Chapter 14: The Somatic Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

Alkaloid

A

substance, usually from a plant source, that is chemically basic with respect to pH and will stimulate bitter
receptors

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2
Q

Amacrine cell

A

type of cell in the retina that connects to the bipolar cells near the outer synaptic layer and provides the
basis for early image processing within the retina

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3
Q

Ampulla

A

in the ear, the structure at the base of a semicircular canal that contains the hair cells and cupula for
transduction of rotational movement of the head

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4
Q

Anosmia

A

loss of the sense of smell; usually the result of physical disruption of the first cranial nerve

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5
Q

Anterior corticospinal tract

A

division of the corticospinal pathway that travels through the ventral (anterior) column
of the spinal cord and controls axial musculature through the medial motor neurons in the ventral (anterior) horn

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6
Q

Aqueous humor

A

watery fluid that fills the anterior chamber containing the cornea, iris, ciliary body, and lens of the eye

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7
Q

Ascending pathway

A

fiber structure that relays sensory information from the periphery through the spinal cord and
brain stem to other structures of the brain

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8
Q

Association area

A

region of cortex connected to a primary sensory cortical area that further processes the information
to generate more complex sensory perceptions

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9
Q

Audition

A

Sense of hearing

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10
Q

Auricle

A

Fleshy external structure of the ear

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11
Q

Basilar membrane

A

in the ear, the floor of the cochlear duct on which the organ of Corti sits

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12
Q

Betz cells

A

output cells of the primary motor cortex that cause musculature to move through synapses on cranial and
spinal motor neurons

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13
Q

Binocular depth cues

A

indications of the distance of visual stimuli on the basis of slight differences in the images
projected onto either retina

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14
Q

Bipolar cell

A

cell type in the retina that connects the photoreceptors to the RGCs

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15
Q

Broca’s area

A

region of the frontal lobe associated with the motor commands necessary for speech production

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16
Q

Capsaicin

A

molecule that activates nociceptors by interacting with a temperature-sensitive ion channel and is the basis
for “hot” sensations in spicy food

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17
Q

Cerebral peduncles

A

segments of the descending motor pathway that make up the white matter of the ventral midbrain

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18
Q

Cervical enlargement

A

region of the ventral (anterior) horn of the spinal cord that has a larger population of motor
neurons for the greater number of and finer control of muscles of the upper limb

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19
Q

Chemoreceptor

A

region of the ventral (anterior) horn of the spinal cord that has a larger population of motor
neurons for the greater number of and finer control of muscles of the upper limb

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20
Q

Chief sensory nucleus

A

component of the trigeminal nuclei that is found in the pons

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21
Q

Choroid

A

highly vascular tissue in the wall of the eye that supplies the outer retina with blood

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22
Q

Ciliary body

A

smooth muscle structure on the interior surface of the iris that controls the shape of the lens through the
zonule fibers

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23
Q

Circadian rhythm

A

internal perception of the daily cycle of light and dark based on retinal activity related to sunlight

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24
Q

Cochlea

A

auditory portion of the inner ear containing structures to transduce sound stimuli

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25
Q

Cochlear duct

A

space within the auditory portion of the inner ear that contains the organ of Corti and is adjacent to the scala tympani and scala vestibuli on either side

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26
Q

Cone photoreceptor

A

one of the two types of retinal receptor cell that is specialized for color vision through the use of
three photopigments distributed through three separate populations of cells

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27
Q

Contralateral

A

word meaning “on the opposite side,” as in axons that cross the midline in a fiber tract

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28
Q

Cornea

A

fibrous covering of the anterior region of the eye that is transparent so that light can pass through it

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29
Q

Corneal reflex

A

protective response to stimulation of the cornea causing contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle
resulting in blinking of the eye

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30
Q

Corticobulbar tract

A

connection between the cortex and the brain stem responsible for generating movement

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31
Q

Corticospinal tract

A

connection between the cortex and the spinal cord responsible for generating movement

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32
Q

Cupula

A

specialized structure within the base of a semicircular canal that bends the stereocilia of hair cells when the head
rotates by way of the relative movement of the enclosed fluid

