Sensory Systems

Prepared and presented by:

Prof. Paola Katherina M. Gonzales, MA

Auditory System, anatomy and transduction

AUDITION

Pitch

The Stimulus

a perceptual dimension of sound;

corresponds to the fundamental frequency
Hertz (Hz)
cycles per second

The Stimulus
Loudness
a perceptual dimension
corresponds to intensity

of

sound,

The Stimulus

Timbre
a perceptual dimension of sound corresponding to
complexity

Anatomy
Tympanic membrane eardrum
Ossicle one of the three bones of
the middle ear
Malleus the hammer; the first of
the three ossicles
Incus the anvil; second to the
three ossicles
Stapes the stirrup; the last of the
three ossicles
Cochlea the snail-shaped structure
of the inner ear that contains the
auditory transducing mechanisms
Oval window an opening in the
bone surrounding the cochlea that
reveals a membrane, against which
the baseplate of the stapes presses,
transmitting sound vibrations into
the fluid within the cochlea

Organ of Corti the sensory organ on

the basilar membrane that contains
the auditory hair cells
Hair cell - the receptive cell of the
auditory apparatus
Deiterss cell a supporting cell found
in the organ of corti which sustains the
auditory hair cells
Basilar membrane a membrane in
the cochlea of the inner ear; contains
the organ of corti.
Tectorial membrane a membrane
located above the basilar membrane;
serves as a shelf against which the cilia
of the auditory hair cells move.
Round window an opening in the
bone surrounding the cochlea of the
inner ear that permits vibrations to be
transmitted via the oval window, into
the fluid in the cochlea.

Auditory hair cells and the

Transduction of Auditory information
Cilium

a
hairlike
appendage of a cell
involved in movement or in
transducing
sensory
information found on the
receptors in the auditory
and vestibular system.
Tip link an elastic
filament that attaches the
tip of one cilium to the side
of the adjacent cilium
Insertional plaque the
point of attachment of a
tip link to a cilium

Auditory Pathway:
Connections with the cochlear nerve
Cochlear nerve the branch of the auditory nerve that transmits auditory
information from the cochlea to the brain
Olivocochlear bundle a bundle of efferent axons that travel from the olivary
complex of the medulla to the auditory hair cells on the cochlea.

Central Auditory System

Cochlear nucleus
one of a group of nuclei in
the medulla that receive auditory
information from the cochlea
Superior Olivary Complex
a group of nuclei in the
medulla involved with auditory
functions, including localization of
the source of sounds
Lateral lemniscus
a band of fibers running
rostrally through the medulla and
pons which carries fibers of the
auditory system.
Tonotopic representation
a
topographically
organized mapping of different
frequencies of sound that are
represented in a particular region of
the brain

Central Auditory System

Core region the primary auditory cortex, located on a gyrus on the dorsal
surface of the temporal lobe
Belt region the first level of auditory association cortex surrounds the
primary auditory cortex.
Parabelt region the second level of auditory association cortex surrounds the
belt region.

Perception of Pitch

Place coding
the system by which
information
about different
frequencies is coded by different
locations on the basilar membrane.

Perception of Pitch

Cochlear implant
an
electronic
device
surgically implanted in the inner ear
that can enable a deaf person to
hear.

Perception of Pitch
Rate coding
the system by which
information
about
different
frequencies is coded by the rate of
firing of neurons in the auditory
system.

Perception of Loudness

Most investigators believe that the loudness of low frequency

sounds is signaled by the number of axons arising from these
neurons that are active at a given time.

Perception of Timbre
Fundamental frequency
the lowest, and usually most
intense frequency of a complex sound and
most often perceived as the sounds basic
pitch.
Overtone
the frequency of complex tones
that occurs at the multiples of the
fundamental frequency.

Localization by means of arrival time

and phase difference

Phase difference
the difference in arrival times of sound waves at each of the eardrums

Amusia
loss or impairment of musical abilities, produced by hereditary factors or
brain damage.

VESTIBULAR SYSTEM

Vestibular System

Vestibular Sac
one of a set of two
receptor organs in each
inner ear that detect
changes in the tilt of the
head.

Anatomy of the Vestibular Apparatus

Semicircular canal
one of the three ringlike
structures of the vestibular apparatus
that detect changes in head rotation
Utricle
one of the vestibular sacs
Saccule
one of the vestibular sacs
Ampulla
an enlargement in a
semicircular canal that contains the
cupula and the crista
Cupula
a gelatinous mass found in
the ampulla of the semicircular canals
that moves in responses to the flow
of the fluid in the canals.

Anatomy of the Vestibular Apparatus

Vestibular ganglion
a nodule on the vestibular nerve that
contains the cell bodies of the bipolar neurons
that convey vestibular information to the
brain.

SOMATOSENSES

One of the somatosenses that includes

sensitivity to stimuli involving the skin.

Proprioception
Perception of the bodys position and posture

Perception of the bodys own movement

Organic Sense

A sense modality that arises from receptors located within the inner organs of the body

Anatomy of the SKIN

Glabrous Skin skin that does not contain hair, found on
the palms and soles of the feet.
Merkels disk - a touch sensitive cutaneous receptor,
important for detection of form and roughness, especially
by fingertips
Ruffini Copuscle a touch sensitive cutaneous receptor,
important in detecting stretching or static force against
the skin, important in proprioception.
Meissners Corpuscle a touch sensitive cutaneous
receptor important in detecting edge contours or Braille
like stimuli, especially by fingertips.
Pacinian Corpuscle a vibration sensitive cutaneous
receptor, important in detecting vibration from an object
being held

Perception of Cutaneous Stimulation

Mechanoreceptor
a sensory neuron that responds to mechanical stimuli; for
example, those that produce pressure, stretch, or vibration of the
skin or stretch of muscles or tendons.

Temperature

Pain

Itch

Somatosensory Pathway

Somatosensory Pathway

Tactile Agnosia

Tactile Apraxia
Difficulty in carrying out purposeful movements in the
absence of paralysis or muscular weakness

Phantom Limb
Sensation that appear to originate in a limb that
has been amputated.

Nucleus Raphe Magnus

A nucleus of the raphe that contains serotonin
secreting neurons that project to the dorsal gray
matter of the spinal cord and is involved in
analgesia produced by opiates.
(ex. Opiate induced analgesia)

GUSTATION

Umami
The taste sensation produced by monosodium
glutamate (amino acids found in proteins).

The tongue

Anatomy of the taste buds and

Gustatory Cells
Papillae
small protuberances of the tongue
Fungiform papillae
located on the anterior two
thirds of the tongue, contains up to eight
taste buds, along with the receptors of
pressure, touch and temperature.
Foliate papillae
consists up to eight parallel folds
along each edge of the back of the tongue
(approx. 1,300 taste buds)
Circumvallate papillae
arranged in an inverted V on the
posterior third of the tongue (approx.250
taste buds)

The structure of taste receptor

Gustatory pathway
Chorda Tympani a branch of facial
nerve that passes beneath the
eardrum; conveys taste information
from the anterior part of the
tongue and controls the secretion
of some salivary glands.
Nucleus of the solitary tract nucleus of the medulla that
receives information from visceral
organs and from the gustatory
system.

OLFACTION

Stimulus

Anatomy of the olfactory

Olfactory epithelium the
epithelial tissues of the nasal
sinus that covers the cribriform
plate; contains the cilia of the
olfactory receptors
Olfactory bulb the protrusion at
the end of the olfactory tract
which receives input from the
olfactory receptors.
Mitral cell a neuron located in
the olfactory bulb that receives
information
from
olfactory
receptors; axons of mitral cells
bring information to the rest of
the brain.
Olfactory glomerulus a bundle
of dendrites of mitral cells and the
associated terminal buttons of the
axons of olfactory receptors

Transduction of Olfactory Information