They receive input from first-order sensory neurons, which provide sensation to many areas of the body and have cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia of the dorsal root of the spinal nerves. Upon decussation (crossing over) from one side of the medulla to the other, also known as the sensory decussation, they are then called the medial lemniscus.
First-order sensory neurons transmit sensation throughout the body and have cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia of spinal nerves. After crossing over (decussation) from one side of the medulla to the other, also known as sensory decussation, they are referred to as the medial lemniscus.