week 9 - somatosensation Flashcards
1
Q
What are the types of sensory receptors?
A
- nociceptors
- thermo-receptors
- mechanoreceptors
- chemoreceptors
- proprioceptors
- baroreceptors
2
Q
nociceptors
A
detect pain (overlap with mechanical, thermal, and chemical)
3
Q
thermoreceptors
A
- detect temperature
- cold/warm receptors
4
Q
mechanoreceptors
A
- constructed to detect membrane distortion
- 3 different types (tactile, discriminative, and crude)
5
Q
efferent pathways
A
conduct motor commands
6
Q
tactile receptors (mechanoreceptors)
A
detect touch, pressure, and vibrations
7
Q
What are the two main somatosensory pathways?
A
- dorsal column pathway
- spinothalamic tract
8
Q
dorsal column pathway
A
primary carries sensations of touch, vibrations, and propriception
9
Q
spinothalamic tract/anterolateral pathway
A
carries information regarding temperature and pain
10
Q
chemoreceptors
A
- detect concentration of specific chemicals/compounds
- play a role in maintaining homeostasis
11
Q
proprioceptors
A
allow us to detect positions of joint and muscles
12
Q
baroreceptors
A
detect pressure changes deep in our body
13
Q
Describe how receptive fields work and how stimuli in overlapping receptive fields are perceived.
A
- skin contains receptor fields, and the area they cover all vary in size.
- smaller receptive fields will be closer together, which makes it easier to detect change and localize a stimulus.
- larger receptive fields do not detect changes as quick, which is why it is harder to localize a stimulus
14
Q
tonic receptors
A
- always active
- detect the level of stimulation
- monitor background levels
15
Q
phasic receptors
A
- detect change in stimulation
- become active for a short time whenever change occurs
- monitors intensity and rate of change of stimulus