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33
Q

Decussate

A

to cross the midline, as in fibers that project from one side of the body to the other

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34
Q

Dorsal column system

A

ascending tract of the spinal cord associated with fine touch and proprioceptive sensations

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35
Q

Dorsal stream

A

connections between cortical areas from the occipital to parietal lobes that are responsible for the
perception of visual motion and guiding movement of the body in relation to that motion

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36
Q

Encapsulated ending

A

configuration of a sensory receptor neuron with dendrites surrounded by specialized structures
to aid in transduction of a particular type of sensation, such as the lamellated corpuscles in the deep dermis and
subcutaneous tissue

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37
Q

Equilibrium

A

sense of balance that includes sensations of position and movement of the head

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38
Q

Executive functions

A

cognitive processes of the prefrontal cortex that lead to directing goal-directed behavior, which is
a precursor to executing motor commands

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39
Q

External ear

A

structures on the lateral surface of the head, including the auricle and the ear canal back to the tympanic
membrane

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40
Q

Exteroceptor

A

sensory receptor that is positioned to interpret stimuli from the external environment, such as
photoreceptors in the eye or somatosensory receptors in the skin

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41
Q

Extraocular muscle

A

one of six muscles originating out of the bones of the orbit and inserting into the surface of the
eye which are responsible for moving the eye

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42
Q

Extrapyramidal system

A

pathways between the brain and spinal cord that are separate from the corticospinal tract and
are responsible for modulating the movements generated through that primary pathway

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43
Q

Fasciculus cuneatus

A

lateral division of the dorsal column system composed of fibers from sensory neurons in the
upper body

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44
Q

Fasciculus gracilis

A

medial division of the dorsal column system composed of fibers from sensory neurons in the lower
body

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45
Q

Fibrous tunic

A

outer layer of the eye primarily composed of connective tissue known as the sclera and cornea

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46
Q

Fovea

A

exact center of the retina at which visual stimuli are focused for maximal acuity, where the retina is thinnest, at
which there is nothing but photoreceptors

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47
Q

Free nerve ending

A

configuration of a sensory receptor neuron with dendrites in the connective tissue of the organ, such
as in the dermis of the skin, that are most often sensitive to chemical, thermal, and mechanical stimuli

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48
Q

Frontal eye fields

A

area of the prefrontal cortex responsible for moving the eyes to attend to visual stimuli

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49
Q

General sense

A

any sensory system that is distributed throughout the body and incorporated into organs of multiple
other systems, such as the walls of the digestive organs or the skin

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50
Q

Gustation

A

Sense of taste

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51
Q

Gustatory receptor cells

A

sensory cells in the taste bud that transduce the chemical stimuli of gustation

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52
Q

Hair cells

A

mechanoreceptor cells found in the inner ear that transduce stimuli for the senses of hearing and balance

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53
Q

Incus

A

(also, anvil) ossicle of the middle ear that connects the malleus to the stapes

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54
Q

Inferior colliculus

A

last structure in the auditory brainstem pathway that projects to the thalamus and superior colliculus

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55
Q

Inferior oblique

A

extraocular muscle responsible for lateral rotation of the eye

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56
Q

Inferior rectus

A

extraocular muscle responsible for looking down

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57
Q

Inner ear

A

structure within the temporal bone that contains the sensory apparati of hearing and balance

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58
Q

Inner segment

A

in the eye, the section of a photoreceptor that contains the nucleus and other major organelles for
normal cellular functions

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59
Q

Inner synaptic layer

A

layer in the retina where bipolar cells connect to RGCs

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60
Q

Interaural intensity difference

A

cue used to aid sound localization in the horizontal plane that compares the relative
loudness of sounds at the two ears, because the ear closer to the sound source will hear a slightly more intense
sound

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61
Q

Interaural time difference

A

cue used to help with sound localization in the horizontal plane that compares the relative
time of arrival of sounds at the two ears, because the ear closer to the sound source will receive the stimulus
microseconds before the other ear

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62
Q

Internal capsule

A

segment of the descending motor pathway that passes between the caudate nucleus and the putamen

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63
Q

Interoceptor

A

sensory receptor that is positioned to interpret stimuli from internal organs, such as stretch receptors in the
wall of blood vessels

