Question

Which of the following is the basis for referred pain? A) Visceral pain signals and pain signals from the skin synapse with separate populations of neurons in the dorsal horn B) Visceral pain transmission and pain transmission from the skin is received by a common set of neurons in the thalamus C) Visceral pain signals are rarely of sufficient magnitude to exceed the threshold of activation of dorsal horn neurons D) Some visceral pain signals and pain signals from the skin provide convergent input to a common set of neurons in the dorsal horn

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Some visceral pain signals and pain signals from the skin provide convergent input to a common set of neurons in the dorsal horn

Explanation:

The correct answer is D. Some visceral pain signals and pain signals from the skin provide convergent input to a common set of neurons in the dorsal horn. Referred pain occurs when pain signals from internal organs (visceral pain) and pain signals from the skin converge onto the same neurons in the spinal cord's dorsal horn. This convergence can lead to the brain interpreting the pain as coming from the skin rather than the internal organ, causing the sensation of pain in a different location than the actual source.