Physiology

General Senses 1
Barbon, MD | 28 02 2018 2
According to location of stimulus:
OUTLINE
I. Sensation  Exteroceptive - Seen in the environment and affects the
A. Sensory Receptors body
B. Types of Sensation  Enteroceptive - Internal stimulus (gastric and bladder
C. Receptor Potentials distension or baroreceptors for detecting changes in
D. Adaptation blood pressure)
E. Principle/Laws involved in sensation  Proprioception - Affects the joints; essential for
1. Sensory Coding/Coding Mechanism determining body position
2. Weber-Fechner Law
3. Steven Power Law According to the ability to localize body part affected by stimulus:
4. Recruitment of Sensory units  Epicritic - Easily /precisely localized sensations
5. Law of Projection o Normally observed if the receptors are present
6. Lateral Inhibition on the surface of the body (underneath the skin)
7. Receptive fields o Example: Skin pain
 Protopathic - Poorly localized sensations
o Usually common if the stimulus or change is
I. SENSATION happening inside the body (from
internal/visceral organs)
 Awareness of what is happening in the environment
 Knowing the change present in the environment that is Ruffini’s Endings
affecting the body  Found in the deeper layer of the skin and detects heavy
 Depends on the presence of sensory receptors prolonged touch/pressure
o These sensory receptors serve as transducers that
convert the said stimulus into action potential. AP Special and General
responsible for excitation of sensation  Special - Vision, hearing, taste and smell are special
o The body is capable of having such condition due to o The said sensations utilize receptors present only
the presence of sensory receptors on a specific part of the body
 Changes/common stimuli that affects the body: o Always use activity of cranial neurons
o Sound, taste, light  General - Aka Somatic or Somatosensory
o Touch, odours, balance o Touch, pressure, vibration, and pain
o Cold and heat o The receptors utilized are present in all parts of
o Electrolyte concentration the body
o Blood oxygen levels o Mostly use spinal neurons but can sometimes
o Tissue damage use cranial neurons (trigeminal)
o Muscle stretch
o Blood pressure According to Onset:
 Immediate (Acute or fast sensation)
 The lowest effective stimulus intensity is Threshold. o Less than 1 second after the stimulation
Anything equal or greater than the threshold can stimulate  Delayed (Chronic or delayed sensation)
the different sensory receptors and can generate Action o More than 1 second after the stimulation
Potential transmitted to the sensory neurons towards the
sensory center of the brain.
Some sensations are associated with initial acute, immediately
 It is essential that you first get exposed to the changes in followed by chronic sense, they are called DUAL SENSATION.
the environment to generate sensation. There is sensation in the initial exposure to the stimulus, but
after removing the stimulus, the sensation is still there.
A. TYPES OF SENSATION
Examples: Pain, Tickle and Itch, & Temperature
Conscious and Subconscious
 Conscious sensations - You are aware that the said changes
are affecting the body. Acuteness of sensation is dependent on the activity of the
 Subconscious sensations - You are not aware of the sensory neuron:
changes affecting the body  Fast-conducting neurons – Responsible for acute
o Not all changes happening in the body can be sensations, more than 100 m/sec or above 120 m/sec
detected. Why? Because some of them are o Large diameter, myelinated
described to have subthreshold intensity thus no AP  Slow-conducting – For chronic or slow sensations
can be generated o Small diameter, unmyelinated
o Ex. Normally you don’t know you heart is beating

