Final answer:
The size of cortical areas processing sensory information from certain body parts correlates with the number of sensory receptors in those parts. Areas with few sensory receptors have disproportionately larger cortical representations, exemplified by the sensory homunculus.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the relationship between sensory receptors density in the skin and the size of the corresponding cortical areas in the brain that process the sensory information. This question falls under the subject of Biology, specifically neurobiology, and is typically discussed at the college level.
In general, areas of the cortex that process signals from skin with fewer sensory receptors tend to have a disproportionately larger representation compared to areas with a higher density of sensory receptors. This is a concept known as cortical magnification, which is highlighted in the representation of the sensory homunculus, where body parts with fewer receptors, like the back, have smaller cortical areas and those with more receptors, like the fingers, have larger cortical representations.
Most notably, the sensory homunculus demonstrates this relationship by showing a distorted human figure with body parts sized according to the cortical area size rather than their actual size. Larger cortical representations signify a greater number of cortical neurons devoted to processing sensory information from that body part, allowing for more detailed sensory perception.