Unit 2 Sensory and Integrative Nervous System Flashcards
(250 cards)
Transduction
the conversion of stimulus energy into an electrical signal
Adaptation
decreased sensitivity to continuous stimuli
tonic receptors
adapt slowly if at all; pain is sensed with tonic receptors; when the stimulus is applied, the receptor potential is on; when the stimulus is removed, the recereceptor potential is off
phasic receptors
adapt quickly; touch is sensed with phasic receptors; when the stimulus is applied, the receptor potential signals at the beginning; when the stimulus is removed, the receptor potential signals at the
Modality-
correctly interpreting electrical signals in the brain; what is perceived has to do with the part of the brain that is stimulated; the brain knows what is sensed based on the location of the signal
Intensity-
stronger stimuli elicit stronger responses
frequency coding-
more frequent action potentials on a given sensory neuron
population coding-
more receptors activated/more sensory neurons recruited
exteroreceptors-
sense the external environment
enteroreceptors-
sense the internal environment
proprioreceptors-
sense the relationship between self and the environment
photoreceptors-
detect light
chemoreceptors-
detect chemicals
mechanoreceptors-
detect pressure, movement, sound to name a few
thermoreceptors-
detect temperature
cutaneous senses-
detect touch/pressure, cold, warmth, pain
visceral senses-
sense the internal environment; chemicals, pain, temperature, pressure
special senses-
vision, smell, taste, hearing, rotational/linear acceleration (balance)
Cutaneous Senses
Touch, pain, cold, and warmth are sensed with naked nerve endings. All are histologically identical but physiologically distinct.
naked nerve ending-
can be positioned between skin cells or wrapped around the base of hairs
expanded tips on nerve endings-
Ruffini endings, Merkel’s disks; slowly adapting (tonic)
encapsulated endings
- cells ore extracellular material surrounding the receptor; Meissner’s corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, Krause’s corpuscles; rapidly adapting (phasic)
In Pacinian corpuscles
mechanical distortion causes the opening of Na+ channels. Stronger stimuli open more channels and recruit more receptors.
In Pacinian corpuscles
mechanical distortion causes the opening of Na+ channels. Stronger stimuli open more channels and recruit more receptors.