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 Physiology
General Senses 1
TYPES OF SENSATION
Tactile Sensation Sensory Threshold
 Sensitivity of certain sensory receptors will depend on the
Touch, Pressure, Vibration,
capacity of the sensory arm to process the stimulus
Mechanoceptive Tickle and Itch
 It can also be affected by the attitude of the subject or
Sensation Position Sensation previous memory towards the sensory experience
SOMATIC SENSATION Static Position, Dynamic  It can also be affected by environment
Position (Kinesthesia)
Thermoceptive B. SENSORY RECEPTORS
Hot and Cold
Sensation  Responsible for responding to the different stimuli.
Nociceptive  The receptors are classified based on their different
Pain
Sensation stimuli.
o That’s why receptors are very sensitive or it is
SPECIAL SENSATION Vision, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Equilibrium having low threshold to their specific stimulus, it
Mechanoceptive can be easily stimulated by that specific stimulus.
Thermoceptive  Sensory receptors are sensitive and specific.
CONSCIOUS o The receptors can respond to other types of
Nociceptive,
SENSATION stimulus other than its specific stimulus, provided
Vision, Hearing, Taste, Equilibrium, Smell,
Joint position and Movement that you give a stimulus higher than threshold.
Muscle Length  Different receptors present in the body:
Muscle tension o Mechanoreceptors
Arterial Blood Pressure o Chemoreceptors
UNCONSCIOUS Inflation of the Lung o Thermoreceptor
SENSATION Osmotic Pressure of Plasma o Photoreceptor/Telereceptor
Blood Glucose Level o Nociceptor
pH of Blood and CSF o Osmoreceptor
Level of PO2, PCO2  Can undergo Adaptation
 Classified as Body transducers
o They are capable of converting one form of
SENSORY ARM OF THE REFLEX ARC
stimulus into electrical activity
 Activation of sensory receptors → activation of sensory
 Mechanical → Electrical → AP
afferent neurons → transmission of impulses towards the
 Chemical → Electrical → AP
center (brain) → sensation (awareness) → generation of
 Light → Electrical → AP
appropriate emotions or reaction
o Whatever type of change is affecting the body,
 The first three components of the reflex arc (sensory
the affected receptor will generate action
receptors, afferent neurons and center) are collectively
potential
called the sensory arm of the reflex arc which leads to
 First structure affected by a change inside or outside the
sensation
body
 Any injury or abnormality affecting any or all of these
 Responsible for sending information to the higher center
components can lead to sensory problems → absence of
about the change affecting the body
sensation
o Communicates to the higher center through the
sensory afferent neurons
o Action potential generated by the receptors will
be transmitted by the sensory nerves to the
higher

Adaptation/Accomodation – Once you are exposed to the

change, the body is aware of the change as long as the stimulus
is effective. In adaptation, you are aware of the change during
the initial exposure, but due to the continuous exposure of the
stimulus, after some time the sensation is diminished.

Example: Wearing watches. - Upon wearing you can feel the

watch, but after some time, you can’t feel it anymore.

**Inactivation of sodium channels occurs

**SENSORY SYSTEM (Receptors) → AFFERENT SYSTEM Input - via
**Adaptation of sensory receptor can be observed if a noxious
Somatosensory Pathway/Sensory Neuron) → INTEGRATIVE SYSTEM (Central
stimulus is applied.
Nervous System - Somatosthetic Area I and II) → EFFERENT SYSETM (Output)
→ EFFECTOR (Sensation)
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**The reflex arc is composed of the receptor, the afferent neuron, the center, 2 of 9
the efferent neuron, and the effector. In sensation, the important part of the
reflex arc is the Sensory Arm.
Physiology
General Senses 1
Generator Potential BASED ON STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
 Sensory stimuli result in the production of local graded Pacinian Corpuscle Detect: Vibration
potential
*Greatest sensitivity
*Detect: Low Frequency of
CLASSIFICATION OF SENSORY RECEPTORS Meissner’s Vibration and Touch
Sensory from external Corpuscles *Found in non hairy parts
Exteroceptors of the skin, lips and
environment ENCAPSULATED
fingertips
Sensory from internal
Detect: Heavy Prolonged
Enteroceptors environment (Ex: Baroreceptors, Ruffini’s Endings
Touch and Pressure
Chemoreceptors for blood gases
Muscle Spindles Stretch sensitive receptors
Proprioceptors Sensory from body positions
Golgi Tendon Organ Tension sensitive receptors
Detect: Touch and Pressure
Free nerve endings
TYPE OF SENSORY RECEPTORS *Found everywhere
*Found in hairy parts of
TYPE OF SENSORY RECEPTORS: BASED ON STIMULUS the skin, fingertips and
Olfactory Receptors other tissues,
Taste Receptor UNENCAPSULATED Merkel’s disc *Group together known as
Chemoreceptors your Iggo dome receptors
Osmoreceptors
Carotid body O2 receptors and these are able to
detect and localize touch
Photoreceptors /
Rods and Cones Stimulated by slight hair in
Electromagnetic Hair follicle
the body, found in the base
receptors
Thermoceptors Temperature of the skin

