Sensory + motor pathways

• What does the Somatic Nervous System primarily involve?

  Spinal nerves and spinal cord only
• What is the role of sensory neurons in the Somatic Nervous System?

  They are afferent and somatosensory
• What types of sensations do sensory neurons convey?

  Touch, temperature, vibration, pain
• What body parts do sensory neurons relate to?

  Joints and muscles
• What is the function of motor neurons in the Somatic Nervous System?

  They are efferent and innervate skeletal muscles
• What is the significance of reflexes in evolution?

  They show increased complexity and brain modulation
• What does independent function refer to in the nervous system?

  It relates to sensory reception and motor decision-making
• How does sensory information transform into meaning?

  Through the process of reception vs. perception
• What is the difference between sensory and motor terminology?

  Sensory relates to reception, motor to action
• What are the major sensory tracts in the nervous system?

  • Dorsal columns
  • Spinothalamic tracts
  • Spinocerebellar tracts
• How does information travel to the brain?

  Through three neurons in a chain
• What happens when information reaches the brain?

  It integrates with other sensory or stored information
• What are the two groups of motor information tracts?

  Lateral tracts and ventromedial tracts
• What is the major lateral tract responsible for conscious muscle activity?

  Corticospinal tract
• Where does motor information originate in the brain?

  Motor cortex, cerebellum, and brain stem
• How does information travel from the brain to muscles?

  Through two neurons in a chain
• What is the impact of spinal cord damage on function?

  Impairment depends on the site of damage
• What does "caudal < proximal" refer to in spinal cord damage?

  It indicates the location of damage along the spinal cord
• What is the significance of the point of decussation?

  It relates to the crossing of nerve pathways
• What resources are available for studying neuroscience?

  • https://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/
  • Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain by Bear, Connors, and Paradiso