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Physiology Exam 1 > Sensory Physiology > Flashcards

Sensory Physiology Flashcards

(92 cards)

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1
Q

What are the 5 sensory modalities?

A

Chemo
Mechano
Photo
Thermo
Electro

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2
Q

What are the two main functions of the sensory system?

A

Signal detection
Discrimination

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3
Q

What must be estimated from sensory input?

A

Qualitative
Quantitative
Temporal
Spatial

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4
Q

What determines perception?

A

Kind of receptor activated
Brain processing

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5
Q

What is acuity?

A

Ability to detect details

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6
Q

What does size of receptive field depend on?

A

Density of receptors

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7
Q

What does a small receptive field result in?

A

Greater tactile acuity
Sharpness of sensation

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8
Q

What types of sensory receptors are ionotropic?

A

Mechano
Thermo
Electro

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9
Q

What types of sensory receptors are metabotropic?

A

Chemo
Photo

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10
Q

What are generator potentials?

A

Sensory equivalent of EPSP

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11
Q

What type of relationship is stimulus intensity to AP Frequency?

A

Semi-logarithmic relationship

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12
Q

What is range fractionation?

A

Different cells with different but overlapping sensitivites that extend dynamic range

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13
Q

How does sensory pathways convey type of stimulus?

A

Type of sensor

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14
Q

How does sensory pathways convey location of stimulus?

A

Brain has a map of each receptor

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15
Q

Does adaptation happen in CNS or PNS?

A

Both

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16
Q

Where does the olfactory pathway project?

A

Directly to cortex

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17
Q

Where does the equilibrium pathway project?

A

Directly to cerebellum
Indirectly to cortex via thalamus

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18
Q

Where do the sensory pathways pass through before projecting further in the brain?

A

Thalamus

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19
Q

What are somatic senses?

A

Body feelings sensations

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20
Q

Where are somatic senses projected?

A

Somatosensory cortex

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21
Q

What are the 5 basic taste qualities?

A

Salty
Sour
Sweet
Bitter
Umami

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22
Q

What is the process of tasting sweet?

A

Sugar binds to receptor
Signal-transduction pathway
K+ channel closes
Na+ and Ca+ comes into the cell, depolarizes
Stimulates the release of NT
Produces synapse

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23
Q

What is the process of tasting salt?

A

Salt binds to receptor
Signal-transduction pathway
Ca+ comes into the cell, depolarizes
Stimulates the release of NT
Produces synapse

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24
Q

What is the process of tasting sour?

A

H+ binds to receptor
Signal-transduction pathway
Ca+ comes into the cell, depolarizes
Stimulates the release of NT
Produces synapse

