Special Senses Flashcards
How are the special senses different from the somatic senses?
They relate to the PNS
What are the 5 special senses?
Vision, hearing, equilibrium, taste and smell
Which part of the eye is responsible for allowing light to enter?
Cornea
Which part of the eye refracts light to focus it on the retina?
Lens
Which part of the eye is coloured and controls the diameter of the pupil?
Iris
Which part of the eye holds the lens in place?
Ciliary body
Which part of the eye has photoreceptors?
Retina
What is the spot on the retina called?
Fovea
What is the fluid in front of the lens?
Aqueous humour
What os the fluid behind the lens?
Vitreous humour
What is the area where axons leave the eye?
The optic disc
What is the structure containing all the axons that transmit information to the brain?
The optic nerve
What stimulates the photoreceptors “cones” in the eye?
Bright light and they provide colour vision
Why do blue and green colours appear brighter at dusk or night?
Rods are sensitive to light and more sensitive to blues and greens which is why they appear brighter at night
What is the optic chiasm?
Where the neurons of the eye cross over
Where do the neurons go after they pass the optic chiasm?
Primary visual cortex
If an image is processed in the right occipital lobe, which visual field is it receiving information from?
Left
What are the parts of the outer ear?
Auricle (pinna) and external auditory canal
What are the parts of the middle ear?
Eardrum, 3 bones which form the ossicle chain and the eustachian tube
What are the parts of the inner ear?
Cochlea and vestibular apparatus
What structure connects the middle ear to the upper part of the throat?
Nasopharynx
What causes low-pitch sound?
Low frequencies
What do sound waves stimulate in order to cause action potentials in the cochlea?
Vibrations
What structure is responsible for equilibrium in the ear?
Vestibular apparatus
What structures detect changes in angular acceleration of the head?
Semicircular canals
What do the otoliths organs do?
Detect changes in liner acceleration of the head
What are the 5 basic taste sensations that taste buds respond to?
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
What is the name of the receptors that detect dissolved chemicals in food or drink?
Gustatory receptors (in taste buds)
Taste is integrated with what other body functions?
Smell increasing saliva production, initiating vomiting reflex in response to bad tasting substances
Where are the smell receptors located?
Olfactory epithelium located on roof of nasal cavity
True/False: Humans have many different olfactory receptors
True: about 450 different types
