Special Senses Flashcards
What are the five special senses?
Sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing
Touch is often considered a general sense rather than a special sense.
What types of receptors are involved in special senses?
Large complex organs or localized clusters of receptors
Examples include the eyes for sight and ears for hearing.
How many nerve fibers are in the optic tracts?
Over a million nerve fibers
What are photoreceptors in the eyes sensitive to?
Light
What structure in the eye corrects the inverted image received by the retina?
The brain
What is the composition of the lens in the eye?
A crystal-like protein that is flexible
What muscles control the shape of the lens?
Ciliary muscles
What is the role of the lacrimal gland?
Produces tears to keep the eye moist and provide defense against foreign material
What drains lacrimal fluid from the eye?
Lacrimal canals
What is the main refractive element of the eye?
The cornea
What fluid is secreted by the ciliary body?
Aqueous humour
What does the vitreous body do?
Acts as a shock absorber and helps maintain the shape of the eye
What is the macula lutea?
A patch of cells in the retina that produces finely detailed images
What is the function of the pupil?
Changes size to regulate the amount of light passing through to the retina
What can cause a detached retina?
Blows to the head or inadequate pressure from the vitreous body
What is myopia?
Nearsightedness
What are rods in the retina sensitive to?
Low light
What are the three types of cones in the retina?
Red, green, blue
What is deuteranomaly?
A mild form of red-green color vision deficiency
What is tritanopia?
Inability to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink
What is monochromacy?
Complete color vision deficiency
What is the function of the auricle (pinna)?
Collects and concentrates sound waves
What separates the middle ear from the outer ear?
The eardrum
What is the function of the ossicles?
Amplify vibrations on the eardrum
What is the cochlea?
A spiral fluid-filled chamber where vibrations are converted to impulses
What are the semicircular canals responsible for?
Balance
What is glue ear?
A condition where sticky fluid accumulates in the middle ear
What does a cochlear implant do?
Converts sounds into electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve
What are the symptoms of anosmia?
Loss of sense of smell
What can cause taste and smell disorders?
Illness, head injury, hormone changes, dental problems, nasal polyps, certain chemicals, certain medicines, radiation therapy, cocaine use, cigarette smoking
What is ageusia?
Loss of sense of taste
Fill in the blank: The _______ is a thin transparent membrane that is part of the eye.
Retina
True or False: The brain receives impulses from the optic nerve and converts them to an image.
True
What is the role of the inner hair cells in the cochlea?
Transfer sounds to the auditory nerve
What condition is characterized by constant ringing or buzzing in the ears?
Tinnitus
