Name: Chico, James Knowell E.
Block: 7
Position sensations
from the joints
Sensation that signal
movement against the skin
Requiring high degree
of localization
Touch sensation
Requiring transmission
of fine gradations of
intensity
Phasic sensation
Vibratory sensations
Pressure sensations
related to fine degrees of
judgement of pressure
intensity
Merkel’s discs
- Type Aβ
- Present largely in fingertips
and in other areas that
contain large number of
Meissner’s corpuscle;
moderate in hairy parts of
skin
- Often grouped together in
a receptor organ called
Iggo dome receptor
- Responsible for giving
steady state signals that
allow one to determine
continuous touch of objects
against the skin
- Along with Meissner’s, play
extremely important roles
in localizing touch
sensations to specific
surface areas of the body
and in determining the
texture of what is felt
TYPE OF SENSATION
TRANSMITTED
INVOLVED RECEPTORS
Hair-end organ
- Type Aβ
- Present in all hairs (the
receptor organ is its basal
nerve fiber)
- Adapts readily
- detects mainly:
- movement of objects on
the surface of the body
- initial contact within the
body
Free nerve endings
- Type Aδ, C
- Present everywhere in the
skin and in many other
tissues
- Can detect touch and
pressures
Ruffini’s endings
- Type Aβ
- Located in the deeper
layers of skin and deeper
internal tissues, also in
joints capsules
- Adapt very slowly
- Important for signaling
continuous states of
deformation of the tissues,
such as heavy prolonged
touch and pressure signals
and stretching of skin
- In joint capsules, help
signal the degree of joint
rotation
DCML System
Meissner’s corpuscle
- Type Aβ
- Elongated, encapsulated
nerve ending
- Present in the non-hairy
parts of the skin, lips,
fingertips, and other areas
of skin where one’s ability
to discern spatial locations
of touch sensations is
highly developed
- Adapt in a fraction of a
second after stimulation
- Particularly sensitive to
movements over the
surface of the skin, and to
low-frequency vibration
(2-80 cycles/s)
- Stroking, fluttering
Pacinian Corpuscles
- Type Aβ
- Lie both immediately
beneath the skin and deep
in the fascial tissues of the
body
- Stimulated only by rapid
local compression of the
tissues because they adapt
in a few hundredths of a
second
- Particularly important for
detecting tissue vibration
or other rapid changes in
the mechanical state of the
tissue (high-frequency
vibrations, 30-800 cycles/s)
- Deep pressure, dynamic
vibration
Tickle and itch sensations
Warmth sensation
Thermal sensations
SOMATIC SENSATIONS
Cold sensation
Crude touch and pressure
TYPE OF SENSATION sensations capable only of
COMPARISON/CHARACTERISTICS Anterolateral System TRANSMITTED crude localizing ability on
the surface of the body
Large, myelinated Nerve Fiber Small, myelinated
Sexual sensations
Velocity of INVOLVED RECEPTORS
30-100 m/s 8-40 m/s
transmission
Pain sensations
Degree of
high poor
spatial localization “Fast” fibers Free nerve endings
Fast-sharp
- Type Aδ - Type Aδ, C
Gradation of - Elicited by mechanical or - All pain receptors are in
More accurate Less accurate
intensities thermal pain stimuli this form Slow-chronic
- Transmission velocity of - Present everywhere in the
6-30 m/s superficial layers of skin
Ability to transmit and certain internal tissues
- Apprises the person rapidly Referred
high rapidly changing or poor
of a damaging influence
repetitive data - Plays an important role in
making the person react Visceral
immediately to remove “Slow” fibers
Limited to discrete Abilities Ability to transmit a
himself or herself from the
type of mechano- or broad spectrum of - Type C
stimulus Parietal
receptive sensations Limitations sensory modalities - Elicited mostly by chemical
- Pathway from entering the
pain stimuli, but sometimes
spinal cord to the brain:
by persisting mechanical or
neospinothalamic tracts Headache
Ipsilateral loss of Contralateral loss of thermal pain stimuli
- Neurotransmitter
