Jiwon (Joey) Seo - 615364

Chapter 16 Review Questions

1. Sensation
- A conscious or subconscious awareness of changes in the external or internal
environment
Perception
- A conscious interpretation of sensations
- Primarily a function of the cerebral cortex

2. Generator potential
- A graded response to a stimulus that is able to produce an action potential when
achieving threshold
Receptor potential
- A graded response to a stimulus that can be either depolarizing or hyperpolarizing
- Threshold of stimulus must be reached before a response is generated
- Amplitude saturates in response to intense stimuli

- Textbook
- Receptor potential triggers a nerve impulse in response to a stimuli in first
order sensory neurons with free nerve endings
- Receptor potential triggers release of neurotransmitters from sensory
receptor which then triggers a nerve impulse in a first order neuron with a
gustatory receptor

- (had a difficult time with this question as I could not find much information on
sensory potentials in the notes or textbook)

3. Adaptation
- A maintained, constant stimulus causing the receptor potential to decrease in
amplitude
Rapidly adapting receptors
- Adaptations that happen very quickly
- Specialized for signaling changes in stimulus
- Receptors associated with vibration, touch, and smell
Slowly adapting receptors
- Adaptations that happen slowly
- Continues to trigger nerve impulses as long as the stimulus persits
- Monitor stimuli associated with pain, body position, and chemical composition of
blood

4. Proprioceptors
- Located in muscles, tendons, joints, and inner ear
- Provide information about equilibrium (balance)