WK 2: Somatosensory System and Neuronal Signaling

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What is the main function of mechanoreceptors in the somatosensory system?

To detect changes in temperature

To detect pain and inflammation

To detect changes in pressure and vibrations (correct)

To detect changes in chemical composition

What are dermatomes?

Motor pathways that control muscle contraction

Areas of skin that respond to different sensory stimuli (correct)

Areas of the spinal cord that process sensory information

Specialized sensory receptors in the skin

What is the role of myotomes in the motor system?

To regulate body temperature

To facilitate muscle contraction through motor axon conduction pathways (correct)

To define the level of spinal cord lesions

To control sensory information from the skin

What is the main purpose of understanding anatomical pathways in the motor system?

To define the level of spinal cord lesions Signup and view all the answers

What type of sensory receptors detect changes in temperature?

Thermoreceptors Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the spinal cord in the somatosensory system?

To process sensory information from the body Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscal pathway?

Conveying tactile information from the body Signup and view all the answers

What type of sensory axons primarily provide heat or nociceptive information?

Unmyelinated, slowly-conducting afferents sensory axons Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the pathway that conveys information about crude touch, pain, and temperature?

Spinothalamic tract Signup and view all the answers

How many orders of neurons are involved in the Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscal pathway?

Three Signup and view all the answers

Where do the first-order neurons in the Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscal pathway synapse with second-order neurons?

In the dorsal column nuclei Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the conduction velocity of axons in the somatosensory system?

Larger diameter axons have higher conduction velocity Signup and view all the answers

What is the total number of spinal nerves in the human body?

31 Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of dorsal root ganglia in the spinal cord?

To receive and transduce sensory information from the skin Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the area of skin innervated by a single spinal nerve?

Dermatome Signup and view all the answers

What is the underlying cause of shingles?

A viral infection Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of knowing the dermatomes in the context of spinal cord injury?

It helps to define the level of the injury Signup and view all the answers

What is the classification criterion for axons of afferent sensory neurons?

Conduction velocity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary location of the ventral posterior complex in the thalamus?

Ventral posterior complex Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following cortical areas receives the main input from the thalamus?

Layer 4 Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the 'map' of the anatomical divisions of the body in the cortex?

Homunculus Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following structures relays information from the head and face?

VPM (medial) Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the areas of the skin that correspond to specific spinal nerves?

Dermatome Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the thalamus in the somatosensory pathway?

To relay information from the body to the cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which tract carries information about crude touch?

Anterior spinothalamic tract Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the Thalamus in the somatosensory system?

To relay sensory information from the senses to the brain Signup and view all the answers

Which type of neurons transmit information from the periphery to the spinal cord?

First-order neurons Signup and view all the answers

Where do second-order neurons start from in the spinal cord?

Nucleus proprius or substantia gelatinosa Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the dorsal columns in the somatosensory pathway?

To transmit rapidly-conducting sensory information Signup and view all the answers

Where do third-order neurons transmit information to in the somatosensory pathway?

Somatosensory cortex Signup and view all the answers