Sensory maps in the brain – examples
Somatosensory cortex: Topographic map in the form of the internal somatosensory
Homunculus. His work on human neural systems showed that the brain areas that
processed tactile sensations are mapped in the same fashion that the body is laid
out. This sensory map exaggerates certain regions that have many peripheral sense
cells like the lips and hands while reduces the relative space for processing areas
with few receptors like the back.
Auditory cortex: Hair cells in the auditory system display tonotopic organization.
This tonotopic arrangement means that cells are laid out to range from low
frequency to high frequency and processed in that same organization within the
brain.
Somatosensory cortex: Topographic map in the form of the internal somatosensory
Homunculus. His work on human neural systems showed that the brain areas that
processed tactile sensations are mapped in the same fashion that the body is laid
out. This sensory map exaggerates certain regions that have many peripheral sense
cells like the lips and hands while reduces the relative space for processing areas
with few receptors like the back.
Auditory cortex: Hair cells in the auditory system display tonotopic organization.
This tonotopic arrangement means that cells are laid out to range from low
frequency to high frequency and processed in that same organization within the
brain.