Pacinian corpuscles (Detects: Vibration) DENDRITIC ENDINGS OF SENSORY NEURONS

Joint receptors
Mechanoreceptors Stretch Receptors (muscles) Free nerve endings For Pain and Temperature
Hair cells (auditory & vestibular system) Encapsulated For Pressure and Touch
Baroreceptors (Carotid Sinus)
Nociceptors Pain Rods and Cones Sight

Static Position Sense Modified Epithelial cells Taste

o Conscious orientation of the
Proprioceptors different parts of the body TYPES OF SENSORY FIBERS
Dynamic Proprioception *Fastest among the myelinated
o Rate of Body Movement neurons (120m/s)
ALPHA α
*Mostly used by the receptors
BASED ON SENSORY INFORMATION DELIVERED involving the activity of muscles
TYPE A
Mechanoreceptors
(Large and medium BETA β 70m/s
Chemoreceptors
sized myelinated
Nociceptors
fibers) GAMMA γ 40 m/s
Cutaneous receptors o Touch
o Pressure Slowest conducting type A fiber
o Temperature DELTA δ
(15 m/s)
o Pain
Vision *Not involved in sensation
Hearing TYPE B *Pre-ganglionic autonomic fibers of the ANS
Special senses Smell *Myelinated nerve
Taste
*Slowest conducting among all neurons
Equilibrium TYPE C
because there are unmyelinated with smallest
(Small unmyelinated
diameter
nerve fibers)
*Responsible for delayed sensations

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FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF SENSORY FIBERS Mechanisms of Receptor Potentials
GROUP Origin/Fibers From: Diameter Fiber Type Different receptors can be excited in one of several ways to cause
receptor potentials:
Annulospiral Endings of Muscle 1. By mechanical deformation of the receptor
IA 17 um Aα
Spindle o Which stretches the receptor membrane and
opens ion channels
IB Golgi Tendon Organs 16 um Aα
2. By application of a chemical to the membrane
*Discrete Cutaneous Tactile o Which also opens ion channels
Receptors 3. By change of the temperature of the membrane
II 8 um Aβ and γ o Which alters the permeability of the membrane
*Flower-Spray Endings of Muscles
Spindles 4. By the effects of electromagnetic radiation, such as light
on a retinal visual receptor
Temperature o Which either directly or indirectly changes the
III Crude Touch 3 um Aδ receptor membrane characteristics and allows
Pricking Pain Sensation ions to flow through membrane channels.
Pain
Itch Importance of Repetitive Action Potential Firing
IV 0.5 – 2 um C
Temperature
Crude Touch

C. RECEPTOR POTENTIALS
 In response to stimulus, sensory nerve endings produce a
local graded change in membrane potential.
 The basic cause of change in membrane potential is a
change in membrane permeability of the receptor, which
allows ions to diffuse more or less readily through the
membrane and thereby to change the transmembrane
potential.
 Potential changes are called generator/receptor potential
o Max amplitude 100mv = 100mv in AP  For you to generate an action potential, you need to expose
the cell an intensity equal or greater than threshold. RMP
will now undergo a change that will reach the Critical firing
RESPONSES TO RECEPTOR POTENTIALS
level or threshold potential of the cell
PHASIC RESPONSE TONIC RESPONSE  Local potential / Acute Sub-threshold potential
Rapid adaptation Slow or No adaptation o Developed in response to an ineffective stimulus
or an electrical change of sub-threshold intensity
Cease firing if strength of a o Local potential generated by a sensory receptor is
Continuous signal transmission for
continuous stimulus remains constant generator or receptor potential
duration of stimulus
(detects change in stimulus strength) o If the generator potential does not reach the
Allow body to ignore constant Monitoring of parameters that must threshold, you will not feel any sensation.
unimportant information be continually evaluated (Ex:  However, if the generator potential is stimulated by a
(Ex: smell) baroreceptors) threshold or higher than threshold intensity, it will now
generate a threshold potential.
GENERATION of IMPULSE:
Stimulus arrives at Sensory Receptor → Ion channels OPENED
→ Current flows → Receptor Potential formed

