Special Senses

Question 1

What are the five special senses?

Answer 1

Sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing

Touch is often considered a general sense rather than a special sense.

Question 2

What types of receptors are involved in special senses?

Answer 2

Large complex organs or localized clusters of receptors

Examples include the eyes for sight and ears for hearing.

Question 3

How many nerve fibers are in the optic tracts?

Answer 3

Over a million nerve fibers

Question 4

What are photoreceptors in the eyes sensitive to?

Answer 4

Light

Question 5

What structure in the eye corrects the inverted image received by the retina?

Answer 5

The brain

Question 6

What is the composition of the lens in the eye?

Answer 6

A crystal-like protein that is flexible

Question 7

What muscles control the shape of the lens?

Answer 7

Ciliary muscles

Question 8

What is the role of the lacrimal gland?

Answer 8

Produces tears to keep the eye moist and provide defense against foreign material

Question 9

What drains lacrimal fluid from the eye?

Answer 9

Lacrimal canals

Question 10

What is the main refractive element of the eye?

Answer 10

The cornea

Question 11

What fluid is secreted by the ciliary body?

Answer 11

Aqueous humour

Question 12

What does the vitreous body do?

Answer 12

Acts as a shock absorber and helps maintain the shape of the eye

Question 13

What is the macula lutea?

Answer 13

A patch of cells in the retina that produces finely detailed images

Question 14

What is the function of the pupil?

Answer 14

Changes size to regulate the amount of light passing through to the retina

Question 15

What can cause a detached retina?

Answer 15

Blows to the head or inadequate pressure from the vitreous body

Question 16

What is myopia?

Answer 16

Nearsightedness

Question 17

What are rods in the retina sensitive to?

Answer 17

Low light

Question 18

What are the three types of cones in the retina?

Answer 18

Red, green, blue

Question 19

What is deuteranomaly?

Answer 19

A mild form of red-green color vision deficiency

Question 20

What is tritanopia?

Answer 20

Inability to tell the difference between blue and green, purple and red, and yellow and pink

Question 21

What is monochromacy?

Answer 21

Complete color vision deficiency

Question 22

What is the function of the auricle (pinna)?

Answer 22

Collects and concentrates sound waves

Question 23

What separates the middle ear from the outer ear?

Answer 23

The eardrum

Question 24

What is the function of the ossicles?

Answer 24

Amplify vibrations on the eardrum

Question 25

What is the cochlea?

Answer 25

A spiral fluid-filled chamber where vibrations are converted to impulses

Question 26

What are the semicircular canals responsible for?

Answer 26

Balance

Question 27

What is glue ear?

Answer 27

A condition where sticky fluid accumulates in the middle ear

Question 28

What does a cochlear implant do?

Answer 28

Converts sounds into electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve

Question 29

What are the symptoms of anosmia?

Answer 29

Loss of sense of smell

Question 30

What can cause taste and smell disorders?

Answer 30

Illness, head injury, hormone changes, dental problems, nasal polyps, certain chemicals, certain medicines, radiation therapy, cocaine use, cigarette smoking

Question 31

What is ageusia?

Answer 31

Loss of sense of taste

Question 32

Fill in the blank: The _______ is a thin transparent membrane that is part of the eye.

Answer 32

Retina

Question 33

True or False: The brain receives impulses from the optic nerve and converts them to an image.

Answer 33

True

Question 34

What is the role of the inner hair cells in the cochlea?

Answer 34

Transfer sounds to the auditory nerve

Question 35

What condition is characterized by constant ringing or buzzing in the ears?

Answer 35

Tinnitus