proprioception and Lesion/Injury pain & temperature - Transmission velocity of
substance is glutamate
fine touch sensation 0.5-2 m/s
- Localize pain much more
- Tends to become greater
exactly in the different
over time
First order neuron parts of the body
- Sensation eventually
Dorsal root ganglion produces intolerable pan
and makes the person keep
Spinal cord Warmth receptor/fiber trying to relieve the cause
- Pathway from entering the
Ascend through the Ascend 1 or 2 - Type C spinal cord to the brain:
posterior funiculus segments of the cord - Located immediately under paleospinothalamic tract
the skin at discrete - Neurotransmitter
separated spots substance is Substance P
Dorsal column nuclei Nucleus of Rolando
Second order neuron - Presumed to be free nerve - Localization of pain is
(medulla) (spinal cord)
endings imprecise and poor
- Velocity of transmission
Internal Fibers cross midline about 0.4-2 m/s
arcuate fibers at ventral white - Temperature stimulation:
commissure of the above about 30°C to 49°C Cold receptor/fiber Cold nociceptor/pain fiber
Cross midline at spinal cord
- Type Aδ,C - Type Aδ,C
decussation of
- Located immediately under - Stimulated if skin becomes
medial lemniscus Lateral funiculus
Third order neuron the skin at discrete very col, pain is produced
Heat nociceptor/pain fiber
separated spots - if the skin becomes even
Ascend at Ventral posterolateral Ascend at lateral - Small type, myelinated, colder so that it nearly or
- Type C
medial lemnisicus tract (thalamus) spinothalamic tract branches several times of actually does freeze, these
- Stimulated if it starts to feel
which the tips protrude on fibers cannot be activate
a hot to burning hot
into the bottom surfaces of - Temperature stimulation:
Thalamocortical tract sensation
basal epidermal cells <5-15°C
- Stimulation begins at
- Velocity of transmission - Paradoxically stimulated
around 45°C
Are 3-1-3 about 20 m/s when temperature rises
- Temperature stimulation:
- Temperature stimulation: above 45°C, possibly
(cerebral cortex) 45°C above
<10°C to >40°C, peak because of damage to the
stimulation at about 24°C cold endings caused by the
excessive heat
Name:
Block:
Alpha Motor Neurons
- Give rise to large Type Aα
motor nerve fibers
- ave. 14 μm in diameter
- These fibers branch many
times after they enter the
muscle and innervate the
large skeletal muscle fibers
- Stimulation → excites
anywhere from three to
several hundred skeletal
muscle fibers (motor unit)
Gamma Motor Neurons
- Give rise to smaller Type Aγ
motor nerve fibers
- ave. 6 μm in diameter
- One half as many as the
alpha motor neurons
- Fibers go to small, special
skeletal muscle fibers
called intrafusal fibers
- constitute the middle of
the muscle spindle →
basic muscle tone
Chico, James Knowell E.
7
NEURONS
Anterior Motor Neurons
- Several thousand neurons,
50-100% larger than most
of the other neurons
- Located in each segment of
the anterior horns of the
cord gray matter
- Give rise to the nerve fibers
that leave the cord via the
anterior roots and directly
innervate the skeletal
muscles fibers
Interneurons
- Present in all areas of the
cord gray matter
- 30x as numerous as the
anterior motor neurons
- Small and highly excitable,
spontaneous
- Capable of firing 1500x/s
- many interconnections
with one another and to
the anterior motor neurons
→ responsible for most of
the integrative functions of
the spinal cord
Renshaw cells
- Small neurons located in
the anterior horns of the
spinal cord
- Inhibitory cells → transmit
inhibitory signals to the
surrounding motor neurons
(lateral inhibition)
- Used to focus or sharpen
its signals to allow
unabated transmission
while suppressing the
tendency for signals to
spread laterally
Propriospinal fibers
- Multi-segmental fibers
from one spinal cord
segment to another
- They bifurcate and branch
both up and down the cord
→ some branches transmit
a signal to only a segment
or two, others to many
- Provide pathways for the
multi-segmental reflexes
- Coordination of simult.