 If touch are present there will be deformation of the

stimulus that will now cause the opening of Na gated
channel (influx of Na) → there will be depolarization
 Action potential is physically producing, primarily in the
specific area where the stimulus is being given

 Once receptors are effectively stimulated they are able to

generate multiple and repetitive firing of action potentials
to a single effective stimulus.
o Firing of AP is usually 250/s

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 The generation of continuous action potentials is important Transmission of Signals of Different Intensities in Nerve Tracts
because this is to tell the center, via the sensory afferent
pathway, that the stimulus is still present and continuous. SPATIAL SUMMATION TEMPORAL SUMMATION
o Removal of the stimulus leads to cessation of
sensation A stronger signal cause an Sending more action potentials
increase in numbers of parallel along a single fiber in rapid
Receptor potential of the Pacinian corpuscle – fibers stimulated simultaneously succession
An example of receptor function
Number of nerve endings
stimulated is large in the center Overlapping of depolarization I a
but diminishes toward the step-wise fashion
periphery

D. ADAPTATION/DESENSITIZATION
 The person is still exposed continuously to the stimulus
but the sensation is already diminished. (For sensory
receptors only)
o Frequency of action potentials decreases
overtime
o Continuous stimulation leads to the receptor
being less responsive
o Ex: Wearing eyeglasses
 The figure shows the mechanism by which a receptor potential is produced
 The action potential being fired by an adapted receptor is
in the pacinian corpuscle.
already diminished; however the receptor is still sensitive
 Observe the small area of the terminal fiber that has been deformed by
to a certain degree of its stimuli.
compression of the corpuscle, and note that ion channels have opened in
 Adapted receptors can still adapt if the rate and intensity
the membrane, allowing positively charged sodium ions to diffuse to the
of the stimuli is changed
interior of the fiber. This creates increased positivity inside the fiber, which
o To stimulate Receptors: Increase Strength of
is the "receptor potential.
Stimuli
 The receptor potential in turn induces a local circuit of current flow, shown
by the arrows, that spreads along the nerve fiber. At the first node of
1. Rapidly Adapting Receptors
Ranvier, which itself lies inside the capsule of the pacinian corpuscle, the
local current flow depolarizes the fiber membrane at this node, which then  Also known as:
sets off typical action potentials that are transmitted along the nerve fiber o Rate receptors – frequency of moving the object
toward the central nervous system. o Phasic receptors – detect time of stimulus
application and removal (on and off activity)
o Movement receptors – change in position of
IMPORTANT TERMS object
 When they adapt, they are not anymore generating action
**Presynaptic neuron acts only in one post
potentials even if the stimulus is ongoing. But although
synaptic neuron
SUBTHRESHOLD STIMULI they are not generating action potential, they are not
**Cannot generate action potential
refractorious in relation. They are still excitable
**Causing ONLY FACILITATION
o Ex. A change in position of the eyeglass will let
**2 presynaptic neuron acts in one post you know that is it present
synaptic neuron o Ex: You wear your watch, initial exposure to the
THRESHOLD STIMULI stimulus will send action potentials but after
**Can generate Action potential causing
EXCITATION sometime it will decline and you won’t sense
your watch, but if you decide to remove the
**ONE Presynaptic Neuron → MULTIPLE watch, the receptors will again fire action
DIVERGENCE
Postsynaptic Neuron (Amplifying Effect) potential and be sensitive again to the stimulus.
 Adapts in less than 1 sec or up to several minutes
CONVERGENCE
**MULTIPLE Presynaptic Neuron → ONE  They cannot immediately detect stimulus duration, they
Postsynaptic Neuron can only know it after the removal of the stimulus
 Example of receptors: Touch receptors (pacinian
