Body Sensations in The Brain

The Somatosensory Cortex is the sensory system in your brain

The Somatosensory Cortex (sensory system) in the brain

is divided into different sections each corresponding

to the sensation of a specific body part.

The somatosensory cortex is divided into different areas, each area contains neuronal connections that are responsible for processing sensory information of a specific body part. Each sensory pathway is more sensitive than others; for example, the lips and hands are more sensitive then the nose and cheeks.  The difference in sensitivity is due to the amount of skin receptors; hence the lips and hands have more skin receptors. The picture on the right demonstrates the location of the sensory system in the brain.  This sensory system is represented as a strip along the sides of the brain.  The strip is then divided into different sections, each one corresponding to a particular body part.

1. Use your index finger to touch your head just above the ear.
2. Then move your finger slowly towards the top/center of your head.

As your finger moved from your ear towards the top (center) of your head, it outlined the somatosensory cortex strip.  This somatosensory cortex strip includes sensory pathways which processes information that is received via sensory nerves from its corresponding body part.  Brain areas on the strip that are located near the ear, are responsible for processing sensory information from above the neck, and brain areas that are located at the top (center) of your head process sensory information from body parts below the neck.  The loss of sensory pathways caused by spinal nerve damage as a result of injury to the brain, spinal cord or to a body part leads to changes in the somatosensory cortex!

Citations 

Albert, M. (2010, 04 30). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://mva.me/educational/brain_areas.html

Purves, D. and Augustine, G . Neuroscience. 4. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates Inc., 2008. 857. Print.