PSY290H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Anosognosia, Secondary Somatosensory Cortex, Morphine
Document Summary
The somatosensory system mediates our bodily sensations, and it"s made up of 3 separate but interacting systems: exteroceptive system: senses external stimuli applied to the skin, proprioceptive system: monitors info abt the position of the body. Interoceptive system: provides general info abt the conditions of the body. The exteroceptive system also divides into three: division for perceiving mechanical stimuli (touch), division for perceiving thermal stimuli (temperature) and a division for perceiving nociceptive stimuli (pain), This figure shows four of the many receptors that are in the skin: free nerve endings: simplest cutaneous receptors, they have no specialized structures on them. Sensitive to changes in temperature and pain: pacinian corpuscles: largest and deepest cutaneous receptors. They adapt rapidly and therefore respond to sudden displacements of the skin (but not to constant pressure): merkel"s disks: adapts slowly. Responds to gradual skin indentation: ruffini ending: adapts slowly.
