Questions and Answers
What are cutaneous receptors?
What type of stimuli do Meissner corpuscles respond to?
Flutter/stroking (light touch)
Where are Pacinian corpuscles located?
Deep layers of skin
Ruffini endings adapt rapidly.
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What type of stimuli do Merkel cells respond to?
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What do free nerve endings respond to?
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What are nociceptors?
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Cold temperature receptors are active below _____°C.
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What is transduction in sensory receptors?
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Slowly adapting receptors trigger nerve impulses only at the onset of a stimulus.
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What kind of response do rapidly adapting receptors provide?
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What does the intensity of a stimulus affect?
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Match transduction types with their descriptions:
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What determines the modality of a stimulus?
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All receptors have the same areas of sensitivity.
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Study Notes
Cutaneous Receptors Overview
- Skin contains various types of receptors, each responding to different stimuli.
- Receptors are innervated by axons.
Meissner Corpuscle
- Sensitive to flutter and light touch.
- Located in the superficial layers of skin.
- Composed of nerve endings enclosed in connective tissue.
- Rapidly adapting, firing only during stimulus onset and offset.
Pacinian Corpuscle
- Responsive to vibration.
- Found in the deep layers of skin.
- Like Meissner, consists of encapsulated nerve endings.
- Rapidly adapting receptor.
Ruffini Ending/Corpuscle
- Detects skin stretching.
- Located in the deep skin layers.
- Consists of enlarged nerve endings.
- Slowly adapting, continuing to fire as long as the stimulus persists.
Merkel Cells
- Respond to steady pressure and texture.
- Situated in the superficial layers of skin.
- Composed of enlarged nerve endings.
- Slowly adapting receptor, providing ongoing stimulus information.
Free Nerve Endings
- Respond to temperature, pain, itch, and hair follicle movement.
- Found around hair roots and beneath the skin surface.
- Comprised of unmyelinated nerve endings.
- Exhibit variable adaptation characteristics.
Nociceptors
- Specialized receptors that respond to noxious stimuli that can damage tissue (chemical, mechanical, thermal).
- Utilized by free nerve endings.
- Activate reflexive responses via spinal cord or send signals to the cerebral cortex for conscious sensation of pain or itch.
Temperature Receptors
- Cold receptors are activated below 37°C; warm receptors function between 37°-45°C.
- Adapt slowly between 20°-40°C, but nociceptors recognize pain outside this range.
- Chemicals (e.g., menthol, capsaicin) can influence temperature receptors.
Transduction Process
- Converts sensory stimuli into action potentials.
- Triggered by membrane stretch opening mechanical gateways for ion influx (e.g., Na+).
- Action potential generated upon reaching the threshold.
Slowly Adapting Receptors
- Trigger continuous nerve impulses as long as the stimulus persists.
- Examples include Merkel cells and Ruffini endings.
Rapidly Adapting Receptors
- Fire briefly during the onset and/or offset of a stimulus.
- Includes Pacinian and Meissner corpuscles.
Transduction Timing
- Slow transduction leads to many action potentials throughout the stimulus duration.
- Rapid transduction is characterized by concentrated bursts of action potentials during changes in the stimulus.
Transduction Intensity
- Higher stimulus intensity correlates with increased frequency of action potentials.
Transduction Modality
- Refers to the type of stimulus, determined by skin indentation and stimulus frequency.
- Specific receptors fire according to their strengths, sending appropriate action potentials.
Transduction Location
- Different receptors exhibit overlapping and variable sensitivity areas.
- Meissner (rapidly adapting) and Merkel (slowly adapting) have small, specific sensory fields.
- Pacinian (rapidly adapting) and Ruffini (slowly adapting) possess larger sensory fields.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the various types of cutaneous receptors in the skin. Explore the functions, locations, and adaptations of Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, Ruffini endings, Merkel cells, and free nerve endings. This quiz helps solidify your understanding of sensory receptors in dermatology.
