Other Senses Flashcards
1
Q
The sense of taste is referred to as…
A
-gustation
2
Q
How does taste occur?
A
-chemicals stimulate thousands of receptors in the mouth
3
Q
What are tiny bumps on the tongue called?
A
-papillae
4
Q
What are papillae?
A
- tiny bumps on tongue, which come in several forms
- all but one form is lined with taste buds
5
Q
Are taste buds the receptors for taste?
A
- no
- the actual receptor cells are inside the buds
6
Q
Where are the actual receptor sites for taste?
A
-receptor sites are on tiny fibers that get sent out through an opening in the taste bud
7
Q
How often do new taste receptor cells replace old ones?
A
-about every 10 days
8
Q
Which part of the tongue contains NO taste buds? Why do we not sense this?
A
- center of tongue contains no taste buds
- we cannot sense because our brain fills in the gaps
9
Q
What are the 4 basic tastes?
A
- sweet
- salty
- sour
- bitter
10
Q
Are there areas of the tongue for different tastes?
A
-no
11
Q
Some researchers believe there is a 5th basic taste, called…
A
-umami
12
Q
What does umami sense?
A
-the taste of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is supposed to detect protein
13
Q
Why are the findings on umami debatable?
A
- umami taste is NOT perceptible in many foods containing protein
- it lacks a hardwired response, which causes almost every person to react to it in the same way
14
Q
Response to protein has been found in what part of the body?
A
- gastrointestinal tract
- it is not externally sensed, but when digested, it stimulates glutamate receptors in the gut which creates a conditioned preference for the sensory properties of protein-rich foods
15
Q
People who have trouble detecting taste would most likely have problems with…
A
-sense of smell
16
Q
The sense of smell is referred to as…
A
-olfaction
17
Q
What are the receptors for smell? Where are they located?
A
- specialized neurons
- embedded in mucuous membrane of the upper nasal passage
18
Q
The receptors for smell respond to…
A
-chemical molecules in the air
19
Q
What happens when a smell receptor responds to chemical molecules?
A
-signals from receptor are carried by olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb (in brain). From there, signals travel to a higher region of the brain
20
Q
What do the axons of smell receptor neurons make up?
A
-olfactory nerve
21
Q
How do we sense distinctive smells?
A
- different odors activate unique combinations of receptors
- signals from different types of receptors are combined in individual neurons in the brain
22
Q
Loss of smell can be a result of…
A
- infection
- disease
- olfactory nerve injury
- smoking
23
Q
What could explain why odors have a psychological effect on us?
A
-olfactory centers in the brain are linked to areas that process memory and emotion
24
Q
Explain: How a chemical molecule (odor) travels to the brain
A
- molecules enter nose and circulate though the nasal cavity, where receptors are located
- receptors’ axons make up the olfactory nerve, which carry signals to the brain (olfactory bulb)
25
Function: skin
- protects our innards
- gives us a sense of ourselves as distinct from the environment
- helps us identify objects and establish intimacy with others
26
Basic skin senses include...
- touch
- pain
- warmth
- cold
27
Where are the receptors for skin?
-there has been difficulty in locating receptors for distinct sensations, aside from pressure
28
What kind of sense would you define pain as?
- skin sense
| - internal sense
29
What is an important distinction between the pain sense, and all other senses?
-when the stimulus producing it is removed, the sensation may continue
30
How are different types of pain distinguished internally?
-different types of pain involve different chemical changes and different changes in nerve cell activity at the site of injury
31
Several chemical substances are involved in distinguishing pain, as well as _____cells and cells that __________
- glial cells
| - cells that support nerve cells (can worsen pain by releasing inflammitory substances)
32
What is the leading explanation of pain?
-gate-control theory
33
According to the gate-control theory, what does the experience on pain depend on?
-whether pain impulses get past a neurological "gate" in the spinal cord, which then reaches the brain
34
Mild pressure or stimulation (ice pack, heat, ointments) can interfere with severe pain and do what?
-close the spinal gate
35
What keeps the "gate" closed?
- incoming impulses from LARGE fibers
| - incoming impulses from brain
36
What opens the "gate"?
-incoming impulses from SMALL fibers
37
The sense of taste is referred to as...
-gustation
38
How does taste occur?
-chemicals stimulate thousands of receptors in the mouth
39
What are tiny bumps on the tongue called?
-papillae
40
What are papillae?
- tiny bumps on tongue, which come in several forms
| - all but one form is lined with taste buds
41
Are taste buds the receptors for taste?
- no
| - the actual receptor cells are inside the buds
42
Where are the actual receptor sites for taste?
-receptor sites are on tiny fibers that get sent out through an opening in the taste bud
43
How often do new taste receptor cells replace old ones?
-about every 10 days
44
Which part of the tongue contains NO taste buds? Why do we not sense this?
- center of tongue contains no taste buds
| - we cannot sense because our brain fills in the gaps
45
What are the 4 basic tastes?
- sweet
- salty
- sour
- bitter
46
Are there areas of the tongue for different tastes?
-no
47
Some researchers believe there is a 5th basic taste, called...
-umami
48
What does umami sense?
-the taste of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is supposed to detect protein
49
Why are the findings on umami debatable?
- umami taste is NOT perceptible in many foods containing protein
- it lacks a hardwired response, which causes almost every person to react to it in the same way
50
Response to protein has been found in what part of the body?
