Chapter 8_Other Physical Senses Flashcards
Sound Waves
Vibrations that travel through air or another medium, perceived as sound when detected by the ear.
Frequency
The number of sound wave cycles per second, determining the pitch of a sound.
Amplitude
The height of a sound wave, determining the loudness of a sound.
Timbre
The quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and loudness.
The Outer Ear
The outermost part of the ear, including the pinna and auditory canal, responsible for capturing sound waves.
The Middle Ear
The part of the ear containing the ossicles, which amplify and transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
The Inner Ear
The innermost part of the ear containing the cochlea and vestibular apparatus, responsible for converting sound into neural signals.
Pinna
The visible part of the outer ear that helps to direct sound waves into the ear canal.
Auditory Canal
A tube running from the outer ear to the eardrum, transmitting sound waves.
Tympanic Membrane
A thin membrane that vibrates in response to sound waves, transmitting the sound to the ossicles.
The Ossicles
Three small bones (malleus, incus, and stapes) that transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
The Acoustic Reflex
A reflex that reduces the movement of the ossicles in response to loud sounds to protect the inner ear.
Tensor Tympani Muscle
A muscle that dampens sound vibrations by stiffening the malleus, reducing the amplitude of sound waves.
The Stapedius Muscle
A muscle that stabilizes the stapes bone, protecting the inner ear from loud sounds.
The Oval Window
A membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear to the cochlea, transmitting sound vibrations.
The Round Window
A membrane that allows pressure equalization in the cochlea, assisting in the transmission of sound.
Cochlea
A spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into neural signals.
Organ of Corti
The sensory organ within the cochlea containing hair cells that transduce sound vibrations into neural impulses.
Endolymph
A potassium-rich fluid in the cochlea and vestibular system essential for hearing and balance.
Basilar Membrane
A membrane in the cochlea that vibrates in response to sound, triggering hair cell activation.
Base of the Cochlea
The part of the cochlea near the oval window, responsible for detecting high-frequency sounds.
Apex of the Cochlea
The tip of the cochlea, responsible for detecting low-frequency sounds.
Hair Cells
Sensory cells in the cochlea that convert mechanical sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain.
Inner Hair Cells
The primary hair cells responsible for sending auditory information to the brain.
Outer Hair Cells
Cells that amplify sound vibrations and enhance the sensitivity of the cochlea.
Mechanically-Gated Ion Channels
Ion channels in hair cells that open in response to mechanical deformation, allowing ions to flow and generate electrical signals.
Mechanotransduction
The process by which mechanical stimuli, such as sound waves, are converted into electrical signals by sensory cells.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the outer or middle ear, preventing sound from reaching the inner ear.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, preventing sound from being properly transmitted to the brain.
A Hearing Aid
A device that amplifies sound to assist individuals with hearing loss in hearing more clearly.
A Cochlear Implant
A surgically implanted device that directly stimulates the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged parts of the inner ear.
Spiral Ganglion
A group of nerve cells that send auditory information from the cochlea to the brain.
Vestibulocochlear Nerve
The eighth cranial nerve, responsible for transmitting sound and balance information from the ear to the brain.
Superior Olive
A brainstem nucleus involved in sound localization, especially detecting the direction of sounds.
Cochlear Nuclear Complex
A collection of nuclei in the brainstem that process auditory information from the cochlea.
Inferior Colliculus
A midbrain structure involved in auditory processing and reflexive responses to sound.
Medial Geniculate Body
A part of the thalamus that relays auditory information from the inferior colliculus to the auditory cortex.
Primary Auditory Cortex
The region of the brain that processes auditory information, located in the temporal lobe.
Tonotopic Organization
The spatial arrangement of sound frequency processing in the auditory system, with different frequencies represented in specific areas of the cochlea and cortex.
Dorsal Auditory Stream
A pathway in the brain involved in identifying where sounds are coming from, related to spatial localization.
Ventral Auditory Stream
A pathway in the brain involved in identifying what a sound is, such as recognizing speech or music.
Vestibular System
The sensory system that detects balance, movement, and spatial orientation.
Otolith Organs
Sensory organs in the vestibular system that detect linear acceleration and head position relative to gravity.
Saccule
A vestibular organ that detects vertical linear acceleration and head position changes.
Utricle
A vestibular organ that detects horizontal linear acceleration and head position changes.
Semicircular Canals
Fluid-filled structures in the vestibular system that detect rotational movements of the head.
Ampulla
The enlarged area at the base of each semicircular canal containing hair cells that detect head movement.
Cupula
A gelatinous structure in the ampulla that bends in response to head movement, activating hair cells.
Righting Reflex
A reflex that helps the body maintain balance and posture by correcting the position of the head and body in response to changes in orientation.
Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex
A reflex that stabilizes vision during head movement by causing the eyes to move in the opposite direction of the head.
Somatosensory System
The system responsible for detecting touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position.
Primary Somatosensory Cortex
The region of the brain that processes somatosensory information from the body, located in the postcentral gyrus.
Somatotopic Organization
The orderly mapping of the body’s surface onto the somatosensory cortex, where adjacent body parts are represented in adjacent cortical areas.
Sensory Homunculus
A visual representation of the body mapped onto the somatosensory cortex, with exaggerated areas for more sensitive regions (e.g., hands and lips).
Secondary Somatosensory Cortex
A brain region that integrates complex sensory information and is involved in higher-order sensory processing.
Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors
Receptors in the skin that detect mechanical stimuli, such as pressure, vibration, and stretch.
Slowly-Adapting Mechanoreceptors
Mechanoreceptors that respond to sustained pressure and slowly adapt to continuous stimuli.
Rapidly-Adapting Mechanoreceptors
Mechanoreceptors that respond to changes in stimuli, such as light touch or vibration, and adapt quickly.
Merkel’s Discs
Touch receptors that detect fine details and texture, located in the skin’s surface layers.
Pacinian Corpuscles
Receptors in the skin that detect deep pressure and high-frequency vibration.
Meissner’s Corpuscles
Touch receptors sensitive to light touch and low-frequency vibration, involved in grip control.
Ruffini Endings
Receptors in the skin that detect skin stretch and help with the perception of hand shape and object manipulation.
Receptive Fields in the Skin
Specific areas of skin that a single sensory neuron is responsible for detecting stimuli.
Two-Point Discrimination Task
A task used to measure tactile spatial acuity by determining the minimum distance at which two points of touch can be distinguished.
Dorsal-Column Medial Lemniscus (DCML) Tract
A major sensory pathway that transmits fine touch, vibration, and proprioceptive information from the body to the brain.
Spinothalamic Tract
A sensory pathway that transmits pain, temperature, and crude touch information from the body to the brain.
Thermoreceptors
Sensory receptors in the skin that detect temperature changes, including cold and heat.
Cold Receptors
Thermoreceptors that detect decreases in skin temperature, usually responding to temperatures below 30°C (86°F).
Hot Receptors
Thermoreceptors that detect increases in skin temperature, usually responding to temperatures above 37°C (98.6°F).
Nociceptive Thermoreceptors
Specialized receptors that detect painful extremes of temperature, leading to sensations of burning heat or freezing cold.
TRP Channels
Ion channels in sensory neurons that respond to temperature changes and chemical irritants, involved in sensing pain and temperature.
TRPM8 Receptor
A type of TRP channel activated by cold temperatures and compounds like menthol, producing cooling sensations.
TRPV1 Receptor
A type of TRP channel activated by heat and chemical stimuli like capsaicin (the compound in chili peppers), producing sensations of heat or burning.
Aδ Fibers
Thin, myelinated nerve fibers that transmit sharp, localized pain quickly to the brain.
C Fibers
Unmyelinated nerve fibers that transmit dull, aching pain more slowly to the brain.
Nociceptors
Sensory receptors that detect painful or noxious stimuli, such as extreme temperatures, mechanical damage, or chemical irritants.
Allodynia
A condition where normally non-painful stimuli, such as light touch, are perceived as painful, often due to nerve damage or sensitization.
Hyperalgesia
An increased sensitivity to pain, often caused by tissue damage or inflammation.
Mechanical Nociceptors
Nociceptors that respond to physical damage or pressure, such as cuts or crushing injuries.
Thermal Nociceptors
Nociceptors that respond to extreme heat or cold, causing pain when temperatures become harmful.
Chemical Nociceptors
Nociceptors that detect chemical irritants, such as those released during inflammation or tissue damage.
Polymodal Nociceptors
Nociceptors that respond to a variety of stimuli, including mechanical, thermal, and chemical irritants, and are involved in generalized pain responses.
Withdrawal Reflex
An automatic reflex that causes an immediate withdrawal of a body part from a painful stimulus (e.g., pulling your hand away from a hot surface).
Proprioception
The sense of the position and movement of the body and its parts, allowing coordination and balance without the need for visual input.
Muscle Spindles
Sensory receptors in muscles that detect changes in muscle length and the speed of stretching, contributing to proprioception and reflexes.
Knee-Jerk Reflex
A simple reflex where tapping the patellar tendon causes a quick contraction of the quadriceps muscle, resulting in a kick.
Golgi Tendon Organs
Sensory receptors located at the junction between muscles and tendons that monitor tension, helping to prevent excessive force that could cause injury.
