Sensing Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is a thermoreceptor?
A thermoreceptor is a sensory receptor that detects changes in temperature, helping the body regulate its internal temperature in response to external environmental conditions.
What is a pain receptor?
A pain receptor, or nociceptor, is a sensory receptor that detects harmful stimuli and sends signals to the brain to produce the sensation of pain.
What is a mechanoreceptor?
A mechanoreceptor is a sensory receptor that responds to physical pressure or distortion, allowing the body to detect touch, vibration, and movement.
What is a chemoreceptor?
A chemoreceptor is a sensory receptor that detects chemical stimuli, allowing organisms to sense changes in their environment, such as taste and smell.
What is a photoreceptor?
A photoreceptor is a specialised cell or structure in an organism that detects light and converts it into electrical signals for visual processing.
What is the function of the cornea?
The cornea functions to refract light entering the eye while providing a protective barrier against environmental elements and pathogens.
What is the pupil?
The opening in the iris that regulates the amount of light entering the eye.
What is the lens?
A flexible structure that helps focus light onto the retina.
What is the retina?
The light-sensitive inner layer of the eye, containing photoreceptor cells.
Whats is the iris?
The iris is the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil and regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.
What is the auricle/pinna?
The auricle, or pinna, is the visible, external part of the ear that helps to collect and direct sound waves into the ear canal.
What is the ear canal?
The ear canal is a tube-like passage in the ear that connects the outer ear to the eardrum, helping to transmit sound waves into the inner parts of the ear.
What is the eardrum?
The eardrum is a thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves hit it. These vibrations are transmitted to the ossicles.
What is the ossicles?
The ossicles are the smallest bones in the body. They amplify the vibrations from the eardrum and transmit them to the inner ear.
What is the cochlea?
The cochlea is a spiral-shaped organ that contains hair cells that are sensitive to different frequencies of sound. These hair cells convert the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain.
What is the vestibular system?
The vestibular system is responsible for balance. It contains fluid-filled canals and chambers that detect movement and orientation of the head.
What does the ear do?
The ear detects sound waves and converts them into electrical signals that the brain interprets, while also helping with balance.