- gastrointestinal tract
- it is not externally sensed, but when digested, it stimulates glutamate receptors in the gut which creates a conditioned preference for the sensory properties of protein-rich foods
51
People who have trouble detecting taste would most likely have problems with...
-sense of smell
52
The sense of smell is referred to as...
-olfaction
53
What are the receptors for smell? Where are they located?
- specialized neurons
| - embedded in mucuous membrane of the upper nasal passage
54
The receptors for smell respond to...
-chemical molecules in the air
55
What happens when a smell receptor responds to chemical molecules?
-signals from receptor are carried by olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb (in brain). From there, signals travel to a higher region of the brain
56
What do the axons of smell receptor neurons make up?
-olfactory nerve
57
How do we sense distinctive smells?
- different odors activate unique combinations of receptors
| - signals from different types of receptors are combined in individual neurons in the brain
58
Loss of smell can be a result of...
- infection
- disease
- olfactory nerve injury
- smoking
59
What could explain why odors have a psychological effect on us?
-olfactory centers in the brain are linked to areas that process memory and emotion
60
Explain: How a chemical molecule (odor) travels to the brain
- molecules enter nose and circulate though the nasal cavity, where receptors are located
- receptors' axons make up the olfactory nerve, which carry signals to the brain (olfactory bulb)
61
Function: skin
- protects our innards
- gives us a sense of ourselves as distinct from the environment
- helps us identify objects and establish intimacy with others
62
Basic skin senses include...
- touch
- pain
- warmth
- cold
63
Where are the receptors for skin?
-there has been difficulty in locating receptors for distinct sensations, aside from pressure
64
What kind of sense would you define pain as?
- skin sense
| - internal sense
65
What is an important distinction between the pain sense, and all other senses?
-when the stimulus producing it is removed, the sensation may continue
66
How are different types of pain distinguished internally?
-different types of pain involve different chemical changes and different changes in nerve cell activity at the site of injury
67
Several chemical substances are involved in distinguishing pain, as well as _____cells and cells that __________
- glial cells
| - cells that support nerve cells (can worsen pain by releasing inflammitory substances)
68
What is the leading explanation of pain?
-gate-control theory
69
According to the gate-control theory, what does the experience on pain depend on?
-whether pain impulses get past a neurological "gate" in the spinal cord, which then reaches the brain
70
Mild pressure or stimulation (ice pack, heat, ointments) can interfere with severe pain and do what?
-close the spinal gate
71
What keeps the "gate" closed?
- incoming impulses from LARGE fibers
| - incoming impulses from brain
72
What opens the "gate"?
-incoming impulses from SMALL fibers
73
What do LARGE fibers respond to?
-pressure and other kinds of stimulation
74
What allows SMALL fibers to to send impulses and open the "gate"?
-bodily tissue injury damages LARGE fibers and allows the SMALL fibers to open the gate and let pain messages reach the brain
75
Is the brain capable of generating pain on its own?
-yes
76
What causes the brain to create pain on its own?
-when pain matrix of the brain produces abnormal patterns of activity
77
What does abnormal patterns of activity in the brain's pain matrix explain?
-instances of chronic or severe pain experienced in the absence of injury or disease
78
Define: phantom pain
-experience of pain in a missing limb or other body part
79
What is the prevalence of phantom pain in amputees?
-affects 90% of amputees
80
What is the leading explanation of phantom pain?
- the area in the sensory cortex that corresponded to the missing body part gets "invaded" by neurons from another area
- and the brain interprets messages from the "invading" neurons as coming from the missing body part
Resulting in:
-an innacurate "body map" in the brain, where pain signals cannot be shut off
81
What is a simple and effective treatment for phantom pain?
-mirror therapy
82
Explain: mirror therapy
- a mirror is placed so it looks like the amputee has 2 healthy limbs
- the amputee is asked to move their 2 body parts while looking in the mirror
- the brain is fooled into thinking the missing limb is healthy, and resynchronizes the signals...
- phantom pain vanishes
83
What combines with physiological factors to affect pain?
-psychological factors
84
How do psychological and physiological factors combined, effect pain?
- the severity
| - person's reaction to it
85
What types of psychological factors tend to intensify pain?
-ruminating on pain
-expectation of pain
(high expectation = higher experience of pain)
(low expectation = lower experience of pain)
86
Proven in studies, how can placebos reduce pain?
- lowering expectation of pain
| - promoting production of endorphins (body's natural opiate)
87
With psychological factors of pain introduced, what have pain-management programs incorporated?
-cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
88
What are some CBT strategies for pain management?
- substituting adaptive thoughts for negative thoughts
| - coping mechanisms such as distraction and imagery
89
What do CBT pain-management strategies affect in the brain?
-pain-processing and pain-modifying circuits in the brain
90
What are 2 senses that keep us informed about the movements of our own bodies?
- kinesthesis
| - equilibrium
91
Define: kinesthesis
- tells us where body parts are and when they move
| - information is provided by pain and pressure receptors in: muscles, joints, and tendons
92
Define: equilibrium
- sense of balance
| - relies on 3 semicircular canals in the inner ear
93
Function: semicircular canals
- thin tubes filled with fluid that press on hair-like receptors when our head rotates
- receptors initiate messages that travel through a part of the auditory nerve that is NOT involved in hearing
