Sensory Organs Flashcards
(40 cards)
What are general senses?
Senses found all over the body (pain, pressure changes, etc)
What are special senses?
Senses that have specialized receptor cells within a specialized organ
Every sensation is connected to what?
Action potential
What do chemoreceptors respond to?
Chemicals — detect taste, smells, blood pH
What do photoreceptors respond to?
Light
What do mechanoreceptors respond to?
Physical forces: hearing motion, vibrations
What do thermoreceptors detect?
Change in temperature
What do nociceptors respond to?
Tissue damage (pain)
What is a receptive field and how does it relate to sensation?
An area of the body supplied by a single sensory neuron. Precision in detection depends on the size of the field
Where do we have smaller receptive fields?
Areas that require more nuance of sensation (face, hands, etc)
Sclera
The white fibrous outer layer of the eye
Cornea
The clear covering of 5-7 layers of non-keratinized epithelial tissue that allows light to pass through the anteriormost surface of the eye
Corneal Epithelium
Anterior-most layer of the cornea
Choroid
Highly vascular middle layer of the eye (dark part between sclera and retina)
Ciliary Body
Smooth hair-like muscle that controls the shape of the lens
Iris
Pigmented portion of the eye surrounding the pupil
Iris Diaphragm
Controls pupil dilation
Pupil
Open hole at the center of the iris that light passes through into the eye
Retina
The interior light-sensitive layer of the eye that contains photo-receptors (rod & cone cells)
Optic Disc
The spot on the retina where axons leave and blood vessels enters (the optic nerve connection)
Macula
Oval-shaped lightly pigmented area of higher resolution for color vision (little dot near optic disc)
Aqueous Humor
Clear, watery fluid that fills the space anterior to the lens
Lens
Transparent structure that focus light on the retina
Vitreous Body
Clear gel that fills the space posterior to the lens (inside retina and choroid)