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Sensory Systems Review
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1
Question
What does the Pacinian corpuscle detect?
Page 2
Answer
Vibration and deep pressure
2
Question
What structure surrounds the sensory nerve ending in a Pacinian corpuscle?
Page 2
Answer
Capsule (lamella)
3
Question
In a Pacinian corpuscle, how does mechanical stimulation lead to depolarization?
Page 2
Answer
Depolarization forms lamella → opens mechanosensitive ion channels (Piezo) → Na⁺ influx
4
Question
What happens if depolarization in a Pacinian corpuscle reaches threshold?
Page 2
Answer
Action potential
5
Question
What is electrotonic decay in sensory receptors?
Page 2
Answer
Loss of voltage amplitude as current travels along a passive membrane
6
Question
Why might receptor potentials in Pacinian corpuscles decay with distance?
Page 2
Answer
Loss of current prevents propagation far enough to trigger action potentials
7
Question
What is rate coding in stimulus intensity?
Page 2
Answer
Stronger stimuli → more frequent action potentials (higher firing rate)
8
Question
How does rate coding encode stimulus intensity?
Page 2
Answer
Through firing frequency (Hz)
9
Question
What is range fractionation?
Page 2
Answer
Recruitment of multiple receptors with different thresholds to encode stimulus intensity
10
Question
How do different neurons enable range fractionation?
Page 2
Answer
Different activation thresholds allow encoding over a wide intensity range
11
Question
What is a mechanoreceptor?
Page 2
Answer
Sensory receptor responding to physical deformation (pressure, vibration, stretch)
12
Question
Define transduction in sensory systems.
Page 2
Answer
Conversion of a physical stimulus into an electrical signal
13
Question
What is a receptor potential?
Page 2
Answer
Graded membrane potential in a sensory receptor cell
14
Question
What is adaptation in sensory receptors?
Page 2
Answer
Decrease in sensitivity to sustained stimulation
15
Question
What is a labeled line?
Page 2
Answer
Specific neural pathway carrying one modality
16
Question
What are the six stages of sensory processing?
Page 1
Answer
Coding Adaptation Suppression Pathways Receptive fields Attention
17
Question
What is somatotopy?
Page 4
Answer
Body-mapping in somatosensory cortex (homunculus)
18
Question
What is a receptive field?
Page 1
Answer
Skin region where stimulation changes a neuron's firing
19
Question
What is cortical plasticity?
Page 4
Answer
Brain's ability to reorganize cortical maps with experience or injury
20
Question
What is adaptation in sensory systems?
Page 4
Answer
Decreased response to sustained stimulus
21
Question
What is suppression in sensory processing?
Page 1
Answer
Filtering out irrelevant sensory information
22
Question
What is attention in sensory systems?
Page 1
Answer
Cognitive modulation that enhances selected inputs
23
Question
What is two-point discrimination?
Page 1
Answer
Minimum distance at which two nearby stimuli are felt as separate (measure of spatial acuity)
24
Question
What is cortical magnification?
Page 1
Answer
Disproportionately large cortical area representing regions with high receptor density (e.g., fingertips)
25
Question
What determines pitch in audition?
Page 4
Answer
Frequency (Hz)
26
Question
What determines loudness in audition?
Page 4
Answer
Amplitude/intensity (dB)
27
Question
What is the organ of Corti?
Page 1
Answer
Sensory epithelium in cochlea containing inner and outer hair cells
28
Question
What is tonotopy?
Page 4
Answer
Frequency mapping along basilar membrane and auditory cortex (base=high, apex=low)
29
Question
What are stereocilia?
Page 2
Answer
Hair-like projections on hair cells that mechanically gate ion channels when deflected
30
Question
What are tip links?
Page 4
Answer
Protein filaments connecting stereocilia; tension opens mechanically gated K⁺ channels