Week 14 Study Guide – Animal Sensory Systems

Flashcards covering animal sensory systems, including receptor types, mechanoreception, and photoreception, based on lecture notes.

Afferent Nervous System

Delivers signals from internal and external environments to the CNS.

Sensory Receptors

Transduce environmental stimuli into electrical signals interpretable by the brain.

Transduction

Conversion of a stimulus into a membrane potential change.

Transmission

Sending the signal to the CNS.

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect mechanical stimuli such as pressure or vibration.

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect light.

Chemoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect chemical stimuli (e.g., taste, smell).

Thermoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect temperature changes.

Nociceptors

Sensory receptors that detect pain.

Electroreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect electrical fields.

Magnetoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect magnetic fields.

Hair cell

A specialized mechanoreceptor cell in the inner ear that detects sound vibrations.

Stereocilia

Small, hair-like projections on hair cells that bend in response to sound vibrations.

Kinocilium

A single, longer hair-like projection on hair cells.

Tympanic Membrane

The eardrum; vibrates in response to sound waves.

Ossicles

Small bones in the middle ear that transmit sound vibrations.

Cochlea

The spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells.

Basilar Membrane

A structure in the cochlea that vibrates in response to sound frequencies.

Tectorial Membrane

A membrane in the cochlea that contacts the stereocilia of hair cells.

Photoreception

The detection of light through photoreceptors.

Compound Eye

An eye consisting of multiple ommatidia (visual units), found in insects and crustaceans.

Simple Eye

An eye with a single lens.

Cornea

The transparent outer layer of the eye.

Iris

The colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil.

Pupil

The opening in the iris that allows light to enter the eye.

Lens

Focuses light onto the retina.

Retina

The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye containing photoreceptors (rods and cones).

Rods

Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for vision in low light conditions.

Cones

Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color vision.

Fovea

The central focal point in the retina, where cones are highly concentrated.

Optic Nerve

Transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.

Opsin

A protein that binds to retinal in photoreceptor cells.

Retinal

A light-absorbing molecule derived from vitamin A.

Rhodopsin

The visual pigment found in rods.