somatosensory area

either of two main areas of the cerebral cortex that can be mapped with evoked potentials to reveal points that respond to stimulation of the various somatosenses. The somatosensory areas vary somewhat among different species; in humans, the primary somatosensory area is located in the postcentral gyrus of the anterior parietal lobe, and the secondary somatosensory area is on the lateral surface of the parietal lobe just dorsal to the lateral sulcus. Also called somatic sensory area; somatic area; somatosensory cortex.

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Psychology term of the day

February 1st 2025

A fiber

a myelinated nerve fiber (axon) of the somatosensory system. A fibers are subdivided by diameter, ranging from largest to smallest: A-alpha fibers are 13 to 20 μm in diameter and transmit information from proprioceptors of skeletal muscles, A-beta fibers are 6 to 12 μm and transmit information from mechanoreceptors of the skin, and A-delta fibers are 1 to 5 μm and transmit temperature and sharp pain information. See also B fiber; C fiber.