What is meant by somatotopy?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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What is meant by somatotopy?

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Step 1 somatotopy

SOMATOTOPY : somatotopy is the point - for - point correspondence of an area of the body to a specific point on the central nervous system . Typically the area of the body corresponds to a point on the primary somatosensory cortex ( postcentral  gyrus ) . This cortex is typically represented  as a sensory homunculus which orients the specific body parts and their respective locations upon the homunculus . Areas such as the appendages , digits , penis and face can draw their sensory locations upon the somatosensory cortex . The areas which are finely controlled have larger portions of the somatosensory cortex whereas areas which are coarsely controlled have smaller portions . Areas such as the viscera do not have sensory locations on the central gyrus . 

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