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Sensory Flashcards

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1
Q

Define sensory biology

A

how animals detect, integrate, and respond to external and internal cues.

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2
Q

What do all receptors do?

A

they transduce incoming stimuli into changes in membrane potential

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3
Q

What are the 4 common steps involved in receptors?

A
  1. Receptor protein detects stimulus
  2. Opening/closing of ion channel
  3. Change in membrane potential
  4. Signal sent to integrating center (CNS)
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4
Q

What are the 2 types of sensory receptor cells? How are they different?

A
  1. Sensory neuron – Receptor protein is a part of the afferent neuron
  2. Epithelial sensory receptor cell – Receptor protein is in a separate Epithelial sensory cell that communicates w/ the afferent neuron
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5
Q

What is receptor classification based on?

A

stimulus location

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6
Q

What do Telereceptors detect? Give an example.

A

detect distant stimuli

ex. vision, hearing

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7
Q

What do Exteroceptors detect? Give an example.

A

detect stimuli on outside of body

ex. pressure, temperature

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8
Q

What do Interoceptors detect? Give an example.

A

detect stimuli on inside of body

ex. blood pressure, blood oxygen

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9
Q

What do Chemoreceptors detect? Give an example.

A

chemicals

ex. smell, taste

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10
Q

What do Mechanoreceptors detect? Give an example.

A

pressure and movement

ex. touch, hearing, balance, blood pressure

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11
Q

What do Photoreceptors detect? Give an example.

A

Light

ex. vison

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12
Q

What do Electroreceptors detect? Give an example.

A

Electrical fields

ex. guide hammerhead shark feeding

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13
Q

What do Magnetoreceptors detect? Give an example.

A

Magnetic fields

ex. sharks use Earth’s magnetic field for navigation

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14
Q

What do Thermoreceptors detect?

A

Temperature

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15
Q

What are polymodal/multimodal receptors?

A

receptors that are sensitive to multiple types of stimuli

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16
Q

Describe Ampullae of Lorenzini (in sharks)

A

small vesicles and pores that form part of an extensive subcutaneous sensory network system that can sense temp, touch, electricity, earth’s magnetic field

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17
Q

Describe the ampullae and the gel in the Ampullae of Lorenzini

A

Each ampulla is a bundle of sensory cells that are innervated by several nerve fibers, which are enclosed in a gel-filled tubule which has a direct opening to the surface through a pore.
Gel has electrical properties allowing temp changes to be translated into electrical info to help detect temp gradients

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18
Q

All stimuli are ultimately converted into ____

A

Action potentials in a primary afferent neuron

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19
Q

What 4 types of information must Sensory Receptors and Sensory Neurons encode?

A
  1. Stimulus modality
  2. Stimulus location
  3. Stimulus intensity
  4. Stimulus duration
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20
Q

Describe the mechanoreceptors used for hearing and balance.

A

Modified epithelial cells (not neurons)
Kinocilium (true cilium)
Stereocilia (microvilli)

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21
Q

What is the significance of stereocilia?

A

Movement of stereocilia causes a change in permeability of mechanosensitive ion channels (in stereocilia) to ions (usually K)

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22
Q

When hair cells are at rest, why is it partially depolarized instead of at a constant zero?

A

a base level of firing allows the ability to detect an increase and decrease of stimulus

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23
Q

What do hair cells detect?

A

body position and movement

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24
Q

What is a Neuromast?

