Neuroscience Assignment Points to consider: The cochlear organ is a distinct entity, which like other sensory receptors, functions to transduce information from the environment into an electrical impulse in the sensory nerve with which it is associated. Subsequently the sensory nerve conveys this information to the central nervous system so that one can become aware of the sensation and respond accordingly. The cochlear implant is used to restore the transduction capabilities of the cochlea when the hair cells which perform this function are irreversibly lost, and relies on the survival of the auditory neurons which make up the sensory nerve, as well as successful orientation of the electrodes implanted with those neurons. Lack of activity in a damaged cochlea leads to degeneration of its nerve supply, the degree of which impacts on the success of the replacement receptor.
*hearing (p.590-) W4L4 The spinal cord, as a component of the central nervous system, consists of millions of neurons, which at any given level may be travelling longitudinally to or from the brain or other spinal cord segments, more or less horizontally to convey information to other neurons in the same transverse plane, entering the spinal cord with sensory information, or leaving the cord to perform motor functions.
Individual nerve cells receive multiple inputs and integrate information from various sources before carrying the electrical signal to the next neuron in the circuit, which will similarly have many inputs. The complexity of these connections would unlikely be replicable by an electronic device.
Organisation *outline of sensory, motor organization (Ch. 18) *spatial organization (p.667) W2L2,3 Intrinsic Properties *pattern generators and necessary inputs from higher centres (p.742-) W2L4 Motor and Sensory Networks *motor control: motor neurons, local interneurons, brain stem and cortical descending pathways, propriospinal neurons (p.667-) W2L3 *spinal reflexes involve coordinated contraction of numerous muscles in the limbs (p.716-, 663) W2L3 *interdependence of systems, e.g...