CHAPTER 14
Integration of Nervous
System Functions
14.1 Sensation
14.2 Control of Skeletal Muscles
14.3 Brainstem Functions
14.4 Higher Brain Functions
14.5 Effects of Aging on the
Nervous System
,14.1 Sensation
❑ Sensation is the process initiated by stimuli acting on
sensory receptors.
❑ Perception is the conscious awareness of those
sensations. The brain constantly receives sensations
as action potentials from a wide variety of sensory
receptors that receive stimuli from both inside and
outside the body.
❑ Sensory receptors respond to stimuli by generating
action potentials that are propagated along nerves
to the spinal cord and brain.
❑ The senses are the means by which the brain
receives information about the environment and the
body.
,14.1 Sensation
❑ GENERAL SENSES
The General senses have receptors distributed over a large part of the body.
• Somatic Senses
• Visceral Senses
• Somatic Senses Provide sensory information about the body and the
environment.
• Somatic senses Included touch, pressure, temperature, pain and
proprioception.
• Proprioception, also called kinesthesia is the body’s Ability to sense the
body’s location, movements and actions. It’s the reason we’re able to move
freely without consciously thinking about our environment. This is often used
as a field sobriety test.
, 1 4 .1 S e n s a t i o n
• Visceral Senses provide information about
various internal organs and consist primarily of
pain and pressure.
• SPECIAL SENSES are localized to specific
organs that have specialized receptors.
• It’s include smell, taste, hearing and balance.
Not all of the sensory information detected by
sensory receptors results in perception.
• Some action potentials reach areas of the
brain where they are not consciously
perceived.
Integration of Nervous
System Functions
14.1 Sensation
14.2 Control of Skeletal Muscles
14.3 Brainstem Functions
14.4 Higher Brain Functions
14.5 Effects of Aging on the
Nervous System
,14.1 Sensation
❑ Sensation is the process initiated by stimuli acting on
sensory receptors.
❑ Perception is the conscious awareness of those
sensations. The brain constantly receives sensations
as action potentials from a wide variety of sensory
receptors that receive stimuli from both inside and
outside the body.
❑ Sensory receptors respond to stimuli by generating
action potentials that are propagated along nerves
to the spinal cord and brain.
❑ The senses are the means by which the brain
receives information about the environment and the
body.
,14.1 Sensation
❑ GENERAL SENSES
The General senses have receptors distributed over a large part of the body.
• Somatic Senses
• Visceral Senses
• Somatic Senses Provide sensory information about the body and the
environment.
• Somatic senses Included touch, pressure, temperature, pain and
proprioception.
• Proprioception, also called kinesthesia is the body’s Ability to sense the
body’s location, movements and actions. It’s the reason we’re able to move
freely without consciously thinking about our environment. This is often used
as a field sobriety test.
, 1 4 .1 S e n s a t i o n
• Visceral Senses provide information about
various internal organs and consist primarily of
pain and pressure.
• SPECIAL SENSES are localized to specific
organs that have specialized receptors.
• It’s include smell, taste, hearing and balance.
Not all of the sensory information detected by
sensory receptors results in perception.
• Some action potentials reach areas of the
brain where they are not consciously
perceived.
