General Senses and Autonomic Nervous System

Afferent

Carrying sensory information towards the central nervous system

Efferent

Carrying motor commands away from the central nervous system

Proprioception

Sense of body position and movement

Transduction

Conversion of a stimulus into an action potential by sensory fibers

Mechanoreceptors

Receptors sensitive to mechanical stimuli like touch or pressure

Chemoreceptors

Receptors detecting chemical changes in the environment

Thermoreceptors

Receptors sensitive to temperature changes

Nociceptors

Receptors detecting pain or harmful stimuli

Baroreceptors

Receptors sensing pressure changes

Posterior Column Pathway

Transmits fine sensations like touch and vibration

Spinocerebellar Pathway

Conveys proprioceptive information for cerebellar coordination

Spinothalamic Pathway

Pathway for temperature and pain sensation

Corticospinal Tract

Connects the brain to the spinal cord for voluntary motor control

Phantom Limb Syndrome

Perception of pain or sensations in a missing limb due to nerve signals

Upper Motor Neuron

Neuron with cell body in the CNS that influences lower motor neurons

Lower Motor Neuron

Neuron with cell body in the brainstem or spinal cord, innervating muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and digestion

Preganglionic Neuron

Neuron before the autonomic ganglia, originating in the brainstem or spinal cord

Postganglionic Neuron

Neuron after the autonomic ganglia, innervating visceral effectors

Adrenal Medullae

Part of the adrenal gland involved in sympathetic responses

Vagus Nerve

Cranial nerve responsible for parasympathetic functions, releasing Acetylcholine