chapter 3.2 Flashcards
What are the three parts of the ear?
External ear: Collects sound.
Middle ear: Ossicles (tiny bones) amplify sound waves.
Inner ear: Cochlea is the site of transduction.
What is the function of the cochlea?
It contains the basilar membrane and hair cells that convert sound vibrations into neural signals.
What is auditory localization?
The ability to determine where a sound is coming from based on differences in timing and intensity between ears.
What is gustation?
The sense of taste.
What are the five primary tastes?
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
What is olfaction?
The sense of smell.
What is the site of transduction for smell?
Olfactory cilia.
What brain structure processes olfactory signals?
The olfactory bulb (bypasses the thalamus).
What is the olfactory system?
The system responsible for the sense of smell, where odor molecules travel through the nasal passages and stimulate olfactory cilia.
What is the function of olfactory cilia?
Hairlike receptors in the nasal cavity that detect odor molecules and transmit signals to the brain.
Where do olfactory nerves send neural impulses?
Through the olfactory bulb to the brain.
What types of stimuli act on the skin?
Mechanical, thermal, and chemical energy.
What sensations does the tactile system detect?
Touch, pressure, temperature, and pain
What is the Gate-Control Theory of pain?
Specific nerve receptors in the spinal cord lead to pain perception in specific brain areas, and pain signals can be blocked by electrical interference
