The chemosensory system Flashcards
Olfactory system
Nasal cavity contains sheet of receptors; olfactory epithelium. Combination of molecules is what we smell. Connected to hippocamp and amygdala. Goes from receptors to olfactory nerve to olfactory bulb
Taste system
Tongue is filled with papilla, containing taste buds with receptor cells. Dep. on place on tongue which you taste, distribution is uneven. Project to the brainstem, thalamus and anterior insula (containers primary taste area: gustatory cortex)
Malleability of the sensory circuit
Critical periods for some, like sight. If not learned in first three months, never learned. Eye functions but brain can’t translate input therefore blind.
amputations will change brain, sensory fields dissapear and that of surrounding increase. Same if you constantly stimulate same place. Will get bigger in your brain.