movements in forelimbs
and hindlimbs
SPINAL CORD REFLEXES
MUSCLE SENSORY
RECEPTORS
Muscle Spindles
- Distributed throughout the
belly of the muscle
Lengthening the - Send information to the
whole muscle nervous system about
muscle length of rate of
Ways for excitation change of length
- Stabilize body position
during tense motor action
Contraction of the
(via the bulboreticular
end portions of the
facilitatory region of the
intrafusal fibers
brainstem)
Sensory endings
Primary afferent Secondary afferent
- a.k.a annulospiral - Type II
ending - Diameter: ave. 8 μm
- Type Ia - Usually one but
- Diameter: ave. 17 μm sometimes two
Velocity transmission:
smaller sensory nerve
70-120 m/s fibers
- Large sensory nerve
- Innervate the
fiber that encircles receptor region on
the central portion of
one or both sides of
each intrafusal fiber the primary ending
- Excited by both - Usually excited only
nuclear bag and by nuclear chain
nuclear chain intrafusal fibers
intrafusal fibers
Static response Dynamic response
POSTURAL AND
LOCOMOTIVE
REFLEXES
Positive
support reaction
- Pressure on foot → - Animal laid on its
causes limb to
extend against the
pressure applied on
the food
- If spinal cord has
been transected → - Demonstrates that
reflexes becomes
exaggerated, often
stiffens the limbs
sufficiently to
support the wight
of the body
REFLEXES Dynamic stretch reflex
- Elicited by potent dynamic
signals transmitted from
the primary sensor endings
Golgi tendon reflex Muscle Stretch Reflex of the muscle spindles →
Golgi tendon organs caused by rapid stretch or
- Entirely inhibitory - Simplest manifestation of unstretch
- Type Ib - Provide a negative muscle spindle function - Functions to oppose
- Diameter: 16 μm in average feedback mechanism that - Whenever a muscle is sudden changes in muscle
- Encapsulated sensory prevents the development stretched suddenly, length
receptor through which the
of too much tension on the excitation of the spindles - Over withing a fraction of
muscle tendon fiber pass
muscle causes reflex contraction of second after its new length
- About 10-15 muscle fibers - Inhibition can be so great the large skeletal muscle
are usually connected to
that it leads to a sudden fibers of the stretched
each organ, which is
reaction in the spinal cord muscle and also of closely
stimulated when this small Static stretch reflex
that causes instantaneous allied synergistic muscles
bundle of muscle fibers is
relaxation of the muscle, - Follows a monosynaptic - Elicited by the continuous
“tensed” by contracting or
called lengthening pathway → allows a reflex static receptor signals
stretching the muscle
reaction, that prevents signal to the muscle after transmitted by both the
- Transmit information about
tearing of the muscle or excitation of the spindle primary and secondary
tendon tension or rate of avulsion of tendons endings
change of tension
- Causes degree of muscle
- Also has both dynamic
contraction to remain
response and static Flexor reflex
Withdrawal reflex reasonably constant
response like muscle
- a.k.a. nociceptive reflex or - Continues for a prolonged
spindle fibers
- Withdrawal of the part of pain reflex period compared to
the body from cause of the - Withdrawal of limb from dynamic stretch reflex
stimulus (pain stimulus) the stimulating object from
- May not be confined to cutaneous sensory stimulus
flexor muscles from limb
- Elicited powerfully by
Reflexes of posture and stimulation of pain endings
locomotion
STEPPING AND
WALKING Crossed extensor reflex Mass reflex
MOVEMENTS
- 0.2-0.5 sec after a stimulus - Sometimes, spinal cord
elicits a flexor reflex in one suddenly becomes so
limb → opposite limb excessively active,
Rhythmical stepping Reciprocal stepping “Mark time” reflex begins to extend
mvmts of single limb of opposite limbs causing a massive
- Animal is held up - Pushes the entire body
away from the object, discharge in large
- Forward flexion, - Animal laid on its from the floor and
causing the painful portions of the cord
then followed by a side → make legs dangled →
second or so later stretch on limbs stimulus in the withdrawn - Can last for minutes
uncoordinated
occasionally elicits limb - Effects:
by backward movements to try
diagonal stepping i. Major portion of the
extension, then the to raise itself to the
cycle repeats standing position reflexes that involve body’s skeletal muscles
- Demonstrates that all four limbs Scratch reflex goes into strong flexor
some relatively - The response is a spasm
Cord “righting” Stumble reflex complex reflexes manifestation of - Initiated by an itch or ii. Colon and bladder are
associated with reciprocal tickle likely to evacuate
reflexes
- If top of the foot posture are innervation - Involves two functions: iii. Arterial pressure often
encounters and integrated within i. Position sense → rises to maximal values
side → make obstruction during the spinal cord allows the paw to find iv. Large areas of the body
uncoordinated forward thrust, the Galloping reflex break out into profuse
the exact point of
movements to try thrust will stop
- Both forelimbs irritation on the surface sweating
to raise itself to the temporarily
move backward in of the body
standing position - Then, in rapid
unison while both ii. To-and-fro mvmt →
sequence, foot will hindlimbs move involves reciprocal
some relatively be lifted higher →
complex reflexes forward innerv. circuits that
proceed forward - Often occurs when causes oscillation
associated with
to be placed over almost equal
posture are
integrated within
the obstruction stretch or pressure
the spinal cord stimuli are applied
to the limbs of both
sides of the body at
the same time