Special Senses Flashcards
What is the main function of the eye?
To detect light and enable vision.
What are the three layers of the eye?
The sclera, choroid, and retina.
What is the role of the cornea in vision?
To refract light and help focus it on the retina.
True or False: The retina contains photoreceptors that convert light into neural signals.
True.
What are the two types of photoreceptors in the retina?
Rods and cones.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil.
Iris.
What is the function of the lens in the eye?
To focus light onto the retina.
What is the blind spot in the eye?
The area on the retina where the optic nerve exits, lacking photoreceptors.
What is the primary function of the ear?
To detect sound and maintain balance.
What are the three main parts of the ear?
The outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear.
True or False: The cochlea is responsible for converting sound waves into electrical signals.
True.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is a small bone in the middle ear that helps transmit sound vibrations.
Stapes.
What is the function of the semicircular canals?
To help maintain balance and spatial orientation.
What type of cells are responsible for smell?
Olfactory receptors.
What is the primary function of taste buds?
To detect different taste modalities: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
True or False: The sense of taste is solely dependent on taste buds.
False; it is also influenced by the sense of smell.
What is the pathway of light entering the eye?
Cornea → Pupil → Lens → Retina.
What is the function of the tympanic membrane?
To vibrate in response to sound waves, transmitting them to the ossicles.
What is the role of the auditory nerve?
To carry auditory information from the cochlea to the brain.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is the part of the eye that adjusts focus for near and far vision.
Lens.
What is the significance of the fovea?
It is the area of the retina with the highest visual acuity.
What chemical sense is primarily associated with pheromones?
Smell.
What are the five basic tastes recognized by humans?
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
True or False: The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the throat.
True.
What is the role of the ossicles in the ear?
To amplify sound vibrations before they enter the cochlea.
What part of the eye contains the highest density of cones?
The fovea centralis.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is responsible for the perception of balance and spatial orientation.
Vestibular system.
What is the effect of aging on vision?
It can lead to presbyopia, cataracts, and other vision impairments.
What is the primary function of the olfactory bulb?
To process and relay smell information to the brain.
What is the difference between sensation and perception?
Sensation is the detection of stimuli, while perception is the interpretation of those stimuli.
What is the role of the vitreous humor?
To maintain the shape of the eye and provide support to the retina.
What is the term for the inability to perceive certain colors?
Color blindness.
True or False: Sound waves travel faster in air than in water.
False; sound travels faster in water.