Study These Flashcards
A

Hair cells (stereocilia) embedded in cupula (gelatinous cap) -> detect water movement

25
What is the Lateral line system?
an array of neuromasts within pits or tubes running along the side of the body
26
What is a limitation of hair cells?
they can only detect one plane of motion
27
What is the Lateral line in fishes used for?
1. Swimming upstream (Rheotaxis) = most important 2. Navigation around obstacles 3. Detection of prey and predators
28
What might you expect from a fish that relies only on lateral line system for prey capture?
widened lateral line canal increased density of hair cells --> increased sensitivity
29
What's unique about Cichlid fishes (genus Aulonocara)
have non-functioning eyes so they glide through water w/ mouth close to sand to detect slight water movements from prey moving in sand
30
How does the lateral line system help in predator evasion?
Predator displaces water ahead of them (from swimming) so prey is hit by/detects the water first and has time to eascape
31
What is Rheotaxis?
the process of swimming against a current
32
Overall, what does the lateral line detect?
water movement and vibrations
33
What is the function of vertebrate ears?
equilibrium and hearing
34
What's the advantage of having paired ears?
Permits stereophonic hearing (can detect depth)
35
What makes up the outer (external) ear? Do all organisms have an outer ear?
Pinna Auditory canal (external auditory meatus) --> not in all vertebrates (absent in fish & amphibians)
36
What makes up the middle ear? What is the purpose of the middle ear?
Malleus Incus Stapes To transport and amplify sound to inner ear
37
What makes up the inner ear?
Semicircular canals | Cochlea
38
How do pit vipers and pythons detect infrared light? Why is it considered indirect detection?
thermal radiation is emitted as infrared -> pit organs detect temperature, so infrared detection is indirect (not a direct photochemical reaction)
39
What are the 3 layers of the eye?
1. Sclera 2. Choroid 3. Retina
40
What is the Sclera?
outer layer (white part) of eye; formed by a tough capsule of connective tissue
41
How is the eyeball rotated? Why is the accuracy so fine?
Extrinsic eye muscles attach to the sclera to rotate eyeball | There is a 1:1 muscle neuron to muscle fibers
42
What is the Cornea?
Transparent part of sclera in front of eye
43
How does the Cornea and Lens differ when in air vs. water?
air: cornea focuses light rays (light is refracted); lens does some fine tuning water: cornea has similar refractive properties as water -> lens changes shape and thus focal length (focuses)
44
What is the Choroid?
vascular, middle part of eye provides nutritional support to the ocular tissue pigmented; and in some vert can include reflective material (Tapetum lucidum)
45
What is the Tapetum lucidum?
region of middle layer of eye (Choroid) that reflects visible light and increases light sensitivity (in nocturnal animals)
46
What is the Iris?
a region of the middle layer of the eye (Choroid) that controls pupil size
47
What is the Retina?
the innermost layer of the eye | photosensitive and contains 3 layers
48
What two types of photoreceptor cells are in the eye? Where are they located?
Rods and Cones | in deepest layer of Retna
49
Define Cones
photoreceptor cell sensitive to color in bright light
50
Define Rods
photoreceptor cell sensitive to low level light but not color
51
How many types of cones are found in vertebrates? In mammals? In humans? Why?
4 types of cones found in vertebrates (defined by opsin pigments) Most mammals have 2 types(can't contrast green, yellow, red -- related to ancestral nocturnal lifestyle) Humans/other apes have 3 types (diurnal lifestyle)
52
What is unique about Anableps vision? Describe difference in opsin pigments.
Each pupil is divided into 2 (one in air has opsin pigments sensitive to green; one below water has opsin pigments sensitive to yellow)
53
What is "Snell's Window"
distortion when looking out of water due to refraction at water's surface
54
Describe Gecko vision?
Can see color at night Retina has only cones (large, 350x's more sensitive than human cones) Multifocal system (can focus light of different ranges of wavelengths simultaneously)
55
What is unique of Water Shrew sensory ability?
Can efficiently capture prey w/o eyesight (shown by no diff. in timing for capturing prey under lighted vs. infrared conditions)
56
What is unique of Harbor Seal sensory ability?
can detect hydrodynamic trails produced by prey by using vibrissae to detect vibrations in water over long distances
57
What are Vibrissae?
specialized hairs used for tactile sensation (whiskers) used to detect prey in many mammals
58
Describe the structure of Vibrissae.
implanted in a special follicle sealed by a capsule filled with blood (blood moves and activates mechanoreceptors when whisker is bent to a side)

Biology161 (6 decks)

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