The Somatic Nervous System
This pathway provides an in-depth look at sensory perception, central processing, and motor responses. The pathway also provides vocabulary support for these topics, as well as opportunities for learners to self-assess their understanding by analyzing figures and answering questions.
Topics
- alkaloid
- amacrine cell
- ampulla
- anosmia
- anterior corticospinal tract
- aqueous humor
- ascending pathway
- association area
- audition
- auricle
- basilar membrane
- Betz cells
- binocular depth cues
- bipolar cell
- Broca’s area
- capsaicin
- cerebral peduncles
- cervical enlargement
- chemoreceptor
- chief sensory nucleus
- choroid
- ciliary body
- circadian rhythm
- cochlea
- cochlear duct
- cone photoreceptor
- contralateral
- cornea
- corneal reflex
- corticobulbar tract
- corticospinal tract
- cupula
- decussate
- dorsal column system
- dorsal stream
- encapsulated ending
- equilibrium
- executive functions
- external ear
- exteroceptor
- extraocular muscle
- extrapyramidal system
- fasciculus cuneatus
- fasciculus gracilis
- fibrous tunic
- fovea
- free nerve ending
- frontal eye fields
- general sense
- gustation
- gustatory receptor cells
- hair cells
- incus
- inferior colliculus
- inferior oblique
- inferior rectus
- inner ear
- inner segment
- inner synaptic layer
- interaural intensity difference
- interaural time difference
- internal capsule
- interoceptor
- ipsilateral
- iris
- kinesthesia
- lacrimal duct
- lacrimal gland
- lateral corticospinal tract
- lateral geniculate nucleus
- lateral rectus
- lens
- levator palpebrae superioris
- lumbar enlargement
- macula
- malleus
- mechanoreceptor
- medial geniculate nucleus
- medial lemniscus
- medial rectus
- mesencephalic nucleus
- middle ear
- multimodal integration area
- neural tunic
- nociceptor
- nucleus cuneatus
- nucleus gracilis
- odorant molecules
- olfaction
- olfactory bulb
- olfactory epithelium
- olfactory sensory neuron
- opsin
- optic chiasm
- optic disc
- optic nerve
- optic tract
- organ of Corti
- osmoreceptor
- ossicles
- otolith
- otolithic membrane
- outer segment
- outer synaptic layer
- oval window
- palpebral conjunctiva
- papilla
- photoisomerization
- photon
- photoreceptor
- premotor cortex
- primary sensory cortex
- proprioception
- proprioceptor
- pupil
- pyramidal decussation
- pyramids
- receptor cell
- red nucleus
- reticulospinal tract
- retina
- retinal
- retinal ganglion cell
- RGC
- rhodopsin
- rod photoreceptor
- round window
- rubrospinal tract
- saccule
- scala tympani
- scala vestibuli
- sclera
- semicircular canals
- sensory homunculus
- sensory modality
- solitary nucleus
- somatosensation
- special sense
- spinal trigeminal nucleus
- spinothalamic tract
- spiral ganglion
- stapes
- stereocilia
- stretch reflex
- submodality
- superior colliculus
- superior oblique
- superior rectus
- supplemental motor area
- suprachiasmatic nucleus
- taste buds
- tectorial membrane
- tectospinal tract
- thermoreceptor
- topographical
- transduction
- trochlea
- tympanic membrane
- umami
- utricle
- vascular tunic
- ventral posterior nucleus
- ventral stream
- vestibular ganglion
- vestibular nuclei
- vestibule
- vestibulo-ocular reflex
- VOR
- vestibulospinal tract
- visceral sense
- vision
- visual acuity
- vitreous humor
- working memory
- zonule fibers