Final answer:
Neighboring points on receptor surfaces are systematically represented on the cortical surface, reflecting a topographic map of sensory information in the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Neighboring points on receptor surfaces are represented on the cortical surface.
This concept is founded on the idea that there is a topographic map in the brain's cortex, meaning that adjacent areas on a receptor surface (like the skin or retina) will be processed by adjacent areas in the brain.
This gives rise to an organized, systematic spatial map of sensory information from the body on the brain's cortical surface.
In more detail, brain areas that process signals from parts of the skin with a high density of sensory receptors (sensitive areas like fingertips or lips) will have larger cortical representations, due to the requirement for finer spatial resolution in these areas.
Conversely, skin areas with fewer sensory receptors will have correspondingly smaller representations on the cortical surface.