Test 4- Special Senses Flashcards
Consists of nerve fibers that carry information between the CNS and other parts of the body
Peripheral Nervous System
Detects, encodes and transmits peripheral signals to the CNS which is essential in maintaining homeostasis
Afferent Division of PNS
The process of converting forms of energy into electrical signals/nerve impulses
Transduction
Indicates presence of danger and often elicits withdrawal to safety
Nociceptors
Detect heat or cold and monitor blood temperature deep in the body
Thermoreceptors
Respond to touch, pressure, stretching of muscles, motion and sound
Mechanoreceptors
Includes sensory receptors in the nose and mouth and internal receptors that monitor blood levels of chemicals
Chemoreceptors
Sensitive to energy, including electricity, magnetism and light
Photoreceptors
Things in our environment that are registered by the five major sensory organs
Sensations
How we interpret and make sense of our sensations
Perceptions
Four Steps to Perception
Stimulus
Transduction
Conduction
Perception
Responsible for vision in dim light, detect motion
Rods
Responsible for vision in bright light, detect detail and color
Cones
General pathway of light
Light passes through cornea into anterior chamber
Light passes through pupil
Light passes through lens
Light passes through posterior cavity
Hits retina
At 20 ft the eye can read letters normally
20/20 vision
Vision is better than normal- at 20 ft the eye can read letters usually only able to be seen at 15 ft
20/
Inability to focus on far objects because the eyeballs are too elongated
Nearsightedness (myopia)
Can be fixed with corrective lenses that are thinner in the middle
myopia (nearsightedness)
Inability to focus on near objects because the eyeballs are too short
Farsightedness (hyperopia)
Can be fixed with lenses that are thicker in the middle
Hyperopia
Blurred vision caused by lenses or corneas that are misshapen
Astigmatism
Increased hyperopia with age
Presbyopia
Inflammation of the conjunctiva
pink eye
Clouding of the lenses
cataracts
Increased intra-eye pressure that occurs when the rate of aqueous humor production outpaces the rate of its removal
Glaucoma
Damage to the retina caused by complications from diabetes mellitus
Diabetic retinopathy
Misalignment of the eyes caused by weakness or paralysis of extrinsic eye muscles
strabismus
Interpreted by the insula
taste