Sensory receptor
a structure specialized to detect a stimulus.
Sense organs
Accessory tissues may include:
nerve tissue surrounded by other tissues that enhance response to a certain type of stimulus.
-added epithelium, muscle, or connective tissue.
Transduction
the conversion of one form of energy to another.
Sensation
a subjective awareness of the stimulus.
-Most sensory signals delivered to the CNS produce no conscious sensation.
(pH and body temp require no conscious awareness)
Sensory receptors transmit 4 kinds of info:
Modality
type of stimulus or the sensation it produces.
-vision, hearing, taste.
Labeled line code
all action potentials are identical. Each nerve pathway from the sensory cells to the brain is labeled to identify its origin, and the brain uses these labels to interpret what modality the signal represents.
Location
encoded by which nerve fibers are issuing signals to the brain.
receptive field
rea that detects stimuli for a sensory neuron.
Sensory projection
brain identifies site if stimulation.
Projection pathways
the pathways followed by sensory signals to their ultimate destination in the CNS.
Intensity
encoded in 3 ways
Duration
how long the stimulus lasts
-change in firing frequency over time.
Sensory adaptation
if stimulus is prolonged, the firing of the neuron gets slower over time, and we become less aware of the stimulus.
Phasic receptor
generat a burst of action potentials when first stimulated, then quickly adapt and sharply reduce or stop signaling even tough the stimulus continues.
-smell, hair movement, and cutaneous pressure.
Tonic receptor
adapt slowly, generate nerve signals more steadily
-proprioreceptors
Proprioreceptors
body position, muscle tension, and joint motion.
Classification of receptors by MODALITY
thermoreceptors, photoreceptors, nociceptors, chemoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors.
classification of receptors by ORIGIN OF STIMULI
classification of receptors by DISTRIBUTION:
- special senses: limited to head (vision, hearing, equilibrium, taste and smell)
Unencapsulated nerve endings
dendrites not wrapped in connective tissue
free nerve endings, tactile discs, hair receptors
free nerve endings
- skin and mucous membrane.
tactile discs
- associated with Merkel cells a base of epidermis.
hair receptors
- monitor movement of hair