Lecture 1

Question 1

interoception

Answer 1

sense inner state of body
e.g. blood sugar levels

Question 2

externoception

Answer 2

sense external environment e.g. smell

Question 3

proprioception

Answer 3

sense configuration/movement of body
- receptors in joints and muscles

Question 3

types of interoceptive signals

Answer 3

• biochemical
• mechanical
• thermal

Question 4

key nerve in interoceptive signals

Answer 4

vagus nerve

Question 5

sensory receptor

Answer 5

specialized excitable cell sensitive to a form of physical energy (modality)

Question 6

electromagnetic energy/modality

Answer 6

photoreceptor

Question 7

law of specific nerve energies / receptor specificity

Answer 7

receptors are usually sensitive to a particular type of modality/energy

Question 8

adequate stimulus / receptor specificity

Answer 8

the modality to which a receptor responds best

Question 9

neuronal signalling

Answer 9

• pre synaptic neuron
• AP
• neurotransmitter
• post synaptic neuron
• post synaptic potential

Question 10

sensory transduction

Answer 10

conversion of physical energy to a receptor potential in the receptor neuron

Question 11

transduction in skin mechanoreceptors

Answer 11

• receptor potentials are graded potentials

Question 12

local anaesthetics

Answer 12

blocks sensory transduction of signal

Question 13

sensory unit

Answer 13

• cell where transduction happens
  and
• cell where AP generated happens
• sometimes same cell sometimes 2 different cells

Question 14

afferent neuron

Answer 14

• neuron in peripheral NS that conducts APs to CNS

Question 15

sensory coding

Answer 15

representation of a stimulus in terms of APs
- weak stimuli fewer APs than strong stimulus

Question 16

topographic map

Answer 16

mapping of sense organ onto the brain

e.g. tonotopic map

Question 17

cochlear implants

Answer 17

higher frequency on outer parts, lower on inner
- wire with electrodes in ear, stimulated by sound

Question 18

Diagnosis of patient GO

Answer 18

• farm manager that played darts
• severe dysfunction of sensory peripheral nerves
• motor nerves unaffected

Question 19

tests used on GO

Answer 19

• electrophysiology tests
• response to electrical stimulation of finger recorded at wrist/elbow

Question 20

symptoms of GO

Answer 20

• stereognosia (not able to tell an object by feel alone)
• action deficits (intricate tasks)
• shows we have sensory systems to also guide action

Question 21

Sea squirt (Ciona intestinalis)

Answer 21

• larvae move/sense light/food/move from predators
• adult form can no longer move, becomes a more passive organism
• sensory systems previously used to move are no longer in use, adult forms digest part of NS