Other Senses Flashcards
(12 cards)
Olfactory pathway
Nostril ➡️ nasal cavity ➡️ Olfactory nerve ➡️ olfactory bulb ➡️ olfactory tract ➡️ Limbic system (brain area)
Pheromones
Chemicals given off by animals that have an effect on social, foraging, and sexual behavior in other members of that species
Taste buds
Detects dissolved compounds in papillae (little bumps on tongue)
Sour, sweet, salty, butter, and umami (savory)
Somatosensation
Refers to the 4 touch modalities: Pressure Vibration Pain Temperature
Two point threshold
The minimum distance between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
Physiological zero
The normal temperature of the skin (between 86 and 97F) to which objects are compared to determine if they feel “warm” or “cold”
Nociceptors
Responsible for pain perception
Gate theory of pain
States that pain sensation is reduced when other somatosensory signals are present
Special “gating” mechanisms can turn pain signals on or off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain
Kinesthetic sense (proprioception)
Refers to the ability to tell where ones body is in three dimensional space
Example: even with your eyes closed, you could still describe the location and position of your hand
The only sense that doesn’t pass through the thalamus but passes through higher order brain centers ?
Smell
Somatosensory cortex is found in which lobe?
Parietal
Olfactory chemoreceptors (olfactory nerves)
Detect volatile or aerosolized chemicals