**Production of reverbatory circuits corpuscles fire AP’s 250 times/sec), olfactory receptors,
AFTER DISCHARGE **For continuous excitation (Ex:Limbic system - photoreceptors, proprioceptors
Emotion  If you don’t change the quality of stimulus, eventually the
receptor stops firing action potential but the stimulus is
still there
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 Removal of the stimulus will cause sensation because the Mechanisms of Adaptation
receptors fire action potentials again  Readjustment in the shape or structure of the sensory
receptor
2. Slowly Adapting Receptors o Fast-adapting receptors can immediately change
 Tonic receptors – Once activated, they are capable of their shape and once changed, they stop the firing of
continuous firing of Action potentials AP’s
 Adaptation occurs after several days o Ex: Pacinian corpuscle
 Ex: Baroreceptors involved in blood pressure regulation  Its shape is oval but once stimulated it will
o Since the baroreceptors can adapt, after several cause deformation → start firing action
potentials → you know that the stimulus
days it will accept the elevated pressure as its
normal pressure and thus the patient will now
was applied
become hypertensive
 Once you have the deformity appropriate to
o Hypertensive people have adapted baroreceptors.
the stimulus applied to the pacinian it will
The role of the baroreceptor is to maintain the
eventually stop the firing of action potential
normal blood pressure, since hypertensive people
have elevated blood pressure, the baroreceptors → adaptation
perceive that the elevated BP is the normal BP of  If you remove the stimulus, the pacinian goes
that person, and hence there are hypertensive back to its normal shape → generates action
patients. potential
 Change in the chemical agent used
3. Non-Adapting Receptors o Photoreceptors: scotopsin and rhodopsin pigments
 Will not adapt at all  Change in the sensory nerve
 Tonic receptors o The sensory afferent nerve should transmit
 Will not stop firing as long as the stimulus is present impulses to the higher centers, but in cases of
 Generate AP repetitively for long duration up to the end of adaptation the sensory nerve will stop the
stimulation transmission of impulses and will just
 Ex. pain receptors (Nociceptors)  Soldiers and Athletes accommodate the action potential → absence of
possess high threshold for pain, or are already Pain sensation
insensitive. o Occurs when there is continuous stimulation of the
sensory receptor
TWO TYPES OF RECEPTORS o Inactivation of Na+ channels → no AP’s are created
RAPIDLY ADAPTING SLOWLY ADAPTING in the sensory nerve → stop in the transmission of
REEPTORS RECEPTORS the impulses towards the center
Slow or NO Adaptation
Adaptation RAPID (Phasic) Importance of Adaptation
(Tonic)
 Fast adapting receptors try to lessen the impulses analyzed
Monitoring of Parameters by the cortex by allowing it to rest and concentrate on new
Body ignore Constant stimuli that might again affect the body so that it may
Function that must be CONTINUALLY
Unimportant Information respond to it
evaluated
 Non-adapting receptors such as pain receptors are
Detect CONTINUOUS important to protect the tissues from anything that may
Detect CHANGES in
Sensory Stimulus strength, AS LONG cause injury to the body
Stimulus Strength
AS Stimulus is present o If there is already a painful condition in the body,
pain receptors try to lessen the aggravation of
Impulse CAN NOT Transmit signals Can transmit impulse to the tissue damage
transmission to the Brain brain o The body part is immediately removed from the
Muscle Spindle source of pain and the activity of the injured body
Golgi Tendon part is lessened and allowed to rest
Utricle
Pacinian Corpuscles Requirement for Adaptation
Nociceptors
Example Semicircular Canal  Continuous exposure to the stimulus
Baroreceptors
Meissner’s Corpuscle  Intensity of the stimulus is constant and non-changing
Chemoreceptors
Merkel’s Disc  Low to moderate levels of stimulus
Ruffini’s Ending o Best example is wearing a shoe or a shirt with the
right fit, a too tight or a too loose shoe or shirt will
Sa book po 3 silang receptors pero sa ppt ni doc sinama niya si non- make you feel uncomfortable.
adapting receptors sa slow adapting receptors ^_^

