Module 06: Special Senses Flashcards
This are the means by which the brain receives information about the environment and the body.
Senses
This is the process initiated by stimulating sensory receptors.
Sensation
This pertains to the conscious awareness of those stimuli received by the sensory neurons.
Perception
How does the brain receive stimuli?
Sensory receptors respond to stimuli by generating action potentials that are propagated to the spinal cord the brain. Perception results when action potentials reach the cerebral cortex.
What are the characteristics of a sensation?
(1) Projection - area
(2) Intensity - degree
(3) Contrast - effect of a previous sensation to the current one
(4) Adaptation - becoming aware of continuing stimulus
(5) After Image - the sensation remains in the consciousness
This characteristic of the sensation pertains to how the sensation comes from the area where the receptors where stimulated, even though it is the brain that truly feels the sensation.
Projection
This characteristic of sensation pertains to the degree to which the sensation is felt; a strong stimulus affects more receptors and more impulses are sent to the brain.
intensity
This characteristic of sensation pertains to the effect of the previous or simultaneous sensation on a current sensation as the brain compares them.
Contrast
This characteristic of the brain pertains on becoming aware of the continuing stimulus. If the stimulus remains constant, there is no change for the receptors to detect.
Adaptation
This characteristic of the sensation pertains as to how the sensation remains in the consciousness after the stimulus has stopped.
After image
What are the two basic groups of senses?
(1) General senses
(2) Specific Senses
These senses have receptors distributed over a large part of the body that can sense touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and itch.
General Senses
These forms of general senses provide information about body and environment
Somatic Senses
These form of general senses provide information about internal organs, primarily involving pain and pressure.
Visceral Senses
These receptors are more specialized in structure and are localized to specific parts of the body. These include (1) Smell (olfaction), (2) taste, (3) vision, (4) hearing, and (5) Balance
Special Senses
What are the general senses?
(1) Touch
(2) Pressure
(3) Pain
(4) temperature
(5) Vibration
(6) Itch
(7) Proprioception
This sense pertains to the sense of movement and the position of the body.
Proprioception
These are sensory nerve endings or specialized cells respond to stimuli by developing action potentials.
Sensory receptors
These respond to mechanical stimuli , such as the bending or stretching of receptors (these detect movement).
Mechanoreceptors
These respond to chemicals. For example odor molecules binding to chemoreceptors, allowing us to perceive smells.
Chemoreceptors
These respond to light
Photoreceptors
These respond to temperature changes.
Thermoreceptors
These respond to stimuli that result in the sensation of pain
Nociceptors
These are the simples and most common type of sensory receptors and is relatively unspecialized neuronal branches to dendrites and is distributed to almost all parts of the body.
Free nerve endings