Information Processing

eye

sense organ that detects light inputs (in the form of colors, shapes and intensity)

ear

sense organ that detects sound inputs (in the form of vibrations)

nose

sense organ that detects smell inputs (in the form of gases)

tongue

sense organ that detects taste inputs (in the form of flavors)

skin

sense organ that detects many touch inputs, including temperature, pressure, texture and pain

sense receptors

special nerve cells that detect specific types of sensory inputs

optic nerve

nerve that carries impulses from the eye to the brain

auditory nerve

nerve that carries impulses from the ear to the brain

gustatory nerve

nerve that carries impulses from the tongue to the brain

olfactory nerve

nerve that carries impulses from the nose to the brain

neuron

a single nerve cell

stimulus

a change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react

response

a reaction to a stimulus

tropism

the response of a plant to an external stimulus

thermotropism

a plant's response to temperature

phototropism

a plant's response to light

geotropism

a plant's response to gravity

hydrotropism

a plant's response to water

thigmotropism

a plant's response to touch

hormone

a chemical that triggers a specific reaction in the body of an organism

auxin

a plant hormone that causes stems to bend toward the light

ethylene

a plant hormone that causes fruit to ripen

photoperiodism

a plant's response to the number of hours of daylight and darkness it receives daily

long-day plants

plants that bloom when receiving 12-14 hours of sunlight per day

short-day plants

plants that bloom when receiving less than 12 hours of sunlight per day

day-neutral plants

plants that bloom within a wide range of daylight and darkness hours