A Patient Who Is Paralyzed from the Waist Down as a Result

question 21

Multiple Choice

A patient who is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of an injury that completely severed the spinal cord has an open wound on the right heel.Why is this patient unaware of any pain caused from this wound?

• A) The nociceptors in the heel are no longer stimulated when injury occurs.
• B) The patient has become completely desensitized to this type of chronic pain.
• C) The severed spinal cord prevents the sensation of pain from reaching the brain.
• D) The spinal cord injury results in chronic pain that can mask any acute pain sensation.

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Definitions:

Stratum Basale

The deepest layer of the five layers of the epidermis, responsible for the generation of new skin cells.

Mitosis

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.

Stratum Granulosum

A layer of the epidermis located just above the stratum spinosum, characterized by granular cells that contribute to skin waterproofing.

Stratum Lucidum

A thin, clear layer of dead skin cells in the epidermis found only in areas of thick skin, like the palms and soles.