Chapter 16:

Sensory, Motor,
and Integrative Systems

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Sensation ,Perception & Integration

Sensation is the detection of stimulus of internal or external receptors. It

can be either conscious or subconcious
Components of sensation: Stimulation of the sensory receptor
transduction of the stimulus (energy-to-graded potential) generation of
nerve impulses integration of sensory input.
Perception is the awareness and conscious interpretation of sensations. It
is how the brain makes sense of or assigns meaning to the sensation.
We not aware of X-rays, ultra high frequency sound waves, UV light
- We have no sensory receptors for those stimuli
Integration of sensory and motor functions occurs at many sites:
spinal cord brain stem cerebellum basal nuclei cerebral cortex
Disruption of sensory, motor, or integrative structures or pathways can
cause disruptions in homeostasis

Classification of Sensory Receptors

General senses: somatic and visceral.

Somatic- tactile, thermal, pain, pressure and proprioceptive sensations.
Visceral- provide information about conditions within internal organs.
- example: pH. Osmolarity, O2 and CO2 levels

Special senses- smell, taste, vision, hearing and equilibrium or balance.

Alternate Classifications of Sensory Receptors

Structural classification
Type of response to a stimulus
Location of receptors & origin of stimuli
Type of stimuli they detect

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate Classifications of Sensory Receptors

Structural classification
Type of response to a stimulus
Location of receptors & origin of stimuli
Type of stimuli they detect

Principles of Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 11e

Structural Classification of Receptors

Free nerve endings

bare dendrites
pain, temperature, tickle, itch & light touch
Encapsulated nerve endings
dendrites enclosed in connective tissue capsule
pressure, vibration & deep touch
Separate sensory cells
specialized cells that respond to stimuli
vision, taste, hearing, balance

Principles of Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 11e

Structural Classification of Receptors

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Unencapsulated

Nerve Endings

vs

Free nerve endings

Encapsulated Nerve
Endings
Naked nerve endings surrounded
by one or more layers

Pacinian corpuscle
skin, bones, internal organs, joints

Deeper tissue, muscles

free nerve endings

Merkel disc
Meissners
corpuscles
Ruffini corpuscle
root hair plexus
Pacinian
corpuscles

Classification by Stimuli Detected

Mechanoreceptors
detect pressure or stretch
touch, pressure, vibration, hearing, proprioception,
equilibrium & blood pressure
Thermoreceptors detect temperature
Nociceptors detect damage to tissues (pain)
Photoreceptors detect light
Chemoreceptors detect molecules
taste, smell & changes in body fluid chemistry

Principles of Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 11e

Classification by Location

Exteroceptors
near surface of body
receive external stimuli
hearing, vision, smell, taste, touch, pressure, pain, vibration &
temperature
Interoceptors
monitors internal environment (BV or viscera)
not conscious except for pain or pressure
Proprioceptors
muscle, tendon, joint & internal ear
senses body position & movement

Principles of Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 11e

10

Classification by Response to Stimuli

Generator potential
free nerve endings, encapsulated nerve endings & olfactory receptors
produce generator potentials
when large enough, it generates a nerve impulse in a first-order neuron
Receptor potential
vision, hearing, equilibrium and taste receptors produce receptor
potentials
receptor cells release neurotransmitter molecules on first-order
neurons producing postsynaptic potentials
PSP may trigger a nerve impulse
Amplitude of potentials vary with stimulus intensity

Principles of Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 11e

11

Table 15.1 pt 1

Table 15.1 pt 2

Table 15.1 pt 3

Adaptation of Sensory Receptors

Most sensory receptors exhibit adaptation the tendency for the generator
or receptor potential to decrease in amplitude during a maintained constant
stimulus.
Receptors may be rapidly or slowly adapting.
Rapidly adapting receptors: detect pressure, touch and smell.
- specialized for detecting changes
Slowly adapting receptors: detect pain, body position, and chemical
composition of the blood.
-nerve impulses continue as long as the stimulus persists
Pain is not easily ignored.
Change in sensitivity to long-lasting stimuli decrease in responsiveness of a
receptor
bad smells disappear
very hot water starts to feel only warm
potential amplitudes decrease during a maintained, constant stimulus
Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Somatic Sensations

Sensory receptors in the skin (cutaneous

sensations), muscles, tendons and joints and
in the inner ear.
Uneven distribution of receptors. (tongue,
lips, fingertips)
Four modalities: tactile, thermal, pain and
proprioceptive.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Sensory Receptors in the Skin

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tactile Sensations

Include touch, pressure, vibration, itch and

tickle.
Tactile receptors in the skin are Meissner
corpuscles, hair root plexuses, Merkel discs,
Ruffini corpuscles, pacinian corpuscles, and
free nerve endings.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Meissner Corpuscles or Corpuscles of

Touch

Egg-shaped mass of dendrites enclosed by a

capsule of connective tissue.
Rapidly adapting receptors.
Found in the dermal papillae of hairless skin
such as in the fingertips, hands, eyelids, tip of
the tongue, lips, nipples, soles, clitoris, and
tip of the penis.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hair Root Plexuses

Rapidly adapting touch receptors found in the

hairy skin.
Free nerve endings wrapped around hair
follicles.
Detect movements on the skin surface that
disturb hairs.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Merkel Discs or Tactile Discs

Also known as type I cutaneous

mechanoreceptors.
Slowly adapting touch receptors.
Saucer-shaped, flattened free nerve endings.
Found in the fingertips, hands, lips, and
external genitalia.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ruffini Corpuscles

Also called as type II cutaneous

mechanoreceptors.
Elongated, encapsulated receptors.
Located deep in the dermis and in ligaments
and tendons.
Found in the hands, and soles.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pacinian or Lamellated Corpuscles

Large oval structure composed of a

multilayered connective tissue capsule that
encloses a dendrite.
Fast adapting receptors.
Found around joints, tendons, and muscles;
in the periosteum, mammary glands, external
genitalia, pancreas and urinary bladder.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Thermal Sensations

Thermoreceptors are free nerve endings.

Two distinct thermal sensations:
cold receptorswarm receptors-

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pain Sensations

Protective.
Sensory receptors are nociceptors.
Free nerve endings.
Two types of pain: fast and slow.
Fast pain: acute, sharp or pricking pain.
Slow pain: chronic, burning, aching or
throbbing pain.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Referred Pain

Pain is felt in or just deep to the skin that

overlies the stimulated organ or in a surface
area far from the stimulated organ.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Distribution of Referred Pain

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Proprioceptive Sensations

Receptors are called proprioceptors.

Slow adaptation.
Weight discrimination.
Three types: muscle spindles, tendon organs
and joint kinesthetic receptors.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Muscle Spindles

Interspersed among most skeletal muscle

fibers and aligned parallel to them.
Measure muscle stretching.
Consists of intrafusal muscle fibersspecialized muscle fibers with sensory nerve
endings and motor neurons called gamma
motor neurons.
Extrafusal muscle fibers- surrounding muscle
fibers supplied by alpha motor neurons.
Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A Muscle
Spindle and a
Tendon
Organ

Tendon Organs

Located at the junction of a tendon and a

muscle.
Protect tendons and their associated muscles
from damage due to excessive tension.
Consists of a thin capsule of connective
tissue that encloses a few tendon fascicles.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Joint Kinesthetic Receptors

Found within or around the articular capsules

of synovial joints.
Free nerve endings and Ruffini corpuscles in
the capsules of joints respond to pressure.
Pacinian corpuscles respond to acceleration
and deceleration of joints during movement.

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.