Bio 30 Unit 1 The eye & the ear

Sensory reception

The process of receiving and detecting sensory information through the human eye, ear, and other sensory receptors.

Human eye

The organ responsible for vision, consisting of various parts such as the cornea, lens, retina, rods and cones, fovea centralis, pupil, iris, and optic nerve.

Human ear

The organ responsible for hearing, consisting of parts like the pinna, auditory canal, tympanum, ossicles, cochlea, organ of Corti, auditory nerve, semicircular canals, and Eustachian tube.

Olfactory receptors

Sensory receptors in the nose responsible for detecting and interpreting smells.

Taste receptors

Sensory receptors on the tongue responsible for detecting and interpreting tastes.

Touch receptors

Sensory receptors in the skin responsible for detecting and interpreting tactile sensations.

Sensation

The process of neural impulses generated by sensory receptors reaching the cerebral cortex.

Perception

The individual interpretation of sensory information by the cerebral cortex.

Sensory adaptation

The brain's ability to filter out redundant sensory information to prevent over-stimulation.

Autism

A condition characterized by difficulties in filtering out redundant sensory information, leading to increased sensitivity and overstimulation.

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors in the eyes that are stimulated by light.

Chemoreceptors

Sensory receptors in the body that are stimulated by chemicals.

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors in the body that are stimulated by pressure.

Thermoreceptors

Sensory receptors in the body that are stimulated by heat or cold.

Dysfunction

The impaired or abnormal functioning of sensory receptors, which can result in the inability to perceive pain.

Vision

The sense associated with the stimulation of photoreceptors in the retina by light energy.

Rods and cones

The two types of photoreceptor cells in the retina responsible for converting light energy into electrochemical impulses.

Myopia

The condition of nearsightedness, caused by an elongated eyeball, resulting in the inability to see objects at a distance.

Hyperopia

The condition of farsightedness, caused by a shortened eyeball, resulting in the inability to see objects at close range.

Retina

The innermost layer of the eye that contains rods and cones, which relay sensory impulses to the occipital lobe of the brain.

Colorblindness

A genetic condition caused by a lack of specific cones or color receptors, resulting in an inability to perceive certain colors.

Upside-down image

The projection of an inverted image on the retina, which is re-inverted by the brain to perceive it as right-side-up.

Hearing

The sense associated with the conversion of sound waves into electrochemical impulses by mechanoreceptors in the inner ear.

Pinna

The outer part of the ear that directs sound waves into the auditory canal.

Tympanum

Also known as the eardrum, it vibrates when struck by sound waves, generating vibrations within the middle ear.

Ossicles

The three small bones (malleus, incus, and stapes) in the middle ear that amplify vibrations from the tympanum.

Cochlea

A spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the organ of Corti and converts sound waves into electrochemical impulses.

Semicircular canals

Structures in the inner ear that maintain dynamic equilibrium by triggering the movement of tiny hair cells.

Eustachian tube

A tube connecting the middle ear to the throat, allowing air pressure to equalize.

Hearing loss

The impairment or loss of hearing, which can be caused by various factors such as birth defects, ear infections, or exposure to loud noises.

Balance disorders

Disorders resulting from damage to the semicircular canals, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and vertigo.

Taste

The sense associated with chemoreceptors on the tongue that detect and interpret different tastes.

Smell

The sense associated with chemoreceptors in the nasal cavity that detect and interpret different odors.

Olfactory cells

Chemoreceptors in the nasal cavity that transmit signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain, leading to the sensation of smell.

Olfactory bulb

The part of the brain that receives signals from olfactory cells and processes the sensation of smell.

Olfactory bulb (in dogs)

Dogs have a larger olfactory bulb than humans, explaining their heightened sense of smell.