Chapters 30 and 31 Flashcards
Chapters 30 and 31
Sensory system
Portion of nervous system. In vertebrates, consists of sensory neurons, nerves, and brain regions for information processing.
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Stimulus
Form of energy that activates receptor endings of a sensory neuron
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Somatic sensations
Basically the 5 senses, except not. Taste, smell, hearing, vision, and balance. Responses to receptors near body surface and in skeletal muscle, joints, and walls of soft internal organs.
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5 classes of sensory receptors
Mechanoreceptors, pain receptors, thermoreceptors, chemoreceptors, osmoreceptors, and photoreceptors
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Mechanoreceptors
Detect mechanical energy (eg change in pressure, position, acceleration). Found in ears.
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Pain receptors
Detect tissue damage
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Thermoreceptors
Detect temperature change
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Chemoreceptors
Detect chemical energy of specific substances dissolved in the fluid surrounding them. Found in noses and tongue.
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Osmoreceptors
Detect change in concentration of solutes in a body fluid (eg blood)
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Photoreceptors
Detect forms of light energy. Contain pigment molecules that can absorb photon energy, which can be converted to excitation energy in a sensory neuron.
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How does brain figure out stimulus location and intensity, if all action potentials are always the same size?
It figures out which nerve pathways have action potentials, the frequency of action potentials in the pathway, and the number of axons activated by the stimulus.
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Sensory adaptation
When sensory neurons stop firing despite continued stimulation. eg putting on a sock.
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Pain
Perception of tissue injury. Somatic pain comes from skin, skeletal muscle, joints, and tendons. Visceral pain comes from internal organs.
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Olfaction
Sense of smell. Chemoreceptors bind substances and dissolve them in fluid around them. Receptor axons lead into one of two olfactory bulbs, where neurons sort components of scent before signaling cerebrum.
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Olfactory receptors
Detect water soluble or easily vaporized chemicals. Humans have 5 million, bloodhounds have 200 million.
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Pheremones
Signaling molecules secreted by individual that changes social behavior of others in species.
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Vomeronasal organ
Responds to pheromones, located in nasal cavity. Cluster of sensory neurons.
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Taste receptors
Clusters of chemoreceptor and supporting cells in special epithelial papillae. Detect chemicals dissolved in fluid.
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5 tastes and what cause them
Sweet = Glucose and simple sugarsSour = AcidsSalty =NaCl and other saltsBitter = plant toxins, like alkaloidsUmami = Amino acids like clutamate
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Organs of equilibrium
Part of sensory systems that monitor body’s poisitions and motions (eg ears with their vestibular apparatus)
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Vestibular apparatus
3 semicircular canals and 2 sacs (saccule and utricle). Have hair cells that react when fluid in ear deforms cilia on hair cells. Dynamic equilibrium senses any angular movement and rotation of head. Static equilibruim in saccule and utricle help monitor head’s position and how fast head is moving in a straight line. Helps with posture and keeping the head upright.
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Middle ear
Amplifies and transmits air waves to the inner ear. Auditory canal leads to eardrum, which vibrates from pressure waves. Behind is air filled cavity with hammer, anvil, and stirrup, which transmits force from eardrum to oval window. 9b on pg 518.
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Inner ear
Has cochlea, which is a pea sized, fluid-filled structure coiled like a snail shell. Transduction of sound waves into action potentials.
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Lens
Transparent body that bends all light rays from any point on visual field onto photoreceptors packed in retina.