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But why are pain receptors non-adapting?
 This is because the sensation of pain is always perceived
by the center as damage to the tissue; hence pain
sensation always lead to pain reflex or withdrawal reflex.
The center needs to tell you to withdraw away from the
painful stimuli and prevent tissue damage, that’s why the
receptors MUST NOT adapt from painful stimuli.
D. PRINCIPLES/LAWS INVOLVED IN SENSATION
1. SENSORY CODING/CODING MECHANISM
 Converting a receptor stimulus to a recognizable sensation
 Sensory system code for:
o Modality
o Location
o Intensity
Modality
 Type of energy transmitted by the stimulus
LABELED LINE PRINCIPLE
 Specificity of nerve fibers for ONLY ONE Modality of
sensation.
 Nerve fibers are SPECIFIC for transmitting ONLY ONE
modality of Sensation
 Describes the specific and definite pathway followed by a
sensory nerve in transmitting the impulses towards the
center
 Have a certain line followed to connect the receptor of the
different parts of the body to the higher center
 Disturbance of the pathway will lead to problems in the
sensation of the receptor controlled by the said pathway
o Ex: Ulnar nerve → pathway is in the medial side of
the arm to control the receptors present in the little
finger, medial half of the ring finger and the
hypothenar
 With the disturbance of the pathway of the
ulnar nerve, there is no complete absence of
the sensation in the hand but only in the
pathway controlled by the ulnar nerve
DIFFERENTIAL SENSITIVITY of RECEPTORS
 Sensitive to ONE TYPE of Stimulus
 Receptors are HIGHLY SENSITIVE to ONE TYPE of stimulus
 Receptors are non-responsive to other type of sensory
stimuli
 Adequate Stimulus - A particular sensory stimulus, to
which a sensory receptor is MOST sensitive
Location
 Site on the body/space where the stimulus originated
MULLER’S LAW
 Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies
 Describes the specificity of the center
 Sensation evoked depends on SPECIFIC PART of the BRAIN
ultimately activated
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Intensity
 Knowing if the stimulus is light, moderate or forceful
 Response amplitude or frequency of action potential
generated
 Signal of amplitude or the frequency of action potential,
increase the number of receptor to be activated
 Ways on how stimulus is transmitted to the brain:
o Frequency of Action Potentials generated by
activity in a given receptor.
o Number of Receptors activated
2. WEBER-FECHNER LAW
 Magnitude of sensation felt is proportionate to the log of
intensity of the stimulus
 GREATER Sensory Intensity, GREATER additional change in
stimulus strength o Additional strength used to detect
stimulus
 Example: If you carry a book, you can initially feel the
book, but if you add a piece of paper at the top of the
book, you will not notice the weight of the additional
stimulus, since the stimulus of the paper is less than the
book.
o Same goes if you carry a paper, you are able to feel
the paper, and if you add a book you can feel the
weight heavier, since the stimulus of the book is
greater than the paper.
3. STEVEN POWER LAW
 Relationship between magnitude of physical stimulus and
its perceived intensity or strength
o Increasing the intensity, increases the frequency of
Action potential firing.
4. RECRUITMENT OF SENSORY UNITS
 Number of activated sensory receptors are proportionate
to intensity of stimulus
Weak Stimuli Lower Threshold Receptors
Strong Stimuli Higher Threshold Receptors
 Sensory unit involves the sensory nerve and the receptor it
innervates
 Activation of more sensory receptors + sensory neurons
 Observed when there is an increasing stimulus intensity
 The greater the number of sensory units activated, the
greater the stimulus intensity
 Directly related to stimulus intensity
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SENSORY UNIT
 Made up of receptors and neurons
 Receptive field
o Sensory area of a sensory unit where when you
apply stimulus and it affects any part of the area,
you will effectively stimulate the sensory unit
provided that the stimulus is within or greater than
