Special Senses Flashcards

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1
Q

Sensation definition

A

action potential that reaches the brain through sensory neurons

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2
Q

Perception definition

A

interpretation of the stimuli after the brain is aware of the sensation

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3
Q

what is the process of sensory reception?

A
  • sensory transduction
  • amplification
  • transmission
  • integration
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4
Q

What is sensory transduction?

A

conversion of stimulus energy into a change in the membrane potential

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5
Q

what does transduction result in?

A

a graded membrane - receptor potential

if it passes threshold, it will lead to an action potential

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6
Q

what is a receptor potential?

A

graded potentials produced in response to a stimuli

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7
Q

what performs sensory transduction?

A

sensory receptors

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8
Q

what are sensory receptors?

A

specialized neurons that can detect the stimulus and convert it to a receptor potential (graded membrane potential)

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9
Q

What are the two main types of sensory receptors?

A

exteroreceptors
interoreceptors

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10
Q

What is an exteroreceptor?

A

sensory receptors that detects stimuli outside the body

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11
Q

What is an interoreceptor?

A

sensory receptors that detects stimuli within the body

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12
Q

what are the types of exteroreceptors?

A
  • photoreceptors
  • chemoreceptors
  • mechanoreceptors
  • nociceptors
  • thermoreceptors
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13
Q

What is the stimuli and sensory organ for photoreceptors?

A

light - eyes

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14
Q

What is the stimuli and sensory organ for mechanoreceptors?

A

pressure, movement - skin, muscles, ears

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15
Q

What is the stimuli and sensory organ for nociceptors?

A

pain - skin

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16
Q

What is the stimuli and sensory organ for thermoreceptors?

A

temperature - skin

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17
Q

What is the stimuli and sensory organ for chemoreceptors?

A

chemicals - nose, tongue

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18
Q

what is amplification?

A

the strengthening of stimulus energy that is otherwise too weak to be carried into the nervous system

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19
Q

what can amplification be performed by?

A

by the sensory receptors or other parts

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20
Q

what is transmission?

A

conduction of impulses to the CNS

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21
Q

what can perform transmission?

A
  • sensory receptor - transduce, and transmit, acting like the afferent neuron
  • sensory (afferent) neuron: sensory receptors will synapse with the afferent neuron which will then tansmit
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22
Q

what is integration?

A

processing of information that occurs in the central nervous system, in particular the lobes of the brain

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23
Q

what is sensory adaptation?

A

a type of integration where there is a decrease in responsiveness with continued stimulation

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24
Q

what are the 4 special Senses with their specialized organs?

A
  • vision - eyes
  • hearing - ears
  • smell - nose
  • taste - tongue
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25
Q

What is the 1 somatic sense and its organ?

A

tough - skin

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26
Q

what does the iris do?

A

regulates the amount of light entering the pupil

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27
Q

what do the cornea and lens do?

A

lenses help focus the image on the retina

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28
Q

Cornea has the larger body of nerve bundles and is extremely sensitive to pain

A
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29
Q

What are the 3 tissue layers of the eye?

A
  • sclera muscles
  • choroid: blood vessels
  • retina: light sensitive cells
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30
Q

what does the optic nerve do?

A

neurons send visual stimuli to the brain

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31
Q

what 2 types of cells does the retina consist of?

A

rodes and conves

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32
Q

where is the retina?

A

the back of the eye

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33
Q

what does the retina do?

A

converts light signal into an electrical signal that is transmitted through the optic nerve to the occipital lobe of the brain

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34
Q

When do cone cells function best?

A

in bright light - requires more light to stimulate

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35
Q

What do cone cells do?

A

distinguish colours in daylight

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36
Q

what do rod cells detect?

A

detects black, white and shades of grey - explains why night vision is in black and white

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37
Q

when do rod cells function?

A
  • function in less intense light like the night

can be triggered by as few as 6 photons of light

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38
Q

what are examples of photoreceptors?

A

rod and cone cells?

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39
Q

what are photoreceptors?

A

specialized neurons that perform phototransduction

converts light energy to receptor potential

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40
Q

what do photoreceptors contain?

A

disks which are similar to thylakoids in chloroplast

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41
Q

What do the disks in the photoreceptors contain?

A

protein + pigment complex (similar to photosystems)

42
Q

What is the protein inside the photoreceptor?

A

opsin

43
Q

Describe opsin

A
  • light sensitive
  • 4 different types
  • 1 for rod cells
  • 3 for cone cells
44
Q

what is the pigment in photoreceptors?

A

retinal

45
Q

describe retinal

A
  • light absorbing
  • derived from vitamin
46
Q

what is rhodopsin?

A

opsin + retinal found in rod cells

47
Q

What is photpsin?

A

1 of the 3 opsin + retinal in cone cells

48
Q

What are the 3 types of photopsin? What are they based on?

A

S- cones
M-cones
L-cones

they are based on the 3 primary colours of light

49
Q

What do S-cones see?

A

short wavelength, blue cones

50
Q

What do M-cones see?

A

medium wavelength, green cones

51
Q

What do L-cones see?

A

long wavelength, red cones

52
Q

what is a photoisomer?

A

molecule changes shape when it absorbs a photon of light

53
Q

retinal is a photoisomer

A
54
Q

how does rhodopsin work in light?