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64
Q

Ipsilateral

A

word meaning on the same side, as in axons that do not cross the midline in a fiber tract

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65
Q

Iris

A

colored portion of the anterior eye that surrounds the pupil

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66
Q

Kinesthesia

A

colored portion of the anterior eye that surrounds the pupil

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67
Q

Lacrimal duct

A

duct in the medial corner of the orbit that drains tears into the nasal cavity

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68
Q

Lacrimal gland

A

gland lateral to the orbit that produces tears to wash across the surface of the eye

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69
Q

Lateral corticospinal tract

A

division of the corticospinal pathway that travels through the lateral column of the spinal
cord and controls appendicular musculature through the lateral motor neurons in the ventral (anterior) horn

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70
Q

Lateral geniculate nucleus

A

thalamic target of the RGCs that projects to the visual cortex

71
Q

Lateral rectus

A

extraocular muscle responsible for abduction of the eye

72
Q

Lens

A

component of the eye that focuses light on the retina

73
Q

Levator palpebrae superioris

A

muscle that causes elevation of the upper eyelid, controlled by fibers in the oculomotor nerve

74
Q

Lumbar enlargement

A

region of the ventral (anterior) horn of the spinal cord that has a larger population of motor
neurons for the greater number of muscles of the lower limb

75
Q

Macula

A

enlargement at the base of a semicircular canal at which transduction of equilibrium stimuli takes place within the ampulla

76
Q

Malleus

A

(also, hammer) ossicle that is directly attached to the tympanic membrane

77
Q

Mechanoreceptor

A

receptor cell that transduces mechanical stimuli into an electrochemical signal

78
Q

Medial geniculate nucleus

A

receptor cell that transduces mechanical stimuli into an electrochemical signal

79
Q

Medial lemniscus

A

fiber tract of the dorsal column system that extends from the nuclei gracilis and cuneatus to the
thalamus, and decussates

80
Q

Medial rectus

A

extraocular muscle responsible for adduction of the eye

81
Q

Mesencephalic nucleus

A

component of the trigeminal nuclei that is found in the midbrain

82
Q

Middle ear

A

space within the temporal bone between the ear canal and bony labyrinth where the ossicles amplify sound
waves from the tympanic membrane to the oval window

83
Q

Multimodal integration area

A

region of the cerebral cortex in which information from more than one sensory
modality is processed to arrive at higher level cortical functions such as memory, learning, or cognition

84
Q

Neural tunic

A

layer of the eye that contains nervous tissue, namely the retina

85
Q

Nociceptor

A

Receptor cell that senses pain stimuli

86
Q

Nucleus cuneatus

A

medullary nucleus at which first-order neurons of the dorsal column system synapse specifically
from the upper body and arms

87
Q

Nucleus gracilis

A

medullary nucleus at which first-order neurons of the dorsal column system synapse specifically from
the lower body and legs

88
Q

Odorant molecules

A

Volatile chemicals that bind to receptor proteins in olfactory neurons to stimulate the sense of
smell

89
Q

Olfaction

A

Sense of smell

90
Q

Olfactory bulb

A

central target of the first cranial nerve; located on the ventral surface of the frontal lobe in the cerebrum

91
Q

Olfactory epithelium

A

region of the nasal epithelium where olfactory neurons are located

92
Q

Olfactory sensory neuron

A

receptor cell of the olfactory system, sensitive to the chemical stimuli of smell, the axons
of which compose the first cranial nerve

93
Q

Opsin

A

receptor cell of the olfactory system, sensitive to the chemical stimuli of smell, the axons
of which compose the first cranial nerve

94
Q

Optic chiasm

A

decussation point in the visual system at which medial retina fibers cross to the other side of the brain

95
Q

Optic disc

A

decussation point in the visual system at which medial retina fibers cross to the other side of the brain

96
Q

Optic nerve

A

second cranial nerve, which is responsible visual sensation

97
Q

Optic tract

A

name for the fiber structure containing axons from the retina posterior to the optic chiasm representing their
CNS location

98
Q

Organ of Corti

A

structure in the cochlea in which hair cells transduce movements from sound waves into
electrochemical signals