threshold intensity
 In some parts of the body, sensory units is a 1:1 connection
→ this is a highly sensitive and discriminating sensory unit
o Ex. eyes
 Most sensory units are made up of several receptors
connected to a single sensory neuron
5. LAW OF PROJECTION
 Sensation Produced is ALWAYS referred to the Location of
the Receptor
 If a particular sensory pathway is stimulated along its
course to the cortex, sensation produced is referred to the
location of the receptor
 Almost similar to the label-line principle
 No matter where a sensory neuron is stimulated along its
course to the sensory cortex, the conscious sensation
produced is referred to the location of the sensory
receptors using the activated sensory neuron
 Whatever part of the sensory pathway is activated, any
portion of the sensory neuron will project the sensation to
the area where you have the receptors utilizing the
affected sensory nerve
 Ex: Stimulation of an exposed ulnar nerve will not lead to
any sensation on the stimulated site. Instead, the
sensation will be projected/felt on the region of sensory
receptors located in the little finger
 Ex. Phantom-limb/ghost pain, where in patients with
accidental amputation will complain pain on the missing
body part. Because any stimulation of the exposed nerve
will cause action potential which will be transmitted to the
higher center that there is stimulation of the receptors
located in the hand/any other body part even though it is
missing
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PHANTOM LIMB SYNDROME
 Nerve endings cut at the time of amputation
 Nerve endings forms Neuromas (nerve tangles)
 Impulses generated goes to the nerve fibers from the
amputated limb
 Sensations evoked are projected to where the receptors
used to be
6. LATERAL INHIBITION/SURROUND INHIBITION
 Effect: Sharpen Perception (Sharpening sensation)
 Lateral Spread of Excitatory Signal is blocked
 Increase in the degree of contrast in the sensory pattern
perceived in the cerebral cortex
 Importance: Inhibits adjacent neurons
 When a blunt object touches the skin , sensory neurons in
the centers are stimulated more than the neighboring
fields
 Stimulation will gradually diminish from the point of
greatest contact, without clear , sharp boundary
 Perceived as single touch with determined borders
 Part maximally stimulated or when greater activity will
send inhibitory impulses to the adjacent neurons
rendering less activity
 Prevent the spreading of the impulses in the surrounding
of the part stimulated and provide mechanism for specific
localization of the body part when stimulated
7. RECEPTIVE FIELDS
 Areas on the skin
 Stimulation results in changes in the firing rate of the
neuron
 Area of each receptor field varies inversely with the
density of receptors in the region
GREATER Sensory Receptors LESSER Receptor Field
LESSER Sensory Receptors GREATER Receptor Field
INCREASE Firing Rate of Sensory
Excitatory Receptor Field
Neuron
DECREASE Firing Rate of Sensory
Inhibitory Receptor Field
Neuron
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REFERENCES.
1. Hall JE. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology.
13th ed. New York: Saunders-Elsevier, 2016.
2. Lecturer’s PPT
3. Old Trans.

 Size of Receptive field

o Determines sensitivity to stimulus
o Two point discrimination test

TWO-POINT DISCRIMINATION
 Simultaneous application of 2 pointed objects on a rested
body part, with subject blindfolded or closed eyes.
 The subject is then asked if he/she feels 2 or 1 stimulus.
 Continuously apply the 2 points in a decreasing distance
until the person perceives it as one stimulus, then increase
the distance of application until the person perceives it
again as 2 stimuli.
 Measure the distance from where the person perceived is
as one stimulus and perceived it again as 2 stimuli.
 Two-Point Threshold – the smallest distance wherein the
two stimuli is perceived as two stimuli. This is the measure
of sensitivity or Tactile Acquity.
 Inversely Related: The smaller the distance, the more
sensitive.
 Smallest in the Lower Lips: 1mm

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