A
  • photons hit photoreceptors
  • photons change the shape of the retinal from cis to trans
  • trans retinal isomer detaches from opsin
  • free opsin is activated resulting in closed Na channels
  • membrane hyperpolarizes
55
Q

what does the hyperpolarization result in?

A

decreased release of neurotransmittter glutamate

56
Q

what is the effect of glutamate at the synapse?

A

can have inhibitory or excitatory effect depending on type of glutamate receptor on the bipolar cell

57
Q

how does rhodopsin work in light?

A
  • opsin free from retinal
  • becomes activated
  • close Na channels
  • hyperpolarize
  • decrease release of NT glutamate
  • IPSP or EPSP on post-synaptic bipolar cells
58
Q

how does rhodopsin work in the dark?

A
  • opsin is attached to retinal (inactive)
  • Na channels open
  • depolarize
  • increased release of NT glutamate
  • IPSP or EPSP on post-synaptic bipolar cells
59
Q

what order does sensory reception for vision follow?

A

photoreceptor -> bipolar cells -> ganglion cell

60
Q

what happens where there is an action potential at the ganglion cell?

A

the impulse is transmitted along the optic nerve to the occipital lobe of the brain

61
Q

what cells perform sensory transduction?

A

rod & cone cells

62
Q

what cells perform amplification?

A

rode & cone cells

63
Q

what performs transmission?

A

optic nerve

64
Q

what performs integration?

A

the occipital lobe

65
Q

what is the process of hearing?

A
  1. sound waves hit the ear drum
  2. vibration in middle ear that amplifies the sound 22x
  3. bones tap on cochlea which is filled with fluid
  4. cochlea lined with ciliated cells that bend in response to vibration
  5. movement of cilia signals
66
Q

what is cochlea composed of?

A

2 large chambers filled with fluid

67
Q

what are the 2 large chamber in the cochlea?

A
  • the upper vestibular canal = scala vestibuli
  • the lower tympanic canal = scala tympani
68
Q

What separates the 2 large chambers in the cochlea?

A

the cochlear duct

69
Q

where is the organ of corti?

A

on the floor of the cochlear duct

70
Q

what does the organ of corti have?

A

hair cells which are auditory receptor cells that are attached to the tectorial membrane

71
Q

how does auditory transduction work?

A
  • sound waves translated as pressure moves through the cochlea, dissipating at the round window
  • movement vibrates tectorial membrane in organ of corti which bends hair cells
  • stimulates opening of ion channels and release of neurotransmitters at synapse
  • sensory (post-synaptic) neurons (cochlear nerve) conducts action potential to temporal lobe of brain
72
Q

what are volume changes determined by?

A

the amplitude of sound waves which translates in frequency of the action potential

73
Q

What can overly loud noises do?

A

damage cochlear cilia

74
Q

how is pitch interpreted in sounds?

A

sound wave frequencies

75
Q

How is ditch distinguished in the body?

A

by stimulating hair cells in different sensory neurons located at different parts of the cochlea with each sensory neurons being mapped to a particular auditory area in the brain

76
Q

what is the vestibular system involved in?

A

stability and balance

77
Q

what does the vestibular system consist of?

A

semicircular canals

78
Q

where are the semicircular canals located?

A

above the cochlea

79
Q

what are the semicircular canals filled with?

A

gel-like substance containing otoliths

80
Q

what are otoliths? Describe them.

A
  • ear stones
  • CaCO3 granules
  • denser than the gel
81
Q

what does hair cells in contact with otoliths do?

A

gravity causes otoliths to pull downward on hair cells and then the direction of bend indicates position to the brain

82
Q

what is the scientific term for smell?

A

olfaction

83
Q

what is the scientific term for taste?

A

gustation

84
Q

what is the specialized structure for smell?

A

the nose

85
Q

what is the specialized structure for taste?

A

the tongue

86
Q

what is the chemoreceptor for taste?

A

gustatory receptors cells in taste buds

87
Q

what is the chemoreceptor for smell?

A

olfactory receptor cells in upper portion of nasal cavity

88
Q

what si the form of the chemical for smell?

A

airborne

89
Q

what is the form of the chemical for taste?

A

in solution

90
Q

what are the 5 basic taste perceptions?

A
  • sweet
  • salty
  • sour
  • bitter
  • umami
91
Q

where are gustatory receptors cells?

A

inside the taste buds

92
Q

describe the chemotransduction of taste

A
  • molecule binds to chemoreceptor in gustatory receptors cells of taste bud
  • open Na+ or close K+ channels
  • depolarization
  • releases neutransmitter
93
Q

what structure does the sensory transduction for taste?

A

taste buds

94
Q

what structure does the sensory amplification for taste?

A

taste buds

95
Q

what structure does the sensory transmission for taste?

A

gustatory (taste) nerve

96
Q

what structure does the sensory integration for taste?

A

parietal lobe

97
Q

describe the chemotransduction of smell

A
  • chemical binds to chemoreceptors on the membrane of the cilia in the mucus lining of the nasal cavity
  • open Na+ channels
  • depolarization
  • releases neurotransmitter
98
Q

what structure does the sensory transduction for smell?

A

olfactory receptor cells

99
Q

what structure does the sensory aplification for smell?

A

olfactory receptor cells

100
Q

what structure does the sensory transmission for smell?

A

olfactory nerve in olfactory bulb

101
Q

what structure does the sensory integration for smell?

A

temporal lobe

102
Q
A