99
Q

Osomoreceptor

A

Receptor cell that senses differences in the concentrations of bodily fluids on the basis of osmotic
pressure

100
Q

Ossicles

A

Three small bones in the middle ear

101
Q

Otolith

A

eceptor cell that senses differences in the concentrations of bodily fluids on the basis of osmotic
pressure

102
Q

Otolithic membrane

A

gelatinous substance in the utricle and saccule of the inner ear that contains calcium carbonate
crystals and into which the stereocilia of hair cells are embedded

103
Q

Outer segment

A

in the eye, the section of a photoreceptor that contains opsin molecules that transduce light stimuli

104
Q

Outer synaptic layer

A

layer in the retina at which photoreceptors connect to bipolar cells

105
Q

Oval window

A

membrane at the base of the cochlea where the stapes attaches, marking the beginning of the scala
vestibuli

106
Q

Palpebral conjunctiva

A

membrane attached to the inner surface of the eyelids that covers the anterior surface of the
cornea

107
Q

Papilla

A

membrane attached to the inner surface of the eyelids that covers the anterior surface of the
cornea

108
Q

Photoisomerization

A

chemical change in the retinal molecule that alters the bonding so that it switches from the
11-cis-retinal isomer to the all-trans-retinal isomer

109
Q

Photon

A

individual “packet” of light

110
Q

Photoreceptor

A

receptor cell specialized to respond to light stimuli

111
Q

Premotor cortex

A

cortical area anterior to the primary motor cortex that is responsible for planning movements

112
Q

Primary sensory cortex

A

region of the cerebral cortex that initially receives sensory input from an ascending pathway
from the thalamus and begins the processing that will result in conscious perception of that modality

113
Q

Proprioception

A

sense of position and movement of the body

114
Q

Proprioceptor

A

receptor cell that senses changes in the position and kinesthetic aspects of the body

115
Q

Pupil

A

open hole at the center of the iris that light passes through into the eye

116
Q

Pyramidal decussation

A

location at which corticospinal tract fibers cross the midline and segregate into the anterior
and lateral divisions of the pathway

117
Q

Pyramids

A

segment of the descending motor pathway that travels in the anterior position of the medulla

118
Q

Receptor cell

A

cell that transduces environmental stimuli into neural signals

119
Q

Red nucleus

A

midbrain nucleus that sends corrective commands to the spinal cord along the rubrospinal tract, based on
disparity between an original command and the sensory feedback from movement

120
Q

Reticulospinal tract

A

extrapyramidal connections between the brain stem and spinal cord that modulate movement,
contribute to posture, and regulate muscle tone

121
Q

Retina

A

nervous tissue of the eye at which phototransduction takes place

122
Q

Retinal

A

cofactor in an opsin molecule that undergoes a biochemical change when struck by a photon (pronounced with a
stress on the last syllable)

123
Q

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC)

A

neuron of the retina that projects along the second cranial nerve

124
Q

Rhodopsin

A

photopigment molecule found in the rod photoreceptors

125
Q

Rod photoreceptor

A

one of the two types of retinal receptor cell that is specialized for low-light vision

126
Q

Round window

A

one of the two types of retinal receptor cell that is specialized for low-light vision

127
Q

Rubrospinal tract

A

descending motor control pathway, originating in the red nucleus, that mediates control of the limbs
on the basis of cerebellar processing

128
Q

Saccule

A

structure of the inner ear responsible for transducing linear acceleration in the vertical plane

129
Q

Scala tympani

A

portion of the cochlea that extends from the apex to the round window

130
Q

Scala vestibuli

A

portion of the cochlea that extends from the apex to the round window

131
Q

Sclera

A

White of the eye

132
Q

Semicircular canals

A

structures within the inner ear responsible for transducing rotational movement information

133
Q

Sensory homunculus

A

topographic representation of the body within the somatosensory cortex demonstrating the
correspondence between neurons processing stimuli and sensitivity

134
Q

Sensory modality

A

a particular system for interpreting and perceiving environmental stimuli by the nervous system

135
Q

Solitary nucleus

A

medullar nucleus that receives taste information from the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves

136
Q

Somatosensation

A

general sense associated with modalities lumped together as touch

137
Q

Special sense

A

any sensory system associated with a specific organ structure, namely smell, taste, sight, hearing, and
balance

138
Q

Spinal trigeminal nucleus

A

component of the trigeminal nuclei that is found in the medulla

139
Q

Spinothalamic tract

A

ascending tract of the spinal cord associated with pain and temperature sensations

140
Q

Spiral ganglion

A

location of neuronal cell bodies that transmit auditory information along the eighth cranial nerve

141
Q

Stapes

A

(also, stirrup) ossicle of the middle ear that is attached to the inner ear

142
Q

Stereocilia

A

array of apical membrane extensions in a hair cell that transduce movements when they are bent

143
Q

Stretch reflex

A

response to activation of the muscle spindle stretch receptor that causes contraction of the muscle to
maintain a constant length

144
Q

Submodality

A

specific sense within a broader major sense such as sweet as a part of the sense of taste, or color as a part
of vision

145
Q

Superior colliculus

A

structure in the midbrain that combines visual, auditory, and somatosensory input to coordinate
spatial and topographic representations of the three sensory systems

146
Q

Superior oblique

A

extraocular muscle responsible for medial rotation of the eye

147
Q

Superior rectus

A

extraocular muscle responsible for looking up

148
Q

Supplemental motor area

A

cortical area anterior to the primary motor cortex that is responsible for planning
movements

149
Q

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

A

hypothalamic target of the retina that helps to establish the circadian rhythm of the body
on the basis of the presence or absence of daylight

150
Q

Taste buds

A

structures within a papilla on the tongue that contain gustatory receptor cells

151
Q

Tectorial membrane

A

Component of the organ of Corti that lays over the hair cells, into which the stereocilia are
embedded

152
Q

Tectospinal tract

A

extrapyramidal connections between the superior colliculus and spinal cord

153
Q

Thermoreceptor

A

sensory receptor specialized for temperature stimuli

154
Q

Topographical

A

relating to positional information

155
Q

Transduction

A

process of changing an environmental stimulus into the electrochemical signals of the nervous system

156
Q

Trochlea

A

cartilaginous structure that acts like a pulley for the superior oblique muscle

157
Q

Tympanic membrane

A

Ear drum

158
Q

Umami

A

taste submodality for sensitivity to the concentration of amino acids; also called the savory sense

159
Q

Utricle

A

structure of the inner ear responsible for transducing linear acceleration in the horizontal plane

160
Q

Vascular tunic

A

middle layer of the eye primarily composed of connective tissue with a rich blood supply

161
Q

Ventral posterior nucleus

A

nucleus in the thalamus that is the target of gustatory sensations and projects to the
cerebral cortex

162
Q

Ventral stream

A

connections between cortical areas from the occipital lobe to the temporal lobe that are responsible for
identification of visual stimuli

163
Q

Vestibular ganglion

A

location of neuronal cell bodies that transmit equilibrium information along the eighth cranial
nerve

164
Q

Vestibular nuclei

A

location of neuronal cell bodies that transmit equilibrium information along the eighth cranial
nerve

165
Q

Vestibule

A

in the ear, the portion of the inner ear responsible for the sense of equilibrium

166
Q

Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

A

reflex based on connections between the vestibular system and the cranial nerves of
eye movements that ensures images are stabilized on the retina as the head and body move

167
Q

Vestibulospinal tract

A

extrapyramidal connections between the vestibular nuclei in the brain stem and spinal cord that
modulate movement and contribute to balance on the basis of the sense of equilibrium

168
Q

Visceral sense

A

sense associated with the internal organs

169
Q

Vision

A

Special sense of sight based on transduction of light stimuli

170
Q

Visual acuity

A

property of vision related to the sharpness of focus, which varies in relation to retinal position

171
Q

Vitreous humor

A

viscous fluid that fills the posterior chamber of the eye

172
Q

Working memory

A
function of the prefrontal cortex to maintain a representation of information that is not in the
immediate environment
173
Q

Zonule fibers

A

fibrous connections between the ciliary body and the lens