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Debby Mirani Lubis

Physiology Department
 Specialized neuronal structures that
detect a specific form of energy in either
the internal or external environment
Energy is detected by the dendritic end organs
of sensory (afferent) neurons
This information is transmitted to the CNS
Receptorsmay change one form of
energy to another
For example, chemical to electrical at the NMJ
 Chemoreceptors
Sensitive to chemical concentrations such as in
smell and taste
Nociceptors or pain receptors
Sensitive to tissue damage
Thermoreceptors
Sensitive to temperature, either to heat or cold
 Mechanoreceptors
Sensitive to changes in mechanical energy
such as pressure or the movement of fluids
Baroreceptors detect the blood pressure in certain
arteries and veins.
Stretch receptors are sensitive to changes in the
amount of inflation in the lungs.
Proprioceptors are sensitive to changes in tension in
the muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Photoreceptors
Sensitive to light intensity and are found
only in the eyes.
 Sensory impulses are generated by
receptors
The energy of the stimulus is absorbed
The energy is then transduced into an electrical
signal
Receptor potential
A stimulus that exceeds the threshold intensity
Graded potential
The electrical signal that is produced when
threshold is reached
Propagation of a nerve impulse
 The awareness of a stimulus
Perception
The brains interpretation of the sensory
information provided by the sensory
receptors
Since all nerve impulses are the same, the only
differences are:
The type of receptor that was stimulated, and
The region of the brain to which the receptor
is connected.
 For example,
When heat receptors in the 2nd finger of the
right hand are stimulated by a lit match, the
region of the brain corresponding to that
part of the body will perceive pain
If light receptors were transplanted to the
region of the brain that senses smell, then
stimulation of the light receptors would
result in an odor being perceived
 Sensory adjustment that occurs when receptors
are continuously stimulated
Sensory Coding
Receptors respond to continuous stimulation by
firing at slower and slower rates
Eventually the receptors may fail to send any signal
at all
The sense of smell is particularly subject to sensory
adaptation
 When you are in a room with a strong
odor you will notice that soon you
cannot smell the odor, or it is much
reduced
The smell receptors have adapted and
are not stimulated again until the
stimulus changes
Clothing against skin is another
example
 The Somatosensory Cortex
Postcentral Gyrus of Cerebrum
Sensory homunculus
Somatic sensory and proprioception
 Somatosensory Pathways
Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscus
Transmit sensory impulses from mechanoreceptors
and proprioceptors to the thalamus
Crosses over in the region of the medulla
Spinothalamic Tract
Transmits sensory impulses from thermoreceptors
and nocioceptors to the thalamus after crossing to
the other side in the spinal cord
Crosses over in the spinal cord
 TheLateral and Anterior Spinothalamic
Tracts are sensory (afferent, ascending)
Travel from the spinal cord to the thalamus
Receive sensory input from the receptors
for:
Pain (from free nerve endings)
Temperature (from Pacinian corpuscles)
Deep pressure (from Meissners corpuscles)
Touch (from End bulbs of Krause )
 Sensory information crosses to the
opposite side in the spinal cord
The sensory information ascends to the
thalamus
A synapse occurs with one of the thalamic nuclei
The sensory information is sent from the
thalamus to sensory cortex of the
cerebrum
Located in the post central gyrus
 For example:
A heat receptor (free nerve ending) ( in the
L3 dermatome on the anterior thigh)
stimulated by the heating pad you have put
on the quadriceps muscle group of your sore
right thigh
The impulse travels along the peripheral
nerve through the sensory neuron in the
dorsal root ganglion and on to a synapse
with an internuncial neuron in the dorsal
horn of segment L3
 From there the fiber carrying the next
impulse crosses over to the left side of the
spinal cord to the lateral spinothalamic tract,
and ascends to the thalamus.
Another synapse occurs in the thalamus and
the next impulse is sent to the sensory cortex
of the cerebrum where the brain will perform
its integrative and decision making functions.
A decision will be made whether to instruct
the muscles of your hands and arms to
remove the heating pad because it is too hot
or leave it in place.
 Mediated primarily through free nerve
endings
Sensitive to a variety of painful or noxious
stimuli
Changes in chemical composition of body
fluids, such as decreased pH or
accumulation of metabolic wastes can
stimulate pain receptors.
 Adaptation to pain is practically non-
existent
Pain sensation can be triggered by a
single stimulus and is longer lasting
than many other types of stimuli, such
as hot, cold, or smell
 Pain impulses are transmitted through the
ascending pathways of the spinal cord, primarily
the lateral spinothalamic tracts to the brain
Nocioceptors (pain receptors) located in the skin
When stimulated, send pain information along a
first order neuron
First order neurons
Deliver sensory impulses from the receptor to
the dorsal horn of the spinal cord where it
synapses on a second order neuron
Second order neruons
Travel in the spinothalamic tract to the thalamus
which relays the information to the appropriate
area of the primary somatosensory cortex
 Within the brain most of the pain
sensation terminates in the reticular
formation and are processed by the
thalamus, hypothalamus and the cerebral
cortex
The brain, after evaluating the extent of
the pain, sends information back along a
designated motor tract to the muscles
that require contraction to move the limb
away from the source of pain
 Usually not very well localized
It may feel as though it is coming from another part of
the body than from the organ actually affected
Referred pain
Results from common nerve pathways that bring
sensory information from skin or muscles of another
part of the body in addition to that of an organ.
 For Example,
Pain impulses from the heart are
conducted along the same neural
pathways as pain from the left arm and
shoulder
Thus, the brain interprets heart pain as
the more familiar shoulder and arm pain
 Incases of extreme pain, impulses are
capable of stimulating the release of
biochemicals that can block pain impulses
Among these biochemicals are:
Neuropeptides
Serotonin
Enkephalin
Endorphins
Thesebiochemicals can bind to pain
receptors and block the sensation of
severe or acute pain