Sense Organs Flashcards
List the 4 senses
Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste
Which cranial nerve supplies the ear?
The 8th cranial nerve - Vestibulocochlear nerve
Anatomically the ear can be divided into 3 parts. Name them.
Outer, middle, inner
Which cranial nerve supplies the ear / hearing?
Nerve 8 - Vestibulocochlear nerve
Which structure connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx?
The eustachian tube (or ‘pharyngotympanic tube’)
Name the 3 bones found in the middle ear.
- Malleus (hammer)
- Incus (anvil)
- Stapes (stirrup)
What is the auricle, or pinna?
The outermost structure of the ear.
What is the role of the auricle/pinna?
It traps and directs sound waves into the external auditory canal
What is the tympanic membrane?
A thin, semi-transparent membrane between the external auditory canal and the middle ear. Also known as the ear drum.
What is the role of the tympanic membrane?
It converts sound waves into mechanical vibrations.
It transmits sound waves from outside the ear, to the auditory ossicles.
What are the auditory ossicles?
The 3 tiny bones found in the middle ear (the 3 smallest bones in the body)
Where in the ear structure would you find the tympanic membrane (ear drum)?
In the outer ear
List the 3 components of the outer ear.
- Auricle/pinna
- External auditory canal
- Tympanic membrane (ear drum)
Define the ‘middle ear’
A small air-filled cavity in the temporal bone which contains the auditory ossicles.
What is the role of the auditory ossicles?
They transmit sound (in the form of vibration) from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea.
How/where does stapes connect to the cochlea?
At the oval window
In terms of the structure of the ear, what is the oval window?
The point at which stapes (the 3rd auditory ossicle) meets the cochlea.
What is the name of the small muscle in the middle ear which dampens large vibrations (protecting the oval window) and is innervated by the facial nerve?
Stapedius
Which cranial nerve innervates the stapedius muscle?
The facial nerve
Why might a patient with Bell’s Palsy experience hearing/auditory symptoms?
Because Bell’s Palsy affects the facial nerve, which is the nerve that innervates the stapedius muscle (which dampens large sound vibrations, thus producing clear hearing)
What is the inner ear also known as (because of its complicated series of canals) ?
The labyrinth
The inner ear consists of an outer bony labyrinth that encloses an inner ________ labyrinth.
Membranous
The bony labyrinth (inner ear) consists of 3 parts. Name them.
- Three semicircular canals
- Vestibule
- Cochlea
Which parts of the inner ear have receptors for balance?
The semicircular canals and vestibule
Which part of the inner ear has receptors for hearing?
The cochlea (snail shell!)
The labyrinth contains 2 types of fluid. Name them.
The perilymph and endolymph
Where would you find the perilymph and endolymph?
In the inner ear / labyrinth
Which part of the ear provides information on balance and hearing?
The inner ear
Which ear structure sits anterior to the vestibule and is a spiralled, hollow chamber that makes almost 3 turns around a central bony core?
The cochlea
What are stereocilia?
Sensory cells in the inner ear, which are topped with 40 - 80 cilia each.
What is the name given to the receptor cells for hearing, which extend into the endolymph?
Stereocilia
What initiates a nerve impulse / action potential from the inner ear?
The movement of stereocilia in endolymph fluid, caused by vibration
What can kill stereocilia?
Strong movement of endolymph fluid (very loud noise)
Name cranial nerve 8
Vestibulocochlear nerve
What is the role of cranial nerve 8, the Vestibulocochlear nerve?
It provides sensory information for hearing and balance.
Is the Vestibulocochlear nerve sensory, motor or both?
Sensory
The vestibulocochlear nerve contains 2 parts: _________ fibres and _______ fibres
Vestibular fibres and cochlear fibres
Where are the ganglia of the vestibulocochlear nerve located (where does it feed into / originate from)?
The brainstem (between the pons and medulla oblongata)
List the 4 stages of sound sensation.
Sound waves > Mechanical vibration > Fluid waves > Nerve Impulse
What are sound waves?
Vibrations in the air
What causes fluid waves in the cochlear perilymph?
The footplate of stapes rocking at the oval window.
The vestibulocochlear nerve transmits nerve impulses to the hearing area in the _______ (area of the brain) where sound is perceived.
Cerebrum
Define ‘pitch’
The frequency of sound waves
the higher the frequency of vibration, the higher the pitch
Define ‘volume’
The amplitude of sound waves
What is pitch measured in?
Hertz (Hz)
What is volume measured in?
Decibels (Db)
Prolonged noise above ____ Db can result in permanent hearing loss. An example of this would be a lawnmower.
90 decibels
Define ‘white noise’
A constant noise that contains all the different frequencies of sound / a mixture of different sound waves.
What is the name given to a background noise that the brain ignores?
White noise
What is white noise used for?
To mask other sounds
The eustachian tube connects the nasopharynx to the _____ ear.
Middle ear
Why is the eustachian tube a common route for middle ear infection?
In which population is this more common and why?
Because it also functions to drain mucus.
More common in children because their eustachian tube is more horizontal (and so less effective at draining mucus away from the ears).
Which structure can open in order for air to equalise pressure between the middle ear and the atmosphere?
The eustachian tube.
Which 2 structures in the ear specifically provide information about head position?
The semi-circular canals and vestibule.
The walls of the vestibule and semi-circular canals contain specialised hair cells with ________
Stereocilia
What is the otolithic membrane?
A fibrous, gelatinous structure located in the vestibular system of the inner ear, in which the hairs of stereocilia are floating.
Where would you find the otolithic membrane?
In the vestibular system of the inner ear
Is the otolithic membrane involved in hearing or balance?
Balance
A dense layer of ________ _________ crystals extends over and rests on the otolithic membrane.
Calcium carbonate crystals
What type of crystals would you find in the inner ear?
Calcium carbonate crystals.
Any change in _____ position causes movement in the perilymph and endolymph, bending hair cells and stimulating sensory nerve endings.
Head position
Which part of the brain interprets and makes postural changes in order to maintain balance?
The cerebellum
Which 3 sources of information does the cerebellum need in order to maintain physical balance of the body?
- Vestibular feedback (from the inner ear)
- Visual feedback (from the eyes)
- Proprioception (from the muscles, joints and ligaments)
Which cranial nerve supplies the eye?
The optic nerve (cranial nerve 2)
Name the 3 layers of the eyeball.
- Sclera & cornea (outer layer)
- Uvea (middle layer)
- Retina (Inner layer)
What is the sclera?
The white of the eye
The middle layer of the eye is called the Uvea and consists of 3 parts. Name them.
- Iris
- Ciliary body
- Choroid
What is the function of the iris?
It controls the amount of light reaching the retina, by adjusting pupil size
Where in the eye is the lens located?
Behind the pupil
What is the role of the lens?
To further focus light (along with the cornea)