Textbook Question
What three types of mechanoreceptors respond to stretching, compression, twisting, or other distortions of their plasma membrane?
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Ch. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous System
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew11th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874089
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 An Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology26
- Ch. 2 The Chemical Level of Organization34
- Ch. 3 The Cellular Level of Organization30
- Ch. 4 The Tissue Level of Organization24
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System17
- Ch. 6 Bones and Bone Structure36
- Ch. 7 The Axial Skeleton11
- Ch. 8 The Appendicular Skeleton17
- Ch. 9 Joints13
- Ch. 10 Muscle Tissue12
- Ch. 11 The Muscular System28
- Ch. 12 Nervous Tissue18
- Ch. 13 The Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, and Spinal Reflexes22
- Ch. 14 The Brain and Cranial Nerves20
- Ch. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous System17
- Ch. 16 The Autonomic Nervous System and Higher-Order Functions30
- Ch. 17 The Special Senses16
- Ch. 18 The Endocrine System20
- Ch. 19 Blood31
- Ch. 20 The Heart31
- Ch. 21 Blood Vessels and Circulation29
- Ch. 22 The Lymphatic System and Immunity31
- Ch. 23 The Respiratory System12
- Ch. 24 The Digestive System18
- Ch. 26 The Urinary System31
- Ch. 27 Fluids & Electrolytes32
- Ch. 28 The Reproductive System12
- Ch. 29 Development and Inheritance23
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew11th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874089Not the one you use?Change textbook
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Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 11th EditionCh. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous SystemProblem 6
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew 11th EditionCh. 15 Sensory Pathways and the Somatic Nervous SystemProblem 6Chapter 15, Problem 6
Identify six types of tactile receptors located in the skin, and describe their sensitivities.
Verified step by step guidance1
Begin by understanding that tactile receptors are specialized sensory receptors in the skin that detect different types of touch stimuli such as pressure, vibration, and texture.
Identify the six main types of tactile receptors: Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel discs, Ruffini endings, Pacinian corpuscles, hair follicle receptors, and free nerve endings.
Describe Meissner's corpuscles as sensitive to light touch and low-frequency vibration, typically found in glabrous (hairless) skin like fingertips.
Explain that Merkel discs respond to sustained pressure and texture, providing information about shape and edges.
Note that Ruffini endings detect skin stretch and contribute to the perception of object manipulation and finger position.
Describe Pacinian corpuscles as sensitive to deep pressure and high-frequency vibration, located deeper in the dermis or hypodermis.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Tactile Receptors
Tactile receptors are specialized sensory nerve endings in the skin that detect mechanical stimuli such as pressure, vibration, and touch. They convert physical stimuli into nerve signals, allowing the brain to perceive different textures and sensations.
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Sensory Receptors
Types of Tactile Receptors
There are six main types of tactile receptors in the skin: Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel discs, Pacinian corpuscles, Ruffini endings, hair follicle receptors, and free nerve endings. Each type has a unique structure and function, responding to specific types of mechanical stimuli.
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Sensitivities of Tactile Receptors
Each tactile receptor is sensitive to different stimuli: Meissner's corpuscles detect light touch and low-frequency vibration; Merkel discs sense sustained pressure and texture; Pacinian corpuscles respond to deep pressure and high-frequency vibration; Ruffini endings detect skin stretch; hair follicle receptors respond to hair movement; free nerve endings detect pain and temperature.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Identify and shade in the locations of all the ascending sensory tracts in the following diagram of the spinal cord.
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Textbook Question
_______ receptors are normally inactive, but become active for a short time whenever there is a change in the modality that they monitor.
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Textbook Question
What are the three major somatic sensory pathways and their functions?
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Textbook Question
Which three pairs of descending tracts make up the corticospinal pathway?
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Textbook Question
The CNS interprets information entirely on the basis of the
(a) Number of action potentials that it receives
(b) Kind of action potentials that it receives
(c) Line over which sensory information arrives
(d) Intensity of the sensory stimulus
(e) Number of sensory receptors that are stimulated
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