Physiology Quiz: Somato-Sensation and Receptors

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Questions and Answers

What informs us about the degree of muscle contraction and joint position?

Visual system

Proprioceptors (correct)

Brainstem

Cerebellum

Which system is primarily responsible for maintaining postural balance?

Muscular system

Vestibular system

Nervous system

Visual system (correct)

What is the primary function of the motor cortex in walking?

Coordinating balance

Maintaining body posture

Regulating basic motor functions

Initiating and controlling voluntary movements (correct)

Which region of the brain contributes to smooth and efficient walking?

Cerebellum Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the precision of location in spatial awareness?

Acuity Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of bones in walking?

Providing structural support and leverage Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the response at the center of the receptive field?

It is highest Signup and view all the answers

What is the process that increases acuity?

Lateral inhibition Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of nerves in walking?

Carrying signals from brain to muscles Signup and view all the answers

What is the state of being aware of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings?

Consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What type of receptors respond rapidly at the onset of a stimulus but slow down or stop firing during the remainder of a stimulus?

Rapid adapting receptors Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which neural substrates are activated by physical stimuli, resulting in the perception of touch, pressure, pain, etc.?

Somato-sensation Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the visual system and the vestibular system in maintaining balance?

They work together by sending signals from the eye muscles to the balance organs in the inner ear Signup and view all the answers

What is the special sense based on the transduction of light stimuli received through the eyes?

Vision Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which the ear transforms sound vibrations in the external environment into nerve impulses?

Hearing Signup and view all the answers

Where do sound waves travel after striking the eardrum?

The middle ear Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the association cortex?

To recognize and comprehend language symbols Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which the brain interprets the meaning of sensory stimuli?

Perceptual processing Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of a stimulus is coded by the site of the stimulated receptor?

Stimulus location Signup and view all the answers

Which cortical areas are involved in recognizing the relationships between body parts?

Association cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of repeated stimulation of a neural pathway?

Reverberating pathway Signup and view all the answers

What determines the strength of a receptor potential?

Stimulus intensity Signup and view all the answers

What happens to stimuli that we repeatedly encounter and pay attention to?

We adapt to them and cease to remark on their significance Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which sensory information is coded into neural signals?

Sensory coding Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Somato-Sensation

Somato-sensation is the physiological process by which neural substrates are activated by physical stimuli, resulting in the perception of touch, pressure, pain, etc.

Receptors and Acuity

Acuity is negatively correlated with the amount of convergence in ascending pathways, size of the receptive field, and overlap with adjacent receptive fields.
Response is highest at the center of the receptive field since receptor density is the highest there.
Lateral inhibition increases acuity by inhibiting information from neurons at the edge of a stimulus.

Receptor Types

Rapid adapting receptors respond rapidly at the onset of a stimulus but slow down or stop firing during the remainder of a stimulus, important for signaling rapid change.
Slow adapting receptors maintain their response at or near the initial level of firing through the duration of the stimulus, important for signaling slow changes.

Vision

Vision is the special sense of sight that is based on the transduction of light stimuli received through the eyes.
The visual system is the primary receiver of sensory information to maintain postural balance, working together with the vestibular system.

Hearing

Hearing is the process by which the ear transforms sound vibrations in the external environment into nerve impulses that are conveyed to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds.
The process involves the outer ear, eardrum, ossicles, and inner ear, where sound waves are converted into electrical impulses.

Proprioception

Proprioceptors embedded in muscles and tendons inform us of the degree to which muscles are stretched, amount of tension in tendons, and position of joints.

Walking

Walking is a complex process that involves various mechanisms and functions of the body coordinated by the brain.
The muscular system, skeletal system, and nervous system are involved in walking, with the brain playing a crucial role in initiating and controlling movement.

Role of Brain in Walking

The motor cortex initiates and controls voluntary movements, including walking, sending signals to muscles to contract and relax in a coordinated manner.
The cerebellum plays a crucial role in balance coordination and motor learning, contributing to smooth and efficient walking.
The brainstem regulates basic motor functions and reflexes involved in walking, such as maintaining body posture and adjusting gait in response to changes in terrain.

Consciousness and Behavior

Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of and able to perceive one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
Behavior refers to the actions or reactions exhibited by an individual in response to internal or external stimuli.

States of Consciousness

Consciousness refers to our subjective experience of the world around us and our inner mental states, including normal waking state, sleep, dreaming, and meditation.

Association Cortex and Perceptual Processing

The association cortex is a part of the cerebral cortex that performs complex cognitive functions, including recognition of shape, form, textures of objects, awareness of body image, and relationships of body parts.
Perceptual processing involves the evaluation and interpretation of sensory stimuli, which can become adapted and cease to be remarkable over time.

Primary Sensory Coding

Sensory coding involves the coding of 4 aspects of a stimulus: stimulus type (modality), stimulus intensity, stimulus location, and duration.
Stimulus type is coded by the type of receptor activated, intensity by the magnitude of the receptor potential, and location by the site of the stimulated receptor.

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Description

Test your knowledge of somato-sensation, the process by which physical stimuli are perceived, and the role of receptors and acuity in this process.