EXP 3202C Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Chemical Synapse, Homeostasis, Brainstem
Document Summary
Learning objectives for lectures on nociception and pain (a continuation of our study of the somatosensory system) Learning objective 1: free nerve endings, nociception, & inflammation: nociception refers to the sensation of injury. Free nerve endings are more numerous in hairless skin. They can be nociceptors that respond to a chemical or thermal receptor that applies to thermal energy. They are activated by the consequences of injury. When a capillary is busted and you begin bleed, serotonin is released and sends a signal to the dorsal part of the spinal cord. The nociceptors then send a signal back to the surface releases a substance called cgrp. This then activates a mast cell (wbc) and dilates the blood vessel which releases more blood which then releases more serotonin. The signal is amplified by the release of more blood b/c of the influx of blood flow: also amplified by the convergence of the nociceptors in the dorsal spinal cord.
