Somatosensory System and Pain

What this unit covers

The page centres on how the body detects touch, temperature and pain, and how those signals travel to the brain. The quiz Somatosensory System opens with sensory transduction, the conversion of physical energy into patterns of neuronal activity. The mind map Receptors & receptive fields follows the three long neurons of the pathway, from the dorsal root ganglion through the spinal cord or brain stem to the thalamus.

Pain in depth

Pain has the largest share of the material. The mind map Pain- general covers nociceptors, the anterolateral pathway, trigeminal pain and the dorsal horn. The Gate Control Theory mind map sets out the idea proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965, with large A Delta and smaller C fibres feeding the spinal cord. Two further pieces look at the brain's own control: the notes on descending control of pain describe the midline PAG-RVM system, and the mind map central monoamines_1 covers serotonin and endogenous analgesia.

A sensible order

1. Start with the Receptors & receptive fields mind map to fix the basic pathway.
2. Move to Pain- general, then Gate Control Theory.
3. Read the notes on descending control of pain once the ascending route feels clear.
4. Finish with the flashcard decks Pain and Exam 4: Somatosensation, which list terms such as Meissner's Corpuscle, Merkel Cell and Pacinian Corpuscle.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz on the same topic and note what you missed. Go back to the map for just those branches. Flashcards suit the short definitions, such as the types of nociceptor and the fast and slow pain fibres. Teachers can pick a map or quiz to set alongside a lecture.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Nervous System and Senses strand of Physiology. Some listed items stray into vision, hearing, taste and balance, so you can place somatosensation beside the other senses. Choose one resource today and see how much you can recall.