Learning Objectives

  • Classify how touch perception is actually a number of senses served by a number of receptor systems.
  • Sketch the two main pathways from receptors in the skin to the somatosensory cortex in the brain.
  • Examine the role of endogenous opioids in controlling pain perception.
  • Contrast the difference between pain and itch and how they interact.
  • Assess the role movement plays in enhancing the perception of touch, allowing us to perceive objects.
  • Illustrate how the vestibular system operates to perceive head rotation and movement and interact with other senses to help us maintain balance.