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Somatosensory System
A network of neurons that allows us to sense and perceive touch, pressure, pain, temperature, position, movement, and vibration.
Receptor Cells
Specialized cells within sense organs that detect stimuli in the form of energy.
Peripheral Nervous System
System that includes the sensory pathways reaching the cerebral cortex for conscious perception.
Sensory Pathways
Routes taken by sensory information as it travels from the body to the brain.
Somatosensory Cortex
Part of the brain located in the parietal lobe that processes sensory input.
Thalamus
Relay station in the brain that processes and transmits sensory information to the somatosensory cortex.
Labelled Lines
Concept that action potentials from different senses travel along distinct pathways in the nervous system.
Neural Activity
Electrical changes in receptor cells that translate stimuli into signals that the brain can interpret.
Dorsal Column Pathway
Ascending pathway from the spinal cord to the brain that carries touch and proprioception information.
Pacinian Corpuscle
A type of receptor in the skin that detects vibrations above 200 cycles/sec.
Homunculus
A visual representation of the body's surface mapped onto the somatosensory cortex.
Sensory Transduction
The process by which sensory receptors convert environmental energy into electrical signals.
Free Nerve Endings
Type of receptor that detects pain and temperature in the skin.
Mechanical Energy
Energy sensed by receptors that allows us to perceive touch and pressure.
Meissner's Corpuscle
A receptor cell that detects light touch and forms of objects.
Ruffini Corpuscle
Receptor in the skin that detects stretching.
Action Potential
A rapid electrical impulse that travels along a neuron when a stimulus is present.
Cerebral Cortex
Outer layer of the brain where sensory information is processed.
Dorsal Root Ganglion
Cluster of sensory neuron cell bodies located near the spinal cord.
Central Sulcus
The landmark that separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.
Neuronal Pathway
The route taken by neurons that carry specific types of sensory information.
Afferent Pathway
Pathway that carries sensory information to the central nervous system.
Efferent Pathway
Pathway that carries motor commands from the central nervous system to the body.
Interneuron
A neuron that transmits impulses between other neurons, especially as part of a reflex arc.
Sensation
The process of detecting physical stimuli from the environment.
Perception
The brain's interpretation of sensory information.
Proprioception
The sense of body position and movement.
Neural Processing
The transformation and interpretation of sensory signals within the nervous system.
Threshold
The minimum stimulus intensity required to generate an action potential.
Upper Motor Neuron
A neuron that carries commands from the brain to the spinal cord.
Lower Motor Neuron
A neuron that carries commands from the spinal cord to skeletal muscles.
Neuromuscular Junction
The interface where a motor neuron communicates with a muscle fiber.
Cortical Plasticity
The ability of the cerebral cortex to adapt and reorganize itself in response to experience or injury.
Sensory Modality
Different types of sensations detected by the sensory system, such as touch and pain.
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