6.4 Neuro Anatomy & Physiology - Special Senses Flashcards
What is sensory transduction?
The process by which a stimulus is converted into an action potential
True or false: all senses are relayed to the thalamus before heading to the cortex
False. This is true of all senses except olfaction, which is very primitive and has its own short circuit to the cortex
What is a labelled line?
The specific pathway that transmits information about a specific modality
Does the energy that produces an action potential to stimulate a labelled line influence the modality of which sensation is produced?
No. It’s always the same modality (think: pushing on your eyes)
Describe the pathway of light through the eyeball
- Passes through cornea (protective)
- Passes through iris (determines amount of light passing through)
- Passes through lens (focuses light on retina, where photoreceptors are)
- Light is projected on retina, where photoreception occurs
Can rods detect colour? Do they allow us to see much detail? Are they good at detecting dim lights?
- Monochromatic
- Low visual acuity
- Very good at detecting dim lights
Can cones detect colour? Do they allow us to see much detail?
- Mediate perception of colour
- High visual acuity
Describe the processing of visual input from the retina to the optic nerve
Some processing occurs in retina -> relayed to bipolar cells -> ganglion cells (axons form optic nerve)
What is the pit inside the macula called? Describe its composition in terms of rods and cones
- Called the fovea
- Contains only cones (think about the implications of this…)
What is the centre of the retina of the eye called?
Macula
Describe the composition of the periphery of the retina in terms of rods and cones
Higher ratio of rods and cones (thin about the implications of this…)
Why is there a blind spot in the retina? What is this called?
- There must be a blindspot where the optic nerve leaves the retina
- This is known as the optic disc
Describe the image on the retina of the eyeball
Inverted and reversed
How many fibres in an optic nerve?
~1 million
What is the join of the two optic nerves called?
Optic chiasm
Which optic nerve fibres cross at the optic chiasm, and which don’t?
Lateral: don’t
Medial: do
What is the difference between the optic tract and the optic nerve?
Optic nerve carries information from one eye. Since the optic tract exists after the optic chiasm, it contains information from both eyes.
Where are the sites of termination of the optic tract?
- Thalamus
- Superior colliculus
In what region of the thalamus does the optic tract terminate?
Lateral geniculate nucleus
Where do the optic radiations run to?
The primary visual cortex (above and below calcarine sulcus in occipetal lobe)
Where is the what stream and what does it do?
- Located toward temporal cortex
- Recognising what something is (form, colour, faces)
Where is the where stream, and what does it do?
- Located toward parietal cortex
- Analysing motion and spatial relationships
What is the name of the opening of the external ear?
External acoustic meatus
What is the name of the membrane that separates the external ear and middle ear?
Tympanic membrane
What is the purpose of the bones of the middle ear?
Matches impedance between outer ear and inner ear (think: high heel)
Which section of the ear is connected to the nasopharynx? By what tube?
- Middle ear
- Pharyngotympanic tube
What is the name of the bones in the middle ear?
Ossicles (small bones)
What two labyrinths exist within the inner ear
- Bony
- Membranous
What two liquids fill the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear?
- Perilymph
- Endolymph
What happens in the inner ear?
Signals are analysed and transduced
Where is the inner ear located within the skull?
The petrous part of the temporal lobe
What does petrous mean?
rock (hard bone)
What is the part of the inner ear associated with hearing called?
Cochlea
Which cells are responsible for sensing sound? Describe the positioning of these cells
Three rows of outer and one row of inner hair cells in the cochlea