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25
What is the process of tasting bitter?
Quinine binds to receptor Signal-transduction pathway Ca+ released from ER, depolarizes Stimulates the release of NT Produces synapse
26
What flavors use G protein receptors?
Bitter Sweet
27
What type of channel is used for tasting salt?
Leak channel
28
What are the steps in the gustatory pathway?
Facial Nerve Glossopharyngeal nerve Medulla Thalamus Gustatory cortex
29
Where is the facial nerve?
Front 2/3 of tongue
30
Where is the glosopharyngeal nerve?
Back 1/3 of tongue
31
What does the medulla do in the gustatory pathway?
Initiates PNS reflexes to trigger saliva and gastric secretion
32
What is the vagus nerve?
Few taste buds on epiglottis and pharynx
33
What are the two theories of chemosensory coding?
Labeled-line coding Across-fiber pattern
34
What is labeled line coding?
Each receptor responds to limited range of stimuli and sends direct line to brain
35
What is across-fiber pattern?
Each receptor responds to wider range of stimuli and contributes to perception of each of them
36
What are two functions of smell?
Food selection Mate selection
37
What is the organ of smell?
Olfactory epithelium- roof of nasal cavity
38
What are olfactory receptor cells?
Bipolar neurons with cilia
39
What is the olfactory nerve?
Bundles of olfactory receptor axons
40
What is bowman's gland?
produces gel-forming protein and odorant-binding proteins
41
What is the olfactory pathway?
Receptor cells synapse with Mitral cells in glomeruli of olfactory bulbs
42
What are mitral cells?
amplify, refine, and relay signals along olfactory tracts
43
Where do mitral cells relay signals to?
Olfactory cortex Hypothalmus, amygdala, and limbic system
44
How many odors can humans discriminate?
100,000
45
How many smell receptors do humans have?
350 functional genes for receptors
46
What is the combinatorial code for odor?
Odorants are coded by combinations of olfactory receptors
47
What is the fovea?
Where the highest density of photoreceptor cells are located
48
Where do 90% of retinal projections go?
Lateral geniculate nucleus
49
What is the superior colliculus?
Controls pupillary responses Eye movements
50
Where does light info from right retina on each eye go?
Both go to right lateral geniculate and visual cortex
51
What is the pigment epithelium?
Cells that help rods and cones mature
52
What are the three segments of rods and cones?
Outer segment Inner segment Synaptic terminal
53
What is located in the outer segment of rods and cones?
Visual pigments located in membrane discs
54
What is located in the inner segment of rods and cones?
Major organelles, photopigment synthesis, mitochondria, ATP synthesis
55
What is rhodopsine?
Opsin and retinal Located in membrane disks of rods and cones
56
What is the difference between rods and cones?
Rods- more sensitive, no color Cones- less sensitive, sees color
57
How does retinal respond to light?
Retinal changes shape from cis to trans opens ion channels
58
How many types of opsin do rods have?
1
59
How many types of opsin do cones have?
3
60
What colors do cones see?
Red Green Blue
61
Why are there three types of cones?
One for each color
62
Which shape of retinal is bound to opsin?
Cis
63
Why can we only see a visible range of light?
Light with too much energy damages rhodopsine Too little energy doesn't excite retinal
64
What is a rod cells' signal transduction pathway?
Light activates opsin Transducin activates PDE That hyperpolarizes VGNaC
65
Why does light hyperpolarize rod cells?
To prevent release of inhibitory compunds
66
What inhibitory NT is released in the dark?
Glutamate
67
What cells produce action potential in the light pathway?
Ganglion cell
68
When does bipolar cell in light pathway release excitatory NT?
In light, rods don't produce inhibitory NT
69
What type of potential do cells(besides ganglion) use in the light pathway?
Graded potentials
70
What is the direct neural pathway in vision?
Receptor, bipolar, ganglion
71
What is the indirect neural pathway in vision?
Receptor, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, ganglion cell
72
What is lateral inhibition?
Seeing different shades in the same block due to neural network
73
What is the neural network in vision?
cross connection between cells(horizontal and amacrine) provides neural processing
74
What is the function of lateral inhibiton?
Contrast enhancement
75
What are the two types of ganglion cells?
On center field Off center field
76
What is an on-center off-surround ganglion cell?
Cell is active when light shines on center Inactive when light also shines on surround area
77
What type of inputs do the surround areas give to ganglion cells?
Inhibitory
78
Do rods or cones experience bleaching faster?
Rods
79
What is pitch?
Frequnecy of pressure changes
80
What is intensity of sound?
Amplitude of pressure changes
81
What are the steps of hearing?
Vibrations hit ear drum Bones pass vibration to fluid through oval window Fluid passes vibrations to membrane Hair cells are activated
82
What is the basilar membrane?
Contains hair cells
83
What are hair cells?
Release NT based on vibrations
84
What causes NT release in hair cells?
Force towards Opens K+ channels Depolarizes Ca2+ eneters
85
How are the roles of Na+ and K+ different between action potentials and hair cells?
Reversed
86
Why does K+ entering cell cause depolarization in hair cells?
More K+ outside than inside
87
Where are high frequency sounds located on the basilar membrane in relation to stapes?
Close to stapes
88
Where are low frequency sounds located on the basilar membrane in relation to stapes?
Far from stapes
89
What does hair cell location code for on membrane?
Sound pitch
90
What is the structure of the basilar membrane?
Very stiff and naroow close to oval window, flexible near distal end
91
How is sound loudness coded for?
Degree of displacement and action potential frequency
92
What is tonotopic representation?
Different regions of basilar membrane project to different ares of cortex

Physiology Exam 1 (5 decks)

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