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A. The morphology of peripheral somatic sensory receptors on hairy skin (left) and hairless, or glabrous, skin (right). B. The muscle spindle organ (top
inset) is a stretch receptor located within the muscle. It receives an efferent innervation from the spinal cord that maintains receptor sensitivity during
muscle contraction. Specialized motor neurons, termed gamma motor neurons, innervate muscle fibers (intrafusal fibers) within the receptor's capsule.
The synapse between the gamma motor neuron and the intrafusal fiber is termed the gamma motor ending. C. The Golgi tendon organ, located within
tendons, is most sensitive to active force generated by contracting muscle. (A, Adapted from Light AR, Perl ER. Peripheral sensory systems. In: Dyck P,
Thomas PK, Lambert EH, Bruge R, eds. Peripheral Neuropathy, 3rd ed. Vol 1. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders; 1993. B, Adapted from Schmidt RF.
Source: Somatic Sensation: Spinal Mechanosensory Systems, Neuroanatomy Text and Atlas, 4e
Fundamentals of Neurophysiology, 3rd ed. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer; 1985.)
Citation: Martin JH. Neuroanatomy Text and Atlas, 4e; 2016 Available at: http://mhmedical.com/ Accessed: May 03, 2017
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