Chapter 17: Special Senses Flashcards
Sense organ
A structure composed of nervous tissue along with other tissues that enhance its response to a certain type of stimulus
Sensory receptors
Specialized structures that respond to a stimulus
2 types:
Receptors for somatic sensations: detect tactile, thermal, pain, proprioceptive sensations
Receptors for visceral sensations: detect info from internal organs (such as blood pressure changes)
Functions of eyebrows
- shade the eye from sunlight
- catch perspiration from the forehead
Functions of the eyelids
- protect eye from foreign objects and excess light
- spread lubricating secretions over the eye
- contain eyelashes which trap and sweep away foreign particles
Conjunctiva
A transparent, vascular mucous membrane which lines the inner surface of the eyelids and covers the surface of the sclera.
It secretes mucous to moisten the eyes
Extrinsic eye muscles
6 skeletal muscles (Orgin - bony orbit, insertion - sclera)
Functions:
- maintain eye shape
- hold eye in orbit
- control precise eye movements
Sty
An infected hair follicle at the base of an eyelash
How do blood shot eyes occur?
When the vessels in the conjunctiva get irritated and dilated.
Conjunctivitis
The inflammation of the conjunctiva by bacteria or virus
aka “pinkeye”
Diplopia
The eyeballs can’t be focussed on the same visual field due to paralysis, weak eye muscles, or alcohol consumption.
aka “double vision”
Strabismus
Weakness in eye muscles in which the affected eye rotates mediately or laterally.
aka “cross-eyed”
Lacrimal gland (tear gland)
Located in the superior-lateral region of each orbit.
- secretes lacrimal fluid (tears) continuously
- clears, lubricates, and moistens the eyes
What are tears made of?
- water
- salt
- mucous
- antibodies
- lysozyme
Lysozyme
Antibacterial enzyme that prevents infection
What is the pathway of tears?
- Lacrimal gland
- Lacrimal ducts
- Lacrimal fluid flows over the eye
- Lacrimal punctual
- Lacrimal canaliculus
- Lacrimal sac
- Nasolacrimal duct
- Nasal cavity
Fibrous tunic of the eye
The outermost, avascular layer
Contains:
a) Sclera - the posterior part of the fibrous tunic. It is the white of the eye, which maintains eye shape and protects the inner surface.
b) Cornea - the anterior, transparent part of the fibrous tunic. It bends (refracts) light to focus light rays
Why are almost all corneal transplants successful?
The cornea is avascular, so rejection is rare because there is no access to the immune system, therefore no blood-borne antibodies.
Vascular tunic
The highly vascularized middle layer of the eye
Contains:
Choroid - darkly pigmented layer under sclera which absorbed excess light.
Ciliary body - made of ciliary muscles (regulate shape of eye) and ciliary processes (produce aqueous humour)
Iris - made of circular (makes pupil smaller) and radial (makes pupil bigger) muscles.
Aqueous humor
A clear fluid filing the space in the front of the eyeball between the lens and the cornea
Retina
Innermost layer of the eye
Consists of 2 layers:
1. Pigmented layer - closest to choroid, and absorbs excess light to reduce scattering.
2. Neural layer - visual part of the retina (contains photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and ganglion cells)
Photoreceptor layer of retina
Contains rods, cones, and macula lutea.
Rods - dim light receptors (120mil of them) that produce images in grey.
Cones- bright light receptors (6mil of them) that provide coloured vision.
- 3 kinds (blue, green, red cones)
Macula lutea - yellow flat spot on retina.
- center of it is called the fovea centralis which contains only cones
- site of the greatest visual acuity
Bipolar cell layer of the retina
Bipolar cells relay information from photoreceptors to the ganglion cells