Smell, Taste, Somatosensation

Question 1

SMELL

Answer 1

• • sensed by OLFACTORY RECEPTORS: receptors that bind to chemicals
• • binding sends signal to the OLFACTORY BULB, transmitted to higher regions in the brain. Does not go through the Thalamus like all other sense
• • PHEROMONES carry endocrine information, binds to the olfactory chemoreceptors to influence behavior

Question 2

TASTE

Answer 2

• • sensed by CHEMORECEPTORS
• • tastes: sourness (acid), saltiness (alkali metals), umami, sweetness, bitterness
• • info sent to the brain stem to be filtered by the Thalamus and relayed to the appropriate brain regions

Question 3

SOMATOSENSATION

Answer 3

ability to collect sensory information from the PNS
– 4 modalities: pressure, vibration, temperature, and nociception (pain)

2 Point Threshold: minimum distance between two points in order to be perceived as 2 distinct stimuli

Physiological Zero: temperature near body temperature, above which things feel “hot” and below which things feel “cold”

Question 4

KINESTHETIC SENSE

Answer 4

knowing where limbs are in space – coordinates muscle/joints to coordinate tasks – PROPRIOCEPTION

Question 5

Threshold of Conscious Perception

Answer 5

stimulus arrives at the CNS but doesn’t reach the higher order brain regions that control attention and consciousness, so person receiving stimulus doesn’t realize they’re perceiving it.