What conveys somatosensory information to the brain?

What conveys somatosensory information to the brain?

Muscle spindles are sensory receptors within the belly of a muscle that primarily detect changes in the length of this muscle. They convey length information to the central nervous system via sensory neurons. This information can be processed by the brain to determine the position of body parts.

Which part of the brain processes somatosensory information?

cerebral cortex
Sensory areas are the areas of the brain that receive and process sensory information. The cerebral cortex is connected to various subcortical structures such as the thalamus and the basal ganglia. Most sensory information is routed to the cerebral cortex via the thalamus.

Which brain structure distributes sensory information to the brain?

Thalamus
Thalamus: The thalamus is the relay center of the brain. It receives afferent impulses from sensory receptors located throughout the body and processes the information for distribution to the appropriate cortical area.

What are the motor and somatosensory areas of the brain?

The Somatosensory and Motor Cortex! Logically placed between the parietal lobes and our frontal lobes (the executive), are two strips called the somatosensory cortex and the motor cortex (see right). The somatosensory cortex coordinates the sensory data that comes up from all over the body.

Where is the motor homunculus located?

precentral gyrus
The motor homunculus is a topographic representation of the body parts and its correspondents along the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe.

How is Somatosensation organized in the brain?

Somatosensory neurons are topographically (i.e., spatially) organized so that adjacent neurons represent neighboring regions of the body or face (Figure 4.4). This organization is preserved by a precise point-to-point somatotopic pattern of connections from the spinal cord and brain stem to the thalamus and cortex.

Where does the somatosensory cortex send information?

The somatosensory cortex receives tactile information from the body, including sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. This sensory information is then carried to the brain via neural pathways to the spinal cord, brainstem, and thalamus.

Where is somatosensory cortex located?

parietal lobe
The somatic sensory cortex in humans, which is located in the parietal lobe, comprises four distinct regions, or fields, known as Brodmann’s areas 3a, 3b, 1, and 2. Although area 3b is generally known as the primary somatic sensory cortex (also called SI), all four areas are involved in processing tactile information.

Where is Broca’s area located?

frontal cortex
New research shows that Broca’s area, located in the frontal cortex and shown here in color, plans the process of speech by interacting with the temporal cortex, where sensory information is processed, and the motor cortex, which controls movements of the mouth.

Where is the motor cortex and somatosensory cortex located?

This cortex is located within the which is located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe, and lies behind the primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe. The somatosensory cortex receives tactile information from the body, including sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.

What is the brain homunculus?

A cortical homunculus is a distorted representation of the human body, based on a neurological “map” of the areas and proportions of the human brain dedicated to processing motor functions, or sensory functions, for different parts of the body.

Where is the postcentral gyrus located?

The postcentral gyrus is immediately posterior to the central sulcus, behind and parallel to the motor strip. It corresponds to the primary somatosensory cortex (BA 3, 1 and 2).

Where do sensory neurons synapse with motor neurons?

The dorsal root contains only the axons of sensory neurons, whereas the ventral roots contain only the axons of the motor neurons. Some of the branches will synapse with local neurons in the dorsal root ganglion, posterior (dorsal) horn, or even the anterior (ventral) horn, at the level of the spinal cord where they enter.

Where is the somatosensory system located in the spinal cord?

In the spinal cord, the somatosensory system includes ascending pathways from the body to the brain. One major target within the brain is the postcentral gyrus in the cerebral cortex. This is the target for neurons of the dorsal column–medial lemniscal pathway and the ventral spinothalamic pathway.

How are sensory and motor pathways related in the CNS?

Sensory Pathways Specific regions of the CNS coordinate different somatic processes using sensory inputs and motor outputs of peripheral nerves. A simple case is a reflex caused by a synapse between a dorsal sensory neuron axon and a motor neuron in the ventral horn.

Which is cranial nerve contains sensory and motor axons?

Other cranial nerves contain both sensory and motor axons, including the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves (however, the vagus nerve is not associated with the somatic nervous system). The general senses of somatosensation for the face travel through the trigeminal system.