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367:, bringing in information about touch sensations (epicritic), or modalities of pain (protopathic). While both types of sensory neurons must first synapse in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the area of the dorsal horn where they synapse is different. Their pathway to the thalamus is also different.
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The distribution of the sensory neurons within the skin accounts for the large and overlapping receptive fields of the skin. The size of the receptive fields in turn explains why almost any given stimulus to the human skin can potentially activate a very large number of nerve terminals. Therefore, it
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of the lips, the anal mucous membrane, and the external genital organs form the most densely innervated parts of the body. Though there is no specific categorization, both free nerve endings and unencapsulated nerve endings of myelinated axons are found within the
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is more likely that a stimulus caused by the prick of a needle be detected by more than a hundred nerve endings all sharing the same receptive field, than for that same needle prick to be detected by only one nerve ending.
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detect gentle touch such as caresses; light vibrations; the ability to recognize the shape of an object being held; and two-point discrimination, or the spacing of two points being touched simultaneously.
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Modern texts are in agreement about which areas of the skin are served by which nerves, but there are minor variations in some of the details. The borders designated by the diagrams in the 1918 edition of
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are responsible for detecting pain, itch, tickle, and temperature. The different types of stimuli that are detected by a given receptor allow for a relative specificity between stimuli and receptor.
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sensations from the lower body enter the spinal cord below spinal level T6, where they synapse in the dorsal horn to form reflex circuits, but also send axon branches through the
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202:(CNS) works with the peripheral nervous system in cutaneous innervation. The CNS is responsible for processing the information it receives from the
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to the brainstem. Similarly, information from the upper body enters the spinal cord at level T6 and above, and ascend toward the brainstem in the
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The different kinds of sensory stimuli that are picked up by sensory neurons are grouped into two categories: epicritic and protopathic.
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Lastly, there are also free nerve endings which are similar in structure to those in hairy skin, though they are more numerous.
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The hairy parts of the body such as the forearm or the leg have two groups of nerve endings: those that end along with the
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that detect a given stimulus, and then identifying the kind of sensory inputs which project to a specific region of the
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Neurons that carry information about pain and temperature synapse in the dorsal horn at the anterolateral fascicles.
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contains a less dense distribution of free nerve endings that are served by both myelinated and unmyelinated axons.
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Nonhairy skin (glabrous), such as the palms of hands and the soles of feet, has three types of nerve terminations.
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When both sensory pathways reach the integrating center that is the thalamus, they make their final ascent to the
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neurons will take within the central nervous system. The sensory neurons coming from the body synapse in the
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to the thalamus; neurons for pain and temperature ascend contralaterally to the thalamus through the
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are categorized depending on whether the skin is hairy, nonhairy, or an exposed mucous membrane.
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is an important factor to consider because it determines the pathway that the
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are arborizations of nonmyelinated axons that end in terminals on specialized
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that react to heat and cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.
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382:. Together the gracile and cuneate form the dorsal column in the spine.
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are similar; however, a dermatome only specifies the area served by a
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are similar, but not identical, to those generally accepted today.
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Groups of nerve terminals located in the different layers of the
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Oaklander, Anne Louise; Siegel, Sandra M. (December 2005).
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Neurons that carry information about touch, vibration, and
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Weddell, G., and Miller, S. (1962) Cutaneous
Sensibility.
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Kandel, Eric; James
Schwartz; Thomas Jessell (2000).
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Kandel, Eric; James
Schwartz; Thomas Jessell (2000).
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Kandel, Eric; James
Schwartz; Thomas Jessell (2000).
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cells and which detect sustained touch and pressure.
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The role of nerve endings on the surface of the skin
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265:that detect changes in texture and vibrations.
257:are encapsulated nerve endings attached to the
459:Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
351:The sensory modality that is detected by the
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392:sensations ascend ipsilaterally through the
455:"Cutaneous innervation: Form and function"
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394:posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
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238:because they are served by both
154:In the peripheral nervous system
128:which is supplied by a specific
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317:Distribution of sensory neurons
306:served by nonmyelinated axons.
34:needs additional citations for
435:Nerve supply of the human head
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430:Nerve supply of the human leg
425:Nerve supply of the human arm
194:In the central nervous system
596:Principles of Neural Science
559:Principles of Neural Science
526:Principles of Neural Science
208:primary somatosensory cortex
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637:Overview at neuroguide.com
471:10.1016/j.jaad.2005.08.049
162:(PNS) is divided into the
652:Peripheral nervous system
160:peripheral nervous system
124:refers to an area of the
326:Types of sensory neurons
282:Exposed mucous membranes
242:and unmyelinated axons.
168:autonomic nervous system
58:"Cutaneous innervation"
388:While the neurons for
200:central nervous system
172:enteric nervous system
164:somatic nervous system
255:Meissner's corpuscles
122:Cutaneous innervation
398:anterolateral system
357:dorsal root ganglion
184:integumentary system
43:improve this article
632:Overview at luc.edu
347:Pathways to the CNS
341:Protopathic neurons
380:Cuneate fasciculus
304:free nerve endings
236:free nerve endings
409:postcentral gyrus
334:Epicritic neurons
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99:January 2023
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41:Please help
36:verification
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602:McGraw-Hill
565:McGraw-Hill
532:McGraw-Hill
365:spinal cord
361:dorsal horn
311:conjunctiva
646:Categories
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441:References
240:myelinated
226:Hairy skin
170:, and the
136:Dermatomes
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419:See also
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309:The
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