits information about a specific part of the audible frequency spectrum based on the location of the inner hair cell it innervates. This means different fibers are responsible for different frequencies.

The tonotopic organization of the cochlea, where different regions of the basilar membrane are sensitive to specific frequencies. Higher frequencies stimulate the base, while lower frequencies stimulate the apex.

Auditory nerve fibers fire action potentials in synchrony with the phase of a sound wave, allowing the brain to decode the timing of sound.

Phase locking is most effective for lower frequencies, as the neurons can fire at a rate matching the sound wave. Higher frequencies are too fast for this mechanism to work effectively.

Receptors that respond to mechanical pressure, stretching, or vibration.

Receptors that detect chemical substances, such as taste, smell, and blood oxygen levels.

Receptors that respond to light, enabling vision.

Receptors that detect temperature changes, both hot and cold.

Receptors that maintain a steady firing rate as long as the stimulus is present. They provide continuous information about the intensity of the stimulus.

Receptors that respond only at the beginning and the end (possibly) of a stimulus. They provide information about the onset and offset of the stimulus.

A neural mechanism where activated sensory neurons inhibit the activity of neighboring neurons. This helps to sharpen the perception of stimuli by enhancing contrast.

A brain structure that acts as a relay center for sensory information, processing and transmitting signals to the cerebral cortex. It filters, integrates, and modulates sensory Input.

First-order neurons carry sensory information from the body to the spinal cord. They enter the spinal cord through the dorsal root and their cell bodies are located in the dorsal root ganglion. The fasciculus gracilis carries sensory input from the lower body, while the fasciculus cuneatus carries input from the upper body.

Second-order neurons receive sensory information from first-order neurons in the spinal cord. They synapse in the nucleus gracilis (lower body) or nucleus cuneatus (upper body) in the medulla oblongata.

Third-order neurons relay sensory information from the thalamus to the primary sensory cortex (postcentral gyrus) in the brain.

The spinothalamic tract is part of the anterolateral system (ALS) and carries sensory information about pain, temperature, and crude touch from the spinal cord to the brain. It is distinct from the dorsal column pathway.

The spinothalamic tract consists of two main parts. The lateral spinothalamic tract carries pain and temperature information, while the anterior spinothalamic tract carries crude touch and pressure information.

The axons of second-order neurons in the spinothalamic tract cross to the opposite side of the spinal cord. After crossing, they ascend through the anterolateral column to the thalamus.

The postcentral gyrus is located in the parietal lobe and serves as the primary somatosensory cortex. It is responsible for receiving and processing sensory information from the body.

Different fibers within the spinal nerve have varying diameters and myelination levels, which determine the speed of signal transmission. Faster signals are associated with thicker, more myelinated fibers.

Pain arising from actual or threatened damage to non-neuronal tissues, triggered by activating nociceptors.

Pain caused by damage or disease within the somatosensory nervous system.

Pain felt in a somatic location, despite originating from a visceral organ, due to converging input from nociceptive and non-nociceptive afferents.

Pertaining to the sensory qualities of pain: intensity, location, and quality.

A theory explaining how non-nociceptive input can inhibit pain signals from nociceptive fibers, suggesting why rubbing an injury reduces pain.

Increased responsiveness of nociceptive neurons in the CNS to their normal input, contributing to heightened pain.

Increased responsiveness and lower threshold of nociceptive neurons in the periphery to stimulation.

Pain evoked by stimuli that are normally non-painful.

The transparent outer layer of the eye that helps focus light.

The white part of the eye that maintains its shape.

The light-sensitive inner layer of the eye responsible for converting light into electrical signals.

A transparent, gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina.

The colored ring around the pupil that controls the amount of light entering the eye.

The transparent structure behind the pupil that focuses light onto the retina.

The process by which light is converted into electrical signals in the retina.

A pigment in photoreceptor cells that absorbs light and triggers the phototransduction cascade.

The transformation of all-trans-retinal back to 11-cis-retinal. This process occurs in retinal pigment epithelium cells and is essential for the regeneration of rhodopsin.

A type of ganglion cell in the retina that is activated by light in the center of its receptive field and inhibited by light in the surrounding area. This cell is important for detecting edges and contrasts.

A type of ganglion cell in the retina that is inhibited by light in the center of its receptive field and activated by light in the surrounding area. This cell is important for detecting edges and contrasts.

The area of the retina where light stimuli influence the activity of a ganglion cell. It is divided into a center and surround portion, each responding differently to light.

The process of combining visual information from both eyes to create a single, unified perception of the world. This occurs in specific brain regions where inputs from both eyes are integrated.