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Sensory Receptors and Coding
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1
Question
What are sensory receptors?
Answer
Specialized cells or nerve endings that transduce stimuli into neural signals
2
Question
What is the primary function of sensory receptors?
Answer
Link between nervous system and environment by transducing stimuli
3
Question
What is sensory transduction?
Answer
Conversion of stimulus energy into receptor or generator potential
4
Question
How does a receptor potential lead to action potentials?
Answer
If it reaches threshold, generating APs proportional to depolarization magnitude
5
Question
What determines the rate of AP firing in sensory afferents?
Answer
Magnitude of the receptor potential
6
Question
What is primary sensory coding?
Answer
Conversion of receptor potentials into APs conveying stimulus information
7
Question
What four aspects of a stimulus does sensory coding convey to the CNS?
Answer
Type, intensity, location, and duration
8
Question
What is stimulus modality in sensory coding?
Answer
Type of stimulus the receptor responds to, like mechanical or thermal
9
Question
Why are sensory receptors specialized for one modality?
Answer
To respond best to a specific form of energy like deformation or light
10
Question
What are mechanoreceptors?
Answer
Receptors responding to mechanical deformation in skin or tissues
11
Question
Name four types of mechanoreceptors in the skin.
Answer
Meissner corpuscle, Ruffini ending, Pacinian corpuscle, Merkel cell
12
Question
What does the Meissner corpuscle transduce?
Answer
Low-frequency vibrations; rapidly adapting/phasic
13
Question
What is the function of Ruffini endings?
Answer
Detect stretch; slowly adapting/tonic for finger position
14
Question
What do Pacinian corpuscles detect?
Answer
Vibrations; rapidly adapting for tool use
15
Question
What information do Merkel cells process?
Answer
Texture and form via edges and curvatures; slowly adapting
16
Question
What are proprioceptors?
Answer
Self-receptors sensing posture and movement in muscles/joints
17
Question
What do muscle spindles respond to?
Answer
Magnitude and rate of muscle stretch
18
Question
What is the role of Golgi tendon organs?
Answer
Detect changes in muscle tension as low-threshold mechanoreceptors
19
Question
How do proprioceptors contribute to posture?
Answer
By signaling muscle stretch and tension for maintenance
20
Question
What are thermoreceptors?
Answer
Receptors responding to temperature or changes in skin
21
Question
What temperature range activates warmth receptors?
Answer
30-43°C, increasing AP frequency with warming
22
Question
How do cold receptors function?
Answer
Stimulated by small decreases in temperature
23
Question
What are nociceptors?
Answer
Free nerve endings responding to tissue-damaging stimuli
24
Question
What stimuli activate nociceptors?
Answer
Intense mechanical deformation, excessive heat, or chemicals
25
Question
What neurotransmitters do nociceptors use?
Answer
Glutamate and substance P
26
Question
What chemicals are released by damaged cells to activate nociceptors?
Answer
Histamine, bradykinin, cytokines, prostaglandins
27
Question
What is the relationship between afferent axon diameter and conduction speed?
Answer
Larger myelinated fibers conduct faster
28
Question
Which fibers are associated with muscle and joint receptors?
Answer
Larger myelinated fibers with fast conduction
29
Question
What fibers handle nociception and thermoreception?
Answer
Small myelinated with intermediate speed or unmyelinated with slow conduction
30
Question
How does stimulus intensity affect AP frequency?
Answer
Stronger stimulus produces higher AP frequency