Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro
09:50

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

The systems analysis approach to mechanosensory coding.

Andrew S French1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University Halifax, Halifax, NS B3H 1X5, Canada. andrew.french@dal.ca

Biological Cybernetics
|January 21, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
What is a Sensory System?01:31

What is a Sensory System?

Sensory systems detect stimuli—such as light and sound waves—and transduce them into neural signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system. In addition to external stimuli detected by the senses, some sensory systems detect internal stimuli—such as the proprioceptors in muscles and tendons that send feedback about limb position.
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sequence analysis, homology modeling, tissue expression, and potential functions of seven putative acetylcholinesterases in the spider Cupiennius salei.

The European journal of neuroscience·2024
Same author

Opsin knockdown specifically slows phototransduction in broadband and UV-sensitive photoreceptors in Periplaneta americana.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2022
Same author

Wild deer in the United Kingdom are a potential reservoir for the livestock parasite <i>Babesia divergens</i>.

Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases·2022
Same author

Forecasting water temperature in lakes and reservoirs using seasonal climate prediction.

Water research·2021
Same author

Gene transcription changes in a locust model of noise-induced deafness.

Journal of neurophysiology·2021
Same author

Mechanotransduction channel Piezo is widely expressed in the spider, Cupiennius salei, mechanosensory neurons and central nervous system.

Scientific reports·2021
Same journal

Harmonic memory in phasor neural networks.

Biological cybernetics·2026
Same journal

Correction: Decreased spinal inhibition leads to undiversified locomotor patterns.

Biological cybernetics·2026
Same journal

Foundational issues of network models in biology.

Biological cybernetics·2026
Same journal

Dynamical mechanisms for coordinating long-term working memory based on the precision of spike-timing in cortical neurons.

Biological cybernetics·2026
Same journal

Distinct dopaminergic spike-timing-dependent plasticity rules are suited to different functional roles.

Biological cybernetics·2026
Same journal

Fluctuation-response relations for a two-stage population of spiking neurons stimulated by common noise.

Biological cybernetics·2026
See all related articles

Understanding neural coding in sensory receptors is key. Engineering concepts like linear and nonlinear systems analysis help quantify how sensory neurons encode information, advancing neuroscience research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Quantitative understanding of neural coding is a central challenge in neuroscience.
  • Sensory receptors serve as valuable models for studying neural coding due to controllable inputs and measurable outputs.
  • Engineering concepts, particularly control and systems theory, have been instrumental in advancing this field.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the application of systems analysis techniques for understanding neural coding in sensory receptors.
  • To highlight the evolution from linear to nonlinear systems analysis in characterizing sensory neuron function.
  • To emphasize the potential of these methods, when combined with biophysical and molecular studies, for future discoveries.

Main Methods:

More Related Videos

A Behavioral Assay for Mechanosensation of MARCM-based Clones in Drosophila melanogaster
05:48

A Behavioral Assay for Mechanosensation of MARCM-based Clones in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: December 30, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro
09:50

A Simplified System for Evaluating Cell Mechanosensing and Durotaxis In Vitro

Published on: August 27, 2015

A Behavioral Assay for Mechanosensation of MARCM-based Clones in Drosophila melanogaster
05:48

A Behavioral Assay for Mechanosensation of MARCM-based Clones in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: December 30, 2015

  • Application of linear systems analysis, including step and frequency response measurements.
  • Development and utilization of nonlinear systems analysis techniques.
  • Creation of parametric nonlinear models for sensory encoding.
  • Measures of information coding by sensory neurons.

    • Main Results:

    • Linear systems analysis provides accurate and efficient identification of encoding in sensory receptors (graded and action potentials).
    • Modern approaches extend to nonlinear systems analysis, enabling more sophisticated modeling of neural responses.
    • Mechanoreceptors, both vertebrate and invertebrate, continue to be key preparations for exploring these linear and nonlinear properties.

    Conclusions:

    • Systems analysis offers powerful tools for quantifying neural information processing in sensory systems.
    • The integration of linear and nonlinear approaches, alongside biophysical studies, is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of sensory coding.
    • Ongoing research on mechanoreceptors promises further insights into the fundamental principles